Vice President of Culinary & Purchasing

Creative Dining Services is seeking a strategic, innovative Vice President of Culinary &Purchasing to lead our enterprise-wide culinary vision and sourcing strategy, reporting to the CEO. This executive role shapes the future of our culinary programs, elevates the guest experience, and ensures we deliver exceptional quality, value, and consistency across all partnerships.

If you are the ideal team player — hungry, humble, and smart — a forward-thinking culinary leader with deep procurement expertise—and a passion for mentoring teams, driving excellence, and influencing enterprise strategy—this is your next step. This position is a remote/hybrid role requiring a minimum of 1 day per week at the Zeeland, MI office and extensive travel.

• Responsible for all culinary operationswithin the organization.
• Overseeenterprise menu planningacross all locations tomaintainculinary consistency and alignment with client expectations.
• Oversee the development of new and revised menu itemsto ensure high levelsof customer satisfaction.
• Developorganizationalfood preparation and food safety standard sand ensure implementation across corporate locations.
• Maintain responsibility for the financial performance of kitchens, including oversight of food and labor costs.
• Negotiatevolume discountsfrom vendors to support culinary and financial objectives.
• Lead the culinary team that provides training, coaching, and guidance toenterprisechefs to ensure consistency and high performance across allpartnerships.
• Establish departmental goals and sets strategies to ensureculinaryprograms meet customer needs and organizational priorities.
• Ensureteammembers are educatedinthe organization and its offerings to increase sales and improve customer satisfaction.
• Overseethe teamthatestablishesguidelines and processes for menu additions andculinary execution atbanquets, catering, and special events.
• Ensureprofitable operation by monitoring food and labor costs and negotiating pricing or discounts.
• Support compliance with allsanitation, health and safety regulationsrelated to food, equipment, and supplies.

• Establishanenterprise sourcing strategytomaintaina consistent supply of goods and services.
• Stay current on emerging sustainability initiatives and industry standards (e.g., responsible sourcing frameworks, animal welfare commitments), evaluatetheir operational and financial impact, andprovidestrategic guidance tosenior executive leadership on adoption, compliance, and long‑term sourcing implications.
• Developandimplementpurchasingstrategies and policies that ensure the organization obtains necessary products and services while minimizing costs.
• Developcriteria for vendor evaluation and selectionto ensure quality, value, and service.
• Sets goals andidentifymetricsto measure the performance of purchasing processes.
• Negotiatecomplex or high‑value vendor contracts; mayestablishpurchasing budgets with senior leadership.
• Direct organizationalsourcing strategiestoidentifyandmaintaina strong vendor network.
• Establish policies for evaluating products, goods, or services prior to purchase andensurestandards continue to be met post‑purchase.
• Identify trends in purchasing and opportunities forcost reduction, including consolidation strategies.
• Serve as a liaison between internal stakeholders and external suppliers, maintaining strong relationships and ensuring satisfaction.
• Establish policies and procedures for identifying, evaluating, selecting, and negotiating with vendors.
• Develop procurementprocedures, including
  
  RFP/RFQ, bid, purchase order, and requisition processes, ensuring cost‑effective, quality-driven purchasing.
• Directly manage vendor relationships, which may includeresolvingissues involving quality, shipping, or invoicing.

• Leadanddirectthe work of employeeswithresponsibility for employment actions such as hiring, performance management, and termination.
• Collaborate with executive leadership to align departmental strategy and direction with overall organizational go als.
• Develop policies, practices, and procedures that have a significant organizational impact.
• Hire, coach, train, and evaluate…