Director, European Culinary

CULTIVATE A BETTER WORLD

Food served fast does not have to be a typical fast-food experience. Chipotle has always done things differently, both in and out of our restaurants. We are changing the face of fast food, starting conversations, and directly supporting efforts to shift the future of farming and food. We hope you will join us as we continue to learn, evolve, and shape what comes next on our mission to make better food accessible to everyone.

THE OPPORTUNITY

As the Director, European Culinary for Chipotle Europe you will oversee Chipotle Culinary and its alignment with our Global Culinary Standards which includes oversight of the Chipotle markets in Europe. You will partner with our international Chipotle team, strategic regional suppliers, regional operations team, and our USA based leadership team to deliver a consistent Chipotle experience globally.

This is a leadership role involving fluency in culinary skills, Chipotle’s culinary execution, and Chipotle’s Food with Integrity (FWI) ethos. The ability to partner strategically with suppliers to match our commercialized products and understanding large scale production is vital. An understanding of Food Safety, Quality Assurance, and Commercialization protocols is also essential. You will partner with the regional operations teams to ensure restaurant culinary recipes and standards in local markets are maintained and meet the aligned-on Global Culinary Standard. You will also lead regional culinary and menu work required to support local menu adjustments by leveraging a combination of local and market consumer insights.

Developing and implementing processes and protocols to drive consistency in our proprietary products, food quality, and our in-restaurant execution will be essential. This role reports directly into the Vice President for Chipotle Culinary and will partner with the leadership team in Europe to ensure we are championing Chipotle’s Food with Integrity (FWI) mission across the globe.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Maintain Global Culinary Standards: Develop and execute a comprehensive Global Culinary Standards strategy aligned with Chipotle’s objectives of delivering a consistent culinary experience.
• Strategic Supplier Partnerships: Partner closely with the international supply chain team and strategic suppliers to ensure core menu ingredients meet our global culinary FWI standards.
• Restaurant Operations Support: Partner with the Operations Services team to drive culinary capability and brand standards internationally.
• Teach & Taste Chipotle: Be an expert in Chipotle’s FWI mission and our Real food proposition.
• Kitchen Innovation and Procurement: Partner with the global business on culinary process and equipment innovation initiatives.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Operationalize culinary innovation and change via effective collaboration with various teams.
• Consumer Testing and Validation: Partner with the regional marketing and consumer insights team to develop and implement a consumer testing protocol.
• Budgeting and Cost Control: Manage culinary budgets, monitor costs, and identify opportunities for cost-saving initiatives.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING TO THE TABLE

• A Passion for Exceptional People, Exceptional Food, and Cultivating a Better World.
• Dynamic leader with proven track record of critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Culinary Arts Degree/Certification required.
• 4-year Bachelor’s degree required with Master’s degree preferred.
• Language skills (English + 1-2 European languages) preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive culinary experience, including international exposure and leadership roles.
• 5+ years supervisory experience.
• Experience in multi-unit operations in regional European markets preferred.
• Strong understanding of food science, food safety, and quality assurance standards.
• Proven track record in menu development, culinary innovation, and successful implementation of culinary strategies.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong business acumen, with experience in budgeting, cost control, and financial analysis.
• Travel subject to business needs. Approximately 30-40% travel domestic and international.
• 5-Day in-person work week at Chipotle London RSC.

WHO WE ARE

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) is cultivating a better world by serving responsibly sourced, classically cooked, real food with wholesome ingredients without artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. Chipotle has over 3,250 restaurants in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Germany and is the only restaurant company of its size that owns and operates all its restaurants in North America and Europe.