VP of Culinary Operations, MML Hospitality at MML Hospitality – Austin, Texas

About MML Hospitality

MML Hospitality builds restaurants, hotels, and spaces that people genuinely love spending time in. Our work is rooted in great food, thoughtful design, and hospitality that feels personal rather than scripted.

The company is led by Liz Lambert, Larry McGuire, and Tom Moorman, and includes a collection of restaurants, hotels, retail concepts, and event spaces across several markets. We own and operate our projects and grow deliberately, focusing on ideas and places we believe in.

Our teams care deeply about the craft of hospitality and the people behind it.

The Role

We are looking for a Vice President of Culinary Operations who is a chef at heart and an experienced kitchen leader.

This role reports directly to the SVP of Culinary and works closely with him to support and strengthen culinary operations across the company. The VP will help ensure our kitchens are well led, well staffed, financially sound, and consistently producing great food.

This is not a purely corporate role. We are looking for someone who has spent real time in kitchens, understands the rhythm of service, and can work alongside chefs while also helping build systems that support a growing organization.

The right person knows how to support chefs, develop leaders, and maintain high standards without losing the creativity and personality that make each concept unique.

What You'll Do

Support Culinary Leadership

• Work closely with the SVP of Culinary to support chefs and culinary teams across the portfolio.
• Help maintain high standards of food quality, execution, and consistency across restaurants and hotel operations.
• Serve as a trusted partner and resource to Executive Chefs and kitchen leaders.

Kitchen Leadership & Team Development

• Support and mentor Executive Chefs, Sous Chefs, and kitchen leadership teams.
• Help develop strong internal talent and future culinary leaders.
• Assist with hiring, onboarding, and leadership development within the kitchens.

Operational Excellence

• Help ensure kitchens are running efficiently and consistently across the portfolio.
• Support systems around recipes, prep standards, ordering, and kitchen organization.
• Work closely with operations teams to maintain strong collaboration between BOH and FOH.

Financial & Business Awareness

• Support chefs in managing food cost, labor, and overall kitchen performance.
• Help review budgets, purchasing practices, and kitchen systems to ensure sustainability.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency without compromising quality.

Openings & New Concepts

• Support the SVP of Culinary on new restaurant openings and culinary development.
• Assist with menu development, kitchen design planning, and training for new teams.
• Help ensure new kitchens launch smoothly and with strong systems in place.

Who You Are

• You are a chef first who has grown into a leadership role.
• You understand both the craft of cooking and the realities of running kitchens at scale.
• You are comfortable moving between restaurants, working with chefs, and helping solve operational problems.
• You care deeply about food, people, and the culture of kitchens.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of culinary leadership experience.
• Significant experience working as an Executive Chef or senior kitchen leader.
• Multi-unit or multi-concept experience strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of kitchen operations, food costing, purchasing, and team leadership.
• Experience opening restaurants or supporting new concept development.
• Ability to mentor chefs and build strong kitchen teams.
• Spanish language skills are a plus.

Benefits

• Competitive salary with performance bonus
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Life and disability insurance
• Pet insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement benefits
• Employee discounts across MML restaurants, hotels, and retail
• Beverage and education reimbursement

Additional Requirements

• Ability to work in kitchen environments when needed.
• Travel required between properties and for openings.
• Flexibility for evenings, weekends, and key service periods.

If an offer is extended, employment will be contingent upon completion of a comprehensive background check, including verification of employment history, education credentials, and criminal records.

MML Hospitality is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Selection decisions are based solely on job-related qualifications and business needs.