This position can be located in either Washington D.C. or Philadelphia PA. JOB SUMMARY:The Sr Mgr Culinary Strategy owns the end-to-end culinary vision and product strategy across all classes of onboard service, Amtrak's lounges, and cafes/retail food and beverage. This role leads the development of menu concepts and beverage programs, balancing customer experience, brand alignment, operational feasibility, and financial performance. In addition to culinary and product leadership, this position owns vendor and supplier relationships - managing sourcing, contracts, and partner performance - ensuring a consistent, scalable, and differentiated food and beverage program across the network. The role leads a culinary and product development team and partners cross-functionally with a counterpart role overseeing service delivery and standards, as well as Procurement/Strategic Sourcing, Finance, and Marketing, to deliver against both experience and commercial goals.
ESSENTIAL FUNCITONS:- Culinary Vision & Menu Strategy: Own the end-to-end culinary vision across all classes of onboard service, lounges, and cafes/retail F&B. Develop short- and long-term menu and beverage program strategies, ensuring alignment with brand positioning and customer experience goals.
- Product & Vendor Relationship Management: Own vendor and supplier relationships supporting culinary and product programs, including sourcing, contract negotiation, and ongoing performance management, ensuring product quality, cost, and availability targets are met.
- Product Development & Innovation: Lead development of new menu concepts and beverage programs, driving continuous innovation to differentiate the onboard and lounge experience while balancing creativity with operational execution.
- Cross-Functional Leadership: Partner with the counterpart role overseeing service delivery and standards, as well as Procurement/Strategic Sourcing, Finance, and Marketing, to ensure culinary and product programs are delivered consistently, at scale, and in a cost-effective manner.
- Operational Feasibility: Ensure all culinary and product concepts are executable across the network's catering and supply chain at scale, partnering with operations and vendors to validate feasibility before launch.
- Team Leadership: Lead and develop a culinary and product development team (e.g., chefs, product managers), fostering a culture focused on quality, innovation, and execution.
- Commercial & Cost Performance: Drive commercial performance and cost optimization through effective product design, sourcing decisions, and vendor management, while supporting sustainability initiatives where applicable.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:- Education: Bachelor's degree in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, Business, or a related field. Equivalent practical experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
- Experience: 9+ years of progressive experience in culinary strategy, product development, or food and beverage program management, including demonstrated experience leading and developing a team.
- Vendor & Supplier Management: Demonstrated experience owning vendor/supplier relationships, including sourcing, contract negotiation, and ongoing performance management.
- Culinary & Product Strategy: Proven ability to translate brand strategy into executable culinary and product programs, balancing creative, operational, and financial considerations.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:- Bachelor's Degree or equivalent combination of education, training and/or relevant experience. Plus 11 years of relevant work experience.
- Industry Experience: Prior experience in airline catering, rail, or hospitality-specific culinary/product programs.
- Advanced Education: Culinary degree from a recognized culinary institute, or an advanced business degree (e.g., MBA), given the commercial and vendor management scope of the role.
- Multi-Channel Program Experience: Experience managing culinary or product programs across more than one channel type (e.g., onboard and retail/lounge).
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, and ABILITIES:- Culinary & Product Expertise: Strong knowledge of culinary trends, menu development, and beverage program design, with the ability to translate brand strategy into executable, scalable product programs.
- Vendor & Contract Management: Skilled in supplier negotiation, contract management, and vendor performance evaluation, with the ability to balance cost, quality, and availability.
- Financial & Commercial Acumen: Strong understanding of cost management, margin, and commercial performance drivers, with the ability to make product decisions that support financial goals.
- Leadership & Team Development: Proven ability to lead, develop, and motivate a multi-disciplinary culinary/product team, fostering a culture of quality and innovation.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Strong ability to partner across Service Delivery, Procurement/Strategic Sourcing, Finance, and Marketing to deliver consistent, cost-effective programs at scale.
- Operational Feasibility & Execution: Ability to evaluate and validate that culinary and product concepts are executable within real-world operational and supply chain constraints.
- Innovation & Adaptability: Strong creative and analytical skills to drive continuous improvement and introduce new concepts while operating within a complex, multi-channel environment (onboard, lounges, cafes/retail).
The salary/hourly range is $122,200.00 - $158,436.00. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, etc. Depending on an employee's assigned worksite or location, Amtrak may consider a geo-pay differential to be applied to the employee's base salary. Amtrak may offer additional incentive and pay programs to recognize and reward our employees, including a short-term incentive bonus based upon factors such as individual and company performance that is commensurate with the level of the position.
Health and WellbeingFinancial and RetirementWork and Family Life SupportHealth, Dental, and Vision Insurance401K with Employer MatchGenerous Paid Time Off Wellness ProgramsRailroad Retirement BenefitsPaid Caregiving Days and Backup CareHealth Savings AccountPublic Service Student Loan ForgivenessFertility and Family Building BenefitsNo-cost Personal Health AdvocateStudent Loan AssistanceAdoption and Surrogacy AssistanceMedical Plan Opt-out CreditTuition and Education ReimbursementPaid Family Leave Life InsuranceRail Pass Privileges Short- and Long-term Disability InsuranceEmployee Assistance Program No-cost Financial Advisor SessionsCommuter and Flexible Spending Accounts
Learn more about our benefits offerings here.
Requisition ID:167056
Work Arrangement:06-Onsite 4/5 Days Click here for more information about work arrangements at Amtrak.
Relocation Offered:No
Travel Requirements:Up to 25%
