Executive Chef

The Group Executive Chef is a senior leadership role responsible for the overall culinary direction, kitchen operations, product quality, and opening of new concepts across the group. This position goes beyond a traditional chef-driven role and includes operational leadership, inventory and cost management, BOH compliance, and project openings, in close collaboration with the COO and under the strategic guidance of the CEO.

The Group Executive Chef ensures all brands and outlets deliver consistent excellence in food, hygiene, profitability, and guest experience, while aligning with the CEO’s vision and the operational roadmap set together with the COO.

Key Responsibilities

1. Culinary Leadership & Brand Development

o Define and implement the culinary vision and strategy across all brands and outlets.

o Develop, test, and roll out menus that align with brand positioning and commercial objectives.

o Lead regular tastings and quality reviews to ensure consistency in taste, presentation, and portioning.

o Establish and maintain standardized recipes, plating guides, production manuals, and portion control systems.

2. Operations & Site Management

o Oversee day-to-day kitchen operations across all locations.

o Conduct regular site visits to review food quality, hygiene, workflow, and team performance.

o Collaborate with the COO and Operations team to resolve operational issues and drive improvements.

3. Inventory Management, BOH Records & Traceability

o Standardize inventory management across all kitchens.

o Oversee stock ordering, receiving, storage, rotation, and stock takes.

o Review and validate BOH documentation, including production logs, wastage, temperature records, and cleaning schedules.

o Ensure full traceability of raw materials and finished goods.

o Coordinate with finance and procurement on food cost, yield, and variance reports.

4. Project Openings & Expansion

o Lead culinary and BOH planning for new openings and refurbishments.

o Work with COO, Projects, and Design teams on layouts, workflow, and equipment selection.

o Oversee pre-opening activities including menu trials, team recruitment, and BOH system setup.

o Present project proposals and budgets to the CEO for approval.

5. Food Safety, Hygiene & Compliance

o Ensure compliance with HACCP, ADAFSA, Dubai Municipality, and internal standards.

o Oversee critical control points, allergen management, sanitation programs, and hygiene SOPs.

o Lead internal food safety audits and prepare for external inspections.

6. Financial Management & Menu Engineering

o Lead menu engineering to optimise sales, cost efficiency, and profitability.

o Approve recipe costing and maintain food cost targets.

o Collaborate with procurement on supplier evaluation and pricing.

o Monitor kitchen financial KPIs including food cost %, wastage, yield, and labour productivity.

7. Leadership, Training & People Development

o Mentor Head Chefs, Sous Chefs, and kitchen staff across all brands.

o Structure culinary skill development, traceability training, and BOH compliance training.

o Oversee recruitment, performance reviews, and succession planning in coordination with HR.

8. Cross-Functional Collaboration

o Collaborate with COO, Finance, Procurement, Marketing, Operations, and Projects Teams.

o Represent culinary and BOH functions in senior leadership meetings.

9. Guest Experience & Brand Reputation

o Monitor guest feedback and ensure high satisfaction levels.

o Lead corrective action plans for recurring issues.

o Support VIP events, tastings, and brand showcases.

Reporting & Decision-Making Structure Reports To: CEO

Works Closely With: COO

Decisions requiring CEO approval:

o Major menu overhauls

o New concepts and brand launches

o Capex investments and supplier contracts

o Expansion proposals

o Strategic pricing and positioning

Key Requirements

o Culinary degree or hospitality management qualification.

o 10+ years senior culinary leadership experience.

o Strong experience in multi-outlet operations, inventory systems, traceability, and openings.

Key KPIs

o Food cost % and variance control

o Inventory accuracy and wastage levels

o Hygiene and audit scores

o Compliance and traceability standards

o On-time and successful project openings

o Guest satisfaction scores

o Staff retention and training completion

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: AED18,000.00 - AED20,000.00 per month