Head Chef – Meat & Butchery Operations

Role Overview

We are seeking an experienced Head Chef with deep expertise in meat to lead and oversee our butchery-driven culinary operations. This role bridges the kitchen and the butchery, ensuring that all meat products—raw, cooked, retail, and foodservice—meet the highest standards of quality, flavor, consistency, and efficiency.

The ideal candidate is a meat-focused chef with strong leadership skills, hands-on butchery knowledge, and the ability to design, standardize, and scale meat-centric offerings.

Key Responsibilities

Culinary & Meat Leadership

• Lead the culinary direction of all meat products
• Define cutting specifications, trims, portion sizes, and cooking applications
• Develop and standardize recipes for grilled, roasted, smoked, slow-cooked, and marinated meats
• Ensure consistency in taste, texture, doneness, and presentation
• Work closely with the Butchers to align cuts with culinary usage and yield optimization

Butchery Oversight

• Oversee meat selection, grading, aging (wet/dry where applicable), and utilization
• Ensure proper breakdown of whole cuts into retail, foodservice, and value-added products
• Guide butchery team on culinary intent for each cut
• Supervise marination, seasoning, vacuum packing, labeling, and shelf-life standards

Quality, Food Safety & Compliance

• Enforce HACCP, Dubai Municipality, and food safety standards
• Ensure correct storage, temperature control, FIFO, traceability, and documentation
• Conduct regular quality tastings and production audits
• Maintain clean, audit-ready kitchens and butchery facilities

Menu Development & Innovation

• Develop meat-driven menus and concepts aligned with brand positioning
• Create ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat meat products for retail and delivery
• Innovate using global meat techniques (steakhouse, smokehouse, Mediterranean, Latin, etc.)

Team Leadership & Training

• Lead, train, and mentor butchers and production teams
• Establish SOPs for preparation, cooking, plating, and packaging
• Set daily and weekly production plans
• Build a performance-driven, disciplined kitchen culture

Cost Control & Operations

• Control food cost, yield, wastage, and production efficiency
• Work with procurement on sourcing, specifications, and supplier evaluation
• Assist in pricing strategy and margin optimization
• Plan production around demand, seasons, and events

Requirements & Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years experience as a Head Chef or Senior Sous Chef with strong meat focus
• Proven expertise in meat cookery, grilling, smoking, and butchery fundamentals
• Experience working closely with butcheries or in meat-centric concepts
• Strong leadership and operational management skills
• Excellent understanding of food safety and hygiene regulations
• Experience in the UAE is a strong advantage

Job Type: Full-time