Chef – Product Development (QSR Cloud Kitchen)

Ultiwise Consult; Dubai; On-site; AED 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading QSR culinary company is seeking a Chef for Product Development to innovate menu items for cloud kitchens, focusing on Indian and Asian cuisines. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience in QSR or fast-casual brands, expertise in recipe development and sensory analysis, as well as strong organizational skills. This role emphasizes quality control and collaboration with kitchen teams ensuring adherence to food safety standards. The position is on-site in Dubai and requires operational simplicity along with creativity.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience as R&D Chef or Culinary Head.
• Strong understanding of regional cuisines with flexibility for brand needs.
• Experience in commercial food manufacturing technologies.

Responsibilities

• Drive product innovation and development for cloud kitchens.
• Standardize recipes for consistent quality across locations.
• Collaborate with teams for quality control and operational compliance.

Skills

Experience in QSR cloud kitchens or fast-casual brands

Understanding of Middle Eastern, Indian and Asian cuisines

Experience in recipe development and sensory analysis

Documentation and organizational skills

Job description

Job Title: Chef Product Development (QSR / Cloud Kitchen)

Location: Dubai UAE

Employment Type: Full-Time

Department: Culinary Innovation & Operations

Cuisine: Indian Sandwiches Rolls Fast-food or QSR Fusion-focused

About the Role :

We are building a next-generation QSR Cloud Kitchen brand serving high-quality, consistent, and scalable food experiences across multiple locations and formats. We are looking for a Product Development Chef who can take ownership of menu innovation from concept to commercialization.

This role requires deep knowledge of regional and international cuisines, strong R&D ability, and the capability to convert recipes into standardized, scalable, and cost-efficient production systems whether executed in-house through central kitchens or via outsourced supply-chain partners.

Key Responsibilities

1. Product Innovation & Development – Indian Asian Fast-food or Fusion-focused cloud kitchens.
   • Research conceptualize and create new menu items aligned with brand identity and market trends in the GCC.
   • Conduct multiple rounds of product iteration improvement and refinement based on sensory evaluation.
   • Adapt recipes to fit the local palate of the UAE and GCC markets while maintaining brand DNA.
   • Conduct competitive benchmarking across Dubai's QSR and cloud-kitchen ecosystem.
2. Recipe Engineering & Standardization
   • Develop accurate recipes, formulations and portion sizes for every dish.
   • Ensure dishes can be reproduced with consistency across all kitchens (cloud, central or outsourced).
   • Build detailed standardized recipes (spec sheets) covering ingredients, equipment, steps, timings, yields and plating/packaging methods.
   • Translate complex recipes into operationally simple SOPs suitable for high-volume QSR operations.
   • Understanding nutritional component and nutritional values of the food items created.
   • Someone who understands processes of retort frozen preservative based hot fill products and technologies.
3. Sensory Evaluation & Quality Control
   • Lead internal tasting panels; document sensory feedback and continuously iterate to reach final approved benchmarks.
   • Maintain taste, texture and visual consistency across all locations.
   • Collaborate with QA and Operations teams to ensure repeatable quality in daily operations.
4. Supply Chain & Production Integration
   • Work with procurement to shortlist suppliers, evaluate raw materials and ensure ingredient consistency.
   • Design recipes considering cost targets, shelf‑life, storage constraints and scalability.
   • Collaborate with central kitchen production teams to scale recipes from lab to batch production.
   • Support outsourcing partners (co‑packers, commissaries) in establishing production SOPs and quality guidelines.
5. Cloud Kitchen Operational Support
   • Develop SOPs for every kitchen process including preparation, cooking, assembly, packaging and dispatch.
   • Train kitchen teams on new product workflows and quality standards.
   • Conduct periodic kitchen audits to monitor product adherence, hygiene standards and operational compliance.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• 510 years of experience as Chef R&D Chef Innovation Chef or Culinary Head in QSR cloud kitchens or fast-casual brands.
• Strong understanding of Middle Eastern, Indian and Asian Fast-Casual and Fusion cuisines (flexible based on brand positioning).
• Experience with commercial manufacturing of food products technologies like frozen retort preservative based emulsified products etc.
• Deep experience in recipe development, sensory analysis and high-volume food production.
• Experience with central kitchen operations, commissary models and outsourced production partners.
• Strong documentation process-thinking and organizational skills.
• Ability to balance creativity with cost scalability and operational simplicity.
• Knowledge of Dubai/UAE food safety standards (HACCP, Municipality regulations) preferred.