Culinary Lead: Menu Innovation & Scale

Black Pearl Consult; Dubai; On-site; AED 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Black Pearl Consult is recruiting a Culinary Lead / Product Development Chef for a fast-growing QSR and Cloud Kitchen group in Dubai. You will drive menu innovation, recipe development, and culinary standardization across concepts—balancing creativity with cost control and scalable production.

Lead sensory testing, QA, and supply-chain collaborations to ensure quality, shelf-life, and supplier compliance. Expect on-site leadership of diverse culinary teams in a high-growth environment.

Qualifications

• 5–10 years of experience as an R&D Chef, Culinary Lead, Innovation Chef, Head Chef, or similar.
• Strong background in QSR, cloud kitchens, fast-casual brands, or large-scale production kitchens.
• Ability to balance creativity with cost control and operational feasibility.
• Experience with commercial manufacturing technologies (retort, frozen, preservative-based products, hot-fill).
• Strong documentation skills and ability to train diverse culinary teams.
• Familiarity with UAE food safety standards (HACCP, Municipality guidelines) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Research and create new menu items aligned with brand positioning and regional trends.
• Develop recipes across multiple cuisines (Indian, Asian, Fast-Casual, Sandwiches, Rolls, or Fusion).
• Conduct benchmarking across Dubai’s competitive QSR and cloud-kitchen landscape.
• Create detailed recipe specifications including ingredient lists, methods, yields, timings, and plating/packaging.
• Ensure consistency across locations by converting complex recipes into simple, repeatable SOPs.
• Standardize portion sizes and ensure cost-effective recipe structures.
• Lead tasting panels and analyze sensory feedback for product refinement.
• Maintain strict quality, taste, texture, and presentation standards across all kitchens.
• Work with QA to develop and enforce food quality parameters.
• Evaluate and approve raw materials, ingredients, and packaging options.
• Work closely with procurement to ensure consistency, cost targets, and supplier compliance.
• Assist in selecting and training vendors or co-packers for outsourced production.
• Scale recipes from development to batch production in central kitchen environments.
• Build SOPs for food preparation, cooking, assembly, storage, and dispatch.
• Conduct periodic kitchen audits to monitor adherence to culinary and hygiene standards.
• Design products suitable for frozen, retort, preservative-based, emulsified, or hot-fill processes.
• Work with operations and supply chain teams to ensure products meet shelf-life and production constraints.

Skills

R&D Chef

Culinary Leadership

Cost control

Kitchen operations

QA/QC

Job description

Black Pearl Consult is recruiting a Culinary Lead / Product Development Chef for a fast-growing QSR and Cloud Kitchen group in Dubai. You will drive menu innovation, recipe development, and culinary standardization across concepts—balancing creativity with cost control and scalable production.

Lead sensory testing, QA, and supply-chain collaborations to ensure quality, shelf-life, and supplier compliance. Expect on-site leadership of diverse culinary teams in a high-growth environment.