Executive Chef - Culinary Operations

Accor Group; Dubai; On-site; AED 279,000 - 446,400; Full time

Job summary

Accor is seeking an Executive Chef - Culinary Operations in Dubai to lead all culinary production, menu innovation, and kitchen profitability across hotel outlets. Based at the Dubai property, the role demands strategic governance, cost control, and a strong focus on guest experience in a luxury hospitality setting.

The Executive Chef will manage a multicultural brigade, ensure HACCP compliance, and collaborate with F&B and hotel leadership to drive revenue and dining excellence across

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of experience, including Executive Chef experience in a luxury hotel or large hospitality operation.

Responsibilities

• Direct all culinary operations across hotel restaurants, banquets, events, and related production areas.
• Establish clear expectations for food quality, flavour, presentation, temperature, portion size, and service timing.
• Maintain consistency across different shifts, outlets, meal periods, and levels of business.
• Review guest feedback and dining trends to identify practical improvements.
• Lead, coach, and motivate chefs and kitchen staff to deliver high standards.
• Design menus and seasonal offerings reflecting brand, guest profile, and market demand.
• Develop recipe specifications, production methods, and cost controls for profitability.

Skills

Executive kitchen leadership

Multicultural team leadership

Menu engineering

Food-cost management

Inventory management

Workforce planning

Job description

Executive Chef - Culinary Operations Job Snapshot Role: Executive Chef - Culinary Operations Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates Industry: Hospitality Function: Food and Beverage Experience: Minimum 10 years, including Executive Chef experience in a luxury hotel or large hospitality operation Job Type: Full-time Position Overview Accor is hiring an Executive Chef - Culinary Operations in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for a senior Hospitality opportunity leading food production, menu innovation, kitchen profitability, and culinary service across hotel restaurants, banquets, and other dining venues. Based at Novotel Bur Dubai, the role will set the direction for culinary quality while ensuring that each outlet delivers consistent dishes, efficient production, and memorable guest experiences.

The Executive Chef will have overall accountability for kitchen performance, including leadership of a multicultural culinary brigade, food-cost control, workforce planning, inventory management, hygiene compliance, and equipment readiness. Close collaboration with Food and Beverage leaders and other hotel departments will turn business forecasts, guest preferences, and market trends into commercially successful dining experiences.

Job Details

Country: United Arab Emirates City: Dubai Industry: Hospitality Function: Food and Beverage Salary: 25000-40000 Estimated salary range based on similar jobs in Dubai; please confirm the final offer with the employer. Gender: Any Candidate Nationality: Any Job Type: Full-time

Role Context

The Executive Chef is responsible for connecting culinary creativity with disciplined hotel operations. Every menu decision influences guest satisfaction, ingredient usage, staffing requirements, outlet identity, and financial performance. The position therefore requires an experienced leader who can protect quality while maintaining firm control over costs and production. Strong culinary governance will be essential across restaurants, banquets, events, and supporting kitchen sections. Standardized recipes, accurate forecasts, well-trained employees, reliable suppliers, and carefully maintained equipment must work together to provide consistent service during both regular trading and high-volume periods.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct all culinary operations across hotel restaurants, banquets, events, staff dining, and related production areas.
• Establish clear expectations for food quality, flavour, presentation, temperature, portion size, and service timing.
• Inspect kitchen sections regularly and address quality or operational concerns before they affect guests.
• Maintain consistency across different shifts, outlets, meal periods, and levels of business.
• Ensure special dietary requests and food allergies are handled accurately and safely.
• Review guest feedback, dining trends, and recurring complaints to identify practical improvements.
• Represent the culinary department in hotel leadership and Food and Beverage meetings.
• Provide accurate updates concerning kitchen performance, staffing, expenditure, and operational risks.
• Design menus and seasonal offerings that reflect the hotel brand, guest profile, local demand, and international culinary trends.
• Refresh underperforming dishes and introduce concepts capable of improving guest interest and outlet revenue.
• Develop complete recipe specifications covering ingredients, cooking methods, yields, portions, presentation, and allergen information.
• Conduct food tastings before approving new dishes or substantial recipe changes.
• Evaluate menu pricing together with the relevant commercial and Food and Beverage leaders.
• Balance premium ingredients with responsible food-cost objectives.
• Adapt culinary concepts for restaurant service, buffets, banquets, promotions, and special events.
• Encourage controlled innovation while protecting operational consistency.
• Monitor emerging techniques and market developments that can strengthen the hotel 's dining position.
• Lead, coach, and motivate chefs, kitchen supervisors, and supporting culinary employees.
• Establish a professional working culture based on respect, responsibility, creativity, and consistent execution.
• Participate in recruitment and select candidates according to operational requirements and approved budgets.
• Organize kitchen responsibilities through a clear brigade structure.
• Set staffing levels and duty schedules according to occupancy, events, outlet activity, and production demand.
• Control overtime and use available employees efficiently during peak and quieter periods.
• Conduct briefings that communicate business levels, menus, VIP requirements, events, and service priorities.
• Evaluate performance and provide direct, constructive feedback.
• Identify employees with leadership potential and prepare development plans for future progression.
• Arrange practical training in cooking methods, plating, equipment use, food safety, and cost awareness.
• Support an inclusive environment where employees from different backgrounds can contribute effectively.
• Address attendance, conduct, hygiene, or performance concerns according to hotel procedures.
• Prepare and manage the culinary operating budget.
• Monitor food cost, labour cost, inventory value, kitchen expenditure, and productivity.
• Compare actual results with forecasts and investigate significant variances.
• Establish portion controls and production procedures that protect consistency and profitability.
• Review ingredient yields and identify opportunities to reduce avoidable loss.
• Use occupancy, reservations, banquet orders, and historical consumption to guide production planning.
• Control complimentary items, transfers, spoilage, breakage, and other cost-sensitive activity.
• Approve kitchen requisitions within delegated authority.
• Recommend corrective measures when spending moves beyond the agreed budget.
• Work with hotel leadership on commercially sound culinary promotions and revenue opportunities.
• Maintain quality while avoiding excessive inventories and unnecessary purchasing.
• Review product specifications and ensure ingredients meet the required culinary and brand standards.
• Coordinate with Purchasing, Receiving, and Stores regarding availability, price, delivery performance, and quality.
• Inspect sensitive or high-value products when necessary.
• Reject unsuitable ingredients and ensure discrepancies are recorded and resolved.
• Maintain appropriate minimum and maximum stock levels.
• Oversee storage conditions, date labelling, stock rotation, and product traceability.
• Conduct or supervise scheduled inventory counts.
• Investigate unusual consumption, shortages, expired products, and inventory differences.
• Maintain secure controls for high-cost ingredients and restricted storage areas.
• Develop practical alternatives when supply disruption affects an approved menu item.
• Build professional supplier relationships while following procurement and authorization policies.
• Ensure full compliance with HACCP principles, local regulations, and Accor food-safety requirements.
• Maintain effective controls for receiving, storage, thawing, preparation, cooking, cooling, reheating, and service.
• Enforce correct temperature monitoring and recordkeeping.
• Prevent cross-contamination through suitable zoning, storage, equipment, and employee practices.
• Maintain reliable allergen-management procedures.
• Confirm that kitchens, cold rooms, stores, utensils, and food-contact surfaces meet hygiene standards.
• Review audit findings and complete corrective action within the required timeframe.
• Coordinate with hygiene specialists and relevant authorities during inspections or reviews.
• Ensure employees understand personal hygiene, illness reporting, protective clothing, and safe food handling.
• Investigate food-safety incidents immediately and preserve accurate supporting records.
• Maintain readiness for internal audits, brand inspections, and regulatory visits.
• Confirm that ovens, refrigeration, extraction systems, cooking equipment, and small appliances operate correctly.
• Introduce preventive checks that help identify faults before they interrupt production.
• Report equipment failures promptly and coordinate repairs with Engineering.
• Remove unsafe equipment from service until it has been inspected or repaired.
• Participate in planning replacement equipment and kitchen improvements.
• Ensure employees receive instruction before operating unfamiliar machinery.
• Maintain safe working practices for heat, sharp tools, lifting, chemicals, fire risks, and wet surfaces.
• Enforce emergency, fire-prevention, accident-reporting, and workplace-safety procedures.
• Protect hotel assets through responsible equipment use and controlled access to kitchen areas.
• Work closely with Food and Beverage leaders on outlet strategy, service standards, events, and promotions.
• Coordinate with Banquets and Events teams on menus, guarantees, production schedules, and special requirements.
• Share accurate food information with service employees so dishes can be described confidently.
• Partner with Sales and Marketing on culinary campaigns, photography, launches, and revenue-generating events.
• Coordinate with Finance on budgets, inventory controls, cost reports, and financial performance.
• Work with Human Resources on recruitment, training, employee development, and workforce concerns.
• Maintain productive communication with Housekeeping, Engineering, Security, and other operational teams.
• Attend tastings, operational reviews, and pre-event meetings when culinary input is required.
• Respond professionally to changing business priorities while protecting food quality and safety.
• Monitor preparation waste, buffet returns, spoilage, and overproduction.
• Adjust purchasing and production according to reliable consumption data.
• Improve ingredient utilization through suitable menu planning and preparation methods.
• Encourage responsible sourcing where quality, availability, and commercial considerations allow.
• Reduce unnecessary use of disposable materials.
• Support energy-conscious operation of kitchen and refrigeration equipment.
• Train employees to understand how everyday kitchen decisions affect waste and operating costs.
• Maintain sustainability measures without compromising food safety or guest expectations.

Ideal Profile

• Successful leadership of a large multicultural culinary brigade
• Extensive experience across hotel restaurants, banquets, and high-volume food production
• Advanced knowledge of international cuisine and modern culinary techniques
• Proven menu planning and recipe-development ability
• Strong command of food-cost, labour-cost, and inventory controls
• Experience preparing forecasts, budgets, and operational performance reports
• Thorough understanding of HACCP and applicable food-safety requirements
• Confidence conducting tastings, kitchen inspections, and quality reviews
• Ability to develop supervisors and emerging culinary talent
• Sound decision-making during service disruption or high-pressure operations
• Strong supplier, purchasing, and product-quality awareness
• Practical knowledge of kitchen equipment and preventive maintenance
• Clear communication with hotel leadership and operational departments
• Creative thinking supported by realistic production and profitability considerations
• Professional fluency in English, with additional languages considered an advantage
• Strong interpersonal and problem-solving ability
• Flexibility to remain present during peak trading, important events, and urgent operational situations

Skills Set

• Executive kitchen leadership
• Multi-outlet culinary operations
• Luxury hotel food production
• Menu engineering
• Seasonal menu development
• International cuisine
• Recipe standardization
• Culinary quality assurance
• Food presentation control
• Banquet production planning
• Food-cost management
• Labour-cost control
• Kitchen budget management
• Demand forecasting
• Workforce scheduling
• Inventory control
• Purchasing coordination
• Supplier quality management
• Ingredient receiving inspection
• Yield and portion control
• Waste reduction
• HACCP compliance
• Allergen management
• Food temperature control
• Kitchen hygiene auditing
• Culinary team development
• Performance coaching
• Multicultural team leadership
• Guest feedback analysis
• Hotel event coordination
• Kitchen equipment planning
• Preventive maintenance coordination
• Sustainability practices
• Operational reporting
• Microsoft Office Suite

Why Join Us

This position provides complete culinary leadership responsibility within Dubai 's established Hospitality market. Directing restaurants, banquets, kitchen finances, menu development, and a diverse culinary workforce offers valuable experience for progression toward Cluster Executive Chef, Director of Culinary, or regional Food and Beverage leadership positions. Accor provides access to an international portfolio of hotel brands and hospitality concepts. Eligible employees may benefit from professional learning opportunities, internal career mobility, recognition programs, and discounted rates at participating properties. The role also creates scope to influence responsible kitchen practices, develop culinary talent, and shape dining experiences at Novotel Bur Dubai.

About the Company

Accor is an international hospitality group with more than 45 brands and a presence across hotels, restaurants, resorts, and lifestyle destinations. Its properties combine locally relevant guest experiences with established operating standards, professional development, responsible hospitality, and opportunities for international career growth.