Executive Chocolate Chef

Patchi; Dubai; On-site; AED 120,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading chocolate manufacturer in Dubai is seeking an Executive Chocolate Chef to lead and innovate in large-scale chocolate production. In this role, you will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of chocolate production, from recipe development to quality assurance. The ideal candidate should have a minimum of 10 years of experience in the industry, strong technical chocolate expertise, and a proven track record in managing large teams. This position offers a unique opportunity to blend culinary creativity with industrial production leadership.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years’ experience in large-scale chocolate or confectionery manufacturing.
• Strong knowledge of tempering curves, viscosity control, and troubleshooting production issues.
• Demonstrated experience leading and training production teams of 100+ staff.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage all chocolate production operations across multiple lines.
• Develop innovative chocolate recipes and ensure consistent quality.
• Supervise, train, and develop chocolatiers and production teams.

Skills

Industrial chocolate production management

Technical chocolate expertise

Leadership & team management

Innovation & product development

Operational excellence

Quality & food safety compliance

Education

Diploma or Degree in Culinary Arts, Pastry, Chocolate & Confectionery

Job description

We are seeking an Executive Chocolate Chef with strong industrial manufacturing expertise to lead and innovate within our large-scale chocolate production facility. This role requires a unique combination of culinary creativity, technical chocolate mastery, and industrial production leadership. The Executive Chocolate Chef will be responsible for overseeing end-to-end chocolate production, product development, quality assurance, and hygiene standards while ensuring consistency, efficiency, and compliance with food safety regulations.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage all chocolate production operations across multiple lines
• Develop innovative chocolate recipes, including pralines, fillings, ganache, dragées, and seasonal collections
• Ensure consistent quality, taste, texture, and visual appeal of all products
• Standardize recipes, formulations, and production processes
• Supervise, train, and develop chocolatiers and production teams
• Control raw material usage, yield, wastage, and production costing
• Coordinate with procurement on cocoa, couverture, ingredients, and packaging materials
• Ensure full compliance with food safety, hygiene, and HACCP/ISO standards
• Conduct production planning aligned with demand forecasts
• Oversee tempering, moulding, enrobing, cooling tunnels, and packaging processes
• Collaborate with marketing and sales teams on new product launches
• Monitor, maintain, and optimize chocolate machinery and equipment

Key Requirements

Industrial Chocolate Production Management

• Minimum 10 years’ experience in large-scale chocolate or confectionery manufacturing
• Proven ability to manage multiple production lines (tempering, enrobing, moulding, cooling tunnels, dragée coating, wrapping)

Technical Chocolate Expertise

• Strong knowledge of tempering curves, viscosity control, fat bloom prevention, and cooling tunnel calibration
• Ability to troubleshoot technical production issues (crystallization defects, humidity control, enrobing/moulding faults)

Leadership & Team Management

• Demonstrated experience leading and training production teams of 100+ staff
• Ability to develop skill levels across operators, chocolatiers, and packaging teams

Innovation & Product Development

• Proven capability to create new chocolate flavours and long shelf-life products
• Strong balance between artisanal quality and scalable industrial production

Operational Excellence

• Solid background in production planning, scheduling, and raw material control
• Knowledge of OEE, Lean Manufacturing, or continuous improvement practices

Quality & Food Safety Compliance

• In-depth understanding of GMP, HACCP, ISO/FSSC 22000 standards
• Commitment to delivering consistent quality, hygiene, and safety across all lines

Qualifications & Experience

• Diploma or Degree in Culinary Arts, Pastry, Chocolate & Confectionery
• 8–12 years of experience in chocolate or confectionery production
• Prior experience in factory or large-scale manufacturing environments preferred