Head Chef

Sunset Hospitality Group; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 391,000 - 558,000; Full time

Job summary

Sunset Hospitality Group is opening Isola Ristorante Abu Dhabi and seeks an experienced Head Chef to lead day-to-day kitchen operations with a focus on Italian cuisine and exceptional guest experience.

The ideal candidate will bring 3–5 years in a leadership role within luxury hospitality, display strong team management, and a commitment to high standards of food safety and quality.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3–5 years of experience as a Head Chef or in a similar kitchen leadership position.
• Experience within high-end restaurants, luxury hospitality, or premium F&B concepts is highly desirable.
• Strong knowledge of Italian ingredients, cooking techniques, and traditional and contemporary Italian cuisine.
• Excellent leadership and team management skills.
• Strong understanding of food safety, hygiene, and kitchen procedures.
• Organised, hands-on, and able to perform effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Passionate about food quality, consistency, and delivering an exceptional guest experience.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Assist Brand Executive Chef in kitchen costs to ensure that the budget is met and an increased profitability.
• Control kitchen maintenance, repairs and other related expenses.
• Monitor ordering and receiving food products and other supplies as required for daily operations.
• Observe compliance with the company’s policies and procedures, as well as, governmental laws and regulations.
• Supervise and take part in the preparation and production of all food products.
• Inspect that all food and products are consistently prepared and served according to the restaurant’s recipes, portioning, cooking and serving standards.
• Inspect products quality during and after preparation, and make adjustments as required.
• Ensure that all equipment is kept clean and in excellent working conditions through personal inspection and by following the stores preventive maintenance programs.
• Plan and develop menus in coordination with the management.
• Meet customer requirements in terms of special requests and dietary needs.
• Collaborate with the HR Department to ensure the quality of new kitchen staff during recruitment procedure.
• Collaborate with other departments to ensure up to date kitchen developments and requirements.
• Manage the kitchen staff through coaching and training, in order to improve performance and to achieve the kitchen objectives and targets.
• Motivate and develop staff, in order to encourage their professional development.
• Evaluate the performance of kitchen employees ensuring that reviews are delivered to the HR Department on time.
• Suggest salary reviews, propose personnel actions such as promotions and provide feedback to employees.
• Maintain discipline, recommend and administer corrective actions.
• Update job knowledge to develop new and trend-setting ideas to keep up with competition in local market.
• Perform other duties pertinent to this job as assigned.

Skills

Kitchen leadership

Luxury hospitality

Italian cuisine

Team management

Food safety

Organisational skills

Guest experience

Job description

Sunset Hospitality Group (SHG) is a leading global hospitality group, specializing in the development and operation of exceptional hospitality experiences across Hotels & Resorts, Restaurants, Beach Clubs, Nightlife, and Fitness. With a growing international portfolio across multiple destinations, SHG is recognized for creating distinctive lifestyle concepts that combine exceptional service, innovative experiences, and strong brand identities.

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced and passionate Head Chef to join our opening of Isola Ristorante Abu Dhabi. The Head Chef will overseeing the day-to-day kitchen operations, ensuring consistently high food quality, presentation, hygiene, and efficiency. The ideal candidate will have strong experience in Italian cuisine and a genuine passion for delivering authentic and high-quality dishes.

Responsibilities

• Assist Brand Executive Chef in kitchen costs to ensure that the budget is met and an increased profitability.
• Control kitchen maintenance, repairs and other related expenses.
• Monitor ordering and receiving food products and other supplies as required for daily operations.
• Observe compliance with the company’s policies and procedures, as well as, governmental laws and regulations.
• Supervise and take part in the preparation and production of all food products.
• Inspect that all food and products are consistently prepared and served according to the restaurant’s recipes, portioning, cooking and serving standards.
• Inspect products quality during and after preparation, and make adjustments as required.
• Ensure that all equipment is kept clean and in excellent working conditions through personal inspection and by following the stores preventive maintenance programs.
• Plan and develop menus in coordination with the management.
• Meet customer requirements in terms of special requests and dietary needs.
• Collaborate with the HR Department to ensure the quality of new kitchen staff during recruitment procedure.
• Collaborate with other departments to ensure up to date kitchen developments and requirements.
• Manage the kitchen staff through coaching and training, in order to improve performance and to achieve the kitchen objectives and targets.
• Motivate and develop staff, in order to encourage their professional development.
• Evaluate the performance of kitchen employees ensuring that reviews are delivered to the HR Department on time.
• Suggest salary reviews, propose personnel actions such as promotions and provide feedback to employees.
• Maintain discipline, recommend and administer corrective actions.
• Update job knowledge to develop new and trend-setting ideas to keep up with competition in local market.
• Perform other duties pertinent to this job as assigned.

Required Skills

• Minimum 3–5 years of experience as a Head Chef or in a similar kitchen leadership position.
• Experience within high-end restaurants, luxury hospitality, or premium F&B concepts is highly desirable.
• Strong knowledge of Italian ingredients, cooking techniques, and traditional and contemporary Italian cuisine.
• Excellent leadership and team management skills.
• Strong understanding of food safety, hygiene, and kitchen procedures.
• Organised, hands-on, and able to perform effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Passionate about food quality, consistency, and delivering an exceptional guest experience.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.