Area Chef

Seazen Group; Kuwait; On-site; KWD 9,000 - 14,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent culinary organization in Kuwait is seeking a culinary manager to oversee operations and enhance overall performance. The candidate will work closely with the Executive Chef to ensure quality food production and compliance with health standards. Responsibilities include training staff, managing budgets, and developing menus. The ideal applicant has at least 3-4 years in a similar role, a relevant degree, and exceptional leadership and communication skills.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3-4 years in culinary management or similar position.
• Excellent English communication skills.
• Strong planning and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Assist in menu development and execute strategies for quality and cost management.
• Monitor food quality, enforce safety regulations, and train culinary associates.
• Conduct audits, track reports, and analyze performance for continued improvement.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Leadership skills

Planning skills

Technical knowledge

Administrative skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Catering Science or Culinary Arts

Job description

Works closely with the Executive Chef/Executive Sous Chef to execute the strategy and focus on meeting and exceeding departmental and organizational goals.

1. Assists in menu development/execution to ensure product quality and food cost management.
2. Participates in the development of operating budgets and administers those budgets on an ongoing basis by monitoring and tracking food & nonfood expenses.
3. Helps to manage wages, productivity, and expenses in accordance with business demand.
4. Oversees and ensures that restaurant policies on employee performance appraisals are followed and completed on a timely basis and ensures culinary associates are cross-trained to support successful daily BOH operations.
5. Motivates culinary associates by engaging in recognition, coaching, performance reviews, and performance management.
6. Ensures quality of food matches in accordance with recipe cards and brand standards. Organizes a schedule for refreshing training whenever necessary with measures of portion control aligning with monthly customer feedback and survey.
7. Ensures compliance with all local, provincial, and federal health & food safety regulations and trains culinary associates on proper handling and critical control points.
8. Assists the Executive Chef/Executive Sous Chef in maintaining standard recipes at local & global levels.
9. Is well-versed with material management systems and cross-checks inventory variances for assigned brands.
10. Supports the Executive Chef/Executive Sous Chef in building efficient processes for promotional and catering events.
11. Understands guest expectations related to food quality and presentation, ensuring culinary associates meet or exceed these expectations to build guest loyalty.
12. Prepares and submits periodic reports to improve transparency, operational standards, and overall efficiency/profitability.
13. Conducts daily branch visits to monitor culinary operations.
14. Monitors menu availability daily, investigates non-availability reasons, and finds solutions to overcome issues.
15. Attends briefings at branches with the team and culinary management without exception.
16. Tracks daily financial reports concerning costs and expenses.
17. Follows audit plans for BOH food safety and culinary food audits.
18. Conducts regular food tastings to maintain consistency, identify errors, and implement corrective actions.
19. Cross-checks APL regularly in branches and CPU to ensure only approved products are used, maintaining product consistency and controlling costs.
20. Maintains a maintenance tracker and coordinates with facilities for back-of-house issues.
21. Fills out employee performance reviews monthly, conducts counseling, and maintains documentation for each back-of-house employee.
22. Analyzes P&L reports focusing on cost of sales, BOH staff costs, and manager controllables.
23. Participates in menu training calendars, approves topics, and conducts regular training on recipes, product knowledge, and food safety, aiming to improve workflow efficiency.
24. Conducts monthly meetings with PICs to review branch performance and BOH updates.
25. Analyzes menu engineering, shares target dishes to boost sales, and identifies opportunities for future menu development quarterly.
26. Updates culinary KPIs on Excel trackers and Viva goals monthly.
27. Updates BOH cross-functional projects on MS Planner and Excel monthly.
28. Implements cross-training for BOH employees to increase productivity and efficiency across kitchen sections.
29. Audits recipes and integrates them with the material management system, tracking recipe changes and controlling costs regularly.
30. Updates shelf-life charts for new menu dishes as required.
31. Leads R&D projects for new product/concept development as needed.
32. Coordinates with the Quality Assurance team to achieve excellence in food safety parameters.
33. Works with the Executive Chef/Executive Sous Chef and brand team to plan culinary requirements for Capex/Opex and the upcoming financial year.
34. Maintains discretion and maturity when handling sensitive or confidential data.
35. Carries out culinary management tasks as assigned by superiors for organizational benefit.
36. Manages monthly BOH scheduling aligned with employment policies, budget targets, and staff movements for new projects and pop-ups, ensuring accurate and timely payroll processing.
37. Supports departmental orientation programs for culinary associates to ensure proper licensed training for job performance.
38. Manages attrition by engaging regularly with culinary employees based on performance and feedback assessments.
39. Conducts periodic competitor analyses to inform effective menu planning and evaluate cost factors.

Skills

• Minimum 3-4 years in the same position and similar industry.
• Bachelor’s degree in Catering Science or Culinary Arts.
• Excellent interpersonal and leadership skills.
• Positive attitude and team-oriented mindset.
• Self-motivated with a passion for hospitality.
• Excellent English communication skills.
• Strong administrative and research skills.
• Sound technical knowledge.
• Strong planning and organizational skills.