Executive Chef - Restaurants

Client of Rawaj Company for Recruitment; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Client of Rawaj Company for Recruitment is seeking an Executive Chef to lead a growing Saudi holding group’s culinary function across restaurants and B2B catering. You will drive menu innovation, establish kitchen standards, and oversee safety, cost control, and governance in a fast-paced hospitality setting.

You will build high-performing teams, mentor staff, and partner with executive management on strategy, openings, and growth initiatives across multi-site operations.

Qualifications

• Degree or Diploma in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, or a related discipline.
• Professional culinary certifications are highly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead culinary operations across restaurants, central kitchens, and catering projects.
• Ensure compliance with SFDA, HACCP, hygiene and quality policies.
• Drive menu innovation, production planning, and cost control across multi-site operations.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Menu development

Food safety (HACCP)

Cost optimisation

Team building

Vendor management

Operations management

Menu engineering

Education

Culinary Arts degree (or Diploma)

Hospitality Management degree

Culinary certifications

Job description

Join a leading Saudi holding company operating a growing portfolio of restaurants and B2B catering services delivering exceptional international cuisine The Executive Chef will lead the culinary function ensuring operational excellence consistent food quality innovation cost optimisation and culinary governance across all restaurant and catering operations The role requires a hands-on culinary leader capable of building high-performing kitchen teams driving menu innovation strengthening food safety standards and supporting business growth in a dynamic fast-paced hospitality environment

Key Accountabilities

• Lead all culinary operations across restaurants, central production kitchens and B2B catering projects ensuring consistent delivery of high-quality international cuisine.
• Oversee menu planning, recipe development, food presentation standards and product innovation while maintaining consistency across all outlets and catering operations.
• Manage food production planning, kitchen operations, labour scheduling, inventory control and procurement coordination to maximise operational efficiency.
• Ensure full compliance with Saudi Food amp Drug Authority SFDA regulations, HACCP requirements, food safety standards, hygiene protocols and company quality policies.
• Monitor food cost, gross profit margins, waste control, portion management and overall kitchen financial performance while maintaining premium quality standards.
• Develop and standardise recipes, production procedures, kitchen SOPs and quality assurance processes across all brands and catering operations.
• Lead culinary planning and execution for large-scale corporate, governmental, hospitality and event catering projects ensuring seamless service delivery and client satisfaction.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives in kitchen operations, production workflows, equipment utilisation and culinary efficiency.
• Demonstrate strong operational leadership by implementing best practices, optimising kitchen systems and ensuring disciplined execution across all culinary teams.
• Build structure and develop the culinary organisation including kitchen staffing succession planning role alignment performance management and capability development.
• Lead culinary transformation initiatives focused on operational excellence innovation scalability and continuous improvement.
• Establish scalable culinary systems and production standards suitable for a high-growth restaurant and catering business.
• Partner closely with executive management on business strategy new concept development expansion projects customer experience and profitability initiatives.
• Manage supplier relationships ingredient sourcing product quality and procurement collaboration to ensure consistency and cost efficiency.
• Lead mentor coach and inspire kitchen teams while building a culture of accountability creativity collaboration and culinary excellence.
• Support new restaurant openings catering mobilizations client presentations menu tastings operational audits and business development initiatives.

Degree or Diploma in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, or a related discipline. Professional culinary certifications are highly preferred.Minimum 8 years of progressive experience in senior culinary leadership roles.Strong experience within restaurants, hospitality, catering, cloud kitchens, or large-scale food service operations.Proven expertise in international cuisines, high-volume food production, banquet operations, and corporate or institutional catering.Strong knowledge of food safety regulations, HACCP, SFDA requirements, hygiene standards, and quality assurance practices.Experience operating within multi-site restaurant groups, catering organisations, or high-growth hospitality businesses.Proven capability in developing kitchen structures, implementing operational standards, and leading culinary transformation initiatives.Demonstrated success in building and restructuring kitchen operations while driving efficiency, consistency, and cost optimisation.Strong leadership presence with the ability to motivate, mentor, and develop diverse culinary teams.Excellent menu engineering, food costing, production planning, and operational problem-solving skills.Strong commercial awareness with the ability to balance culinary creativity, customer satisfaction, and business profitability.Ability to perform under pressure, manage multiple operations simultaneously, and lead effectively within fast-paced environments.High attention to detail, execution excellence, organisational discipline, and commitment to delivering exceptional guest experiences.