Manager Culinary Design and Innovation

Riyadh Air; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 360,000 - 540,000; Full time

Job summary

Riyadh Air invites a seasoned culinary leader to shape its premium onboard and lounge dining proposition across a growing network. You will own the end-to-end culinary design, menu strategy and recipe development, balancing Saudi heritage with global flavors.

The role requires strong leadership across cross‑functional teams, supplier engagement and strict adherence to Halal, food safety and aviation SOPs while delivering distinctive dining experiences that scale with the brand.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a culinary discipline with 7+ years in airline catering or luxury hospitality.
• Minimum 5 years in a senior culinary leadership role with P&L exposure.
• Certifications in food safety and quality assurance required.
• Proven ability to manage cross-functional teams and supplier relationships.

Responsibilities

• Lead culinary design and menu strategy across onboard and lounge touchpoints.
• Oversee development of menus, recipes, and presentation standards.
• Drive seasonal launches, halal compliance, and aviation SOPs.
• Collaborate with partners to balance culinary quality with commercial performance.
• Ensure consistency across network with clear specs and tasting standards.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Menu development

Food safety

Quality assurance

Stakeholder leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

About the Company

Riyadh Air (RX), headquartered in the Saudi Capital, is the new national airline that’s shaping the future of flying. It seeks to lead the aviation industry by transforming Saudi Arabia into a global aviation and trade hub – a digitally native airline that will connect the kingdom to more than 100 destinations.

About the Role

Are you ready to shape a world-class culinary proposition that defines the dining experience across onboard and lounge touchpoints?This role is central to leading culinary design, menu strategy and food and beverage innovation across the guest journey. It ensures a distinctive, premium proposition that reflects Saudi heritage, global outlook and elevated service standards.A core part of the role is managing the end-to-end development of menus, recipes and presentation standards from concept through delivery. The position also drives seasonal launches, cultural and religious offerings, new route menus and Entry into Service readiness.Working closely with internal teams and catering partners, the role translates guest insights, market intelligence and performance data into meaningful product enhancements. It also supports supplier strategy, sourcing decisions and menu engineering to balance culinary quality with commercial performance.Another key focus is maintaining consistency across the network through clear specifications, tasting standards and presentation guidelines. This includes overseeing Halal compliance, food safety requirements and aviation standard operating procedures across hub and network caterers.The position calls for strong leadership across cross-functional stakeholders to deliver seamless implementation, continuous refinement and measurable guest satisfaction. Success in this role will strengthen brand differentiation, elevate the dining experience and help define a premium food and beverage identity at scale.This is a high-impact leadership role where your culinary vision and commercial judgment will shape one of the most distinctive dining experiences in global aviation.

About You

Bachelor’s degree qualified, you will demonstrate a minimum of 7 years of experience in airline catering operations, luxury hospitality or large‑scale food production, including at least 5 years in a senior culinary leadership role. You are expected to possess certifications in food safety and quality assurance. You will bring deep expertise in inflight catering operations, menu development, global cuisines, sourcing and supply chain, supported by strong stakeholder leadership, financial acumen, project management and the ability to perform in a fast‑paced, multi‑partner environment. This is your opportunity to shape the future of air travel. Bring your best and show us why you can own this position within Riyadh Air.