Manager Culinary Design and Innovation

Riyadh Air | طيران الرياض; Riyadh Region; On-site; SAR 391,000 - 670,000; Full time

Job summary

Riyadh Air is seeking a world-class Culinary Leader to shape the dining identity across onboard and lounge experiences. You will steer culinary design, menu strategy and F&B innovation with strong commercial insight.

In this role you will own end-to-end menu development from concept to service, drive seasonal launches and ensure Halal compliance and food safety standards across the network. Collaboration with partners and internal teams is essential to elevate guest satisfaction.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field, 7+ years in airline catering or luxury hospitality.
• Minimum 5 years in a senior culinary leadership role.
• Certifications in food safety and quality assurance.
• Strong stakeholder leadership, financial acumen and project management.

Responsibilities

• Lead culinary design, menu strategy and F&B innovation across onboard and lounge touchpoints.
• Oversee end-to-end development of menus, recipes and presentation standards.
• Drive seasonal launches, cultural and religious offerings, and new route menus.
• Ensure Halal compliance, food safety and SOPs across hub and network caterers.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Menu development

Inflight catering operations

Sourcing & supply chain

Cross-functional leadership

Financial acumen

Project management

Halal compliance

Quality assurance

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Riyadh Air (RX), headquartered in the Saudi Capital, is the new national airline that is 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.