Deputy Head Chef

CURATE KITCHEN PTE. LTD.; Singapore; On-site; SGD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading catering company in Singapore is looking for a Culinary Operations Manager to oversee culinary production, manage a team, and ensure high food quality and safety. The ideal candidate will have a Diploma/Degree in Culinary Arts with 3-5 years of progressive culinary experience, strong leadership skills, and a proven track record in menu planning and cost management. This role demands operational excellence and innovation to meet varying client needs.

Qualifications

• 3 to 5 years of experience in culinary management.
• Experience with large-scale kitchen and catering operations.
• Ability to lead and motivate kitchen teams.

Responsibilities

• Oversee culinary production and manage kitchen staff.
• Design catering menus based on client needs.
• Ensure food quality and safety during events.

Skills

Team leadership

Menu planning

Culinary innovation

Cost management

Food safety standards implementation

Education

Diploma/Degree in Culinary Arts

Job description

You will oversee all culinary production, ensuring food quality, safety, efficiency, and innovation while managing a team of chefs and kitchen staff. This role demands strategic planning, operational excellence, and culinary leadership to meet the diverse demands of internal outlets and external event catering.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Central Kitchen Production:

• Lead daily operations of the central kitchen, ensuring efficient, high-volume production of
• core items (e.g., marinated meats, sauces, gravies, dressings).
• Develop, standardize, and continuously improve production recipes and processes to
• ensure consistency and quality across all outlets.
• Coordinate with outlet chefs to fulfil special menu requests and seasonal offerings.
• Monitor inventory levels and coordinate with procurement for timely sourcing of
• ingredients.

2. Catering Event Menu Design & Planning

• Work closely with clients, sales teams, and event coordinators to design customized
• menus aligned with the theme, dietary needs, and budget of each event.
• Develop seasonal, themed, and signature catering menus that reflect current food trends
• and client preferences.
• Conduct tasting sessions for clients and stakeholders as part of the menu approval
• process.

3. Event Execution & Quality Control

• Lead culinary preparation for all catering events, ensuring food quality, presentation, and
• timing meet high standards.
• Personally oversee food plating, buffet setups, and live cooking stations to ensure visual
• appeal and customer satisfaction.

4. Staffing & Coordination

• Plan staffing for each event, assign roles, and conduct pre-event briefings to ensure
• clarity on responsibilities and timelines.
• Manage temporary, outsourced, or part-time kitchen teams as needed for larger events.
• Coordinate with service teams (F&B, logistics, decorators) to ensure smooth flow of
• operations during the event.

5. Resource Management

• Oversee the preparation, packing, and transportation of food and equipment from the
• central kitchen to event venues.
• Ensure proper storage and handling of food during transport, maintaining hygiene and
• temperature control standards.
• Prepare and maintain checklists for event readiness, including kitchen equipment,
• utensils, serving ware, and ingredients.

6. Cost Management & Reporting

• Ensure all catering events are executed within allocated budgets and resource plans.
• Monitor food and labor costs per event and analyze profitability and efficiency.
• Submit post-event reports outlining successes, challenges, and recommendations for
• improvement.

7. Team Leadership & Operations:

• Lead, train, and mentor central kitchen staff including sous chefs, line cooks, and kitchen
• assistants.
• Implement and enforce food safety, hygiene, and sanitation standards (e.g., HACCP,
• ISO 22000).
• Maintain kitchen equipment and workspaces to meet operational and safety
• requirements.
• Track kitchen KPIs and contribute to operational reporting and budgeting.

Requirements:

• Diploma/Degree in Culinary Arts or equivalent, with at least 3 to 5 years of progressive culinary experience, including leading large-scale kitchen and catering operations.
• Proven ability to lead, train, and motivate diverse kitchen teams (permanent and part-time), while fostering a culture of quality, safety, and efficiency.
• Strong track record in menu planning, recipe standardization, and creating innovative dishes aligned with market trends, dietary needs, and client requirements.
• Skilled in kitchen operations management, cost control, inventory planning, and delivering events within budget while maintaining high quality standards.
• In-depth understanding of food safety, hygiene, and sanitation standards (e.g., HACCP, ISO 22000), with experience implementing and maintaining compliance in high-volume production.