Executive Chef - Hotel

West Coast Personnel; Saldanha; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 800,000; Full time

Job summary

West Coast Personnel is seeking an experienced Executive/Head Chef to lead our hotel kitchen, ensuring the highest standards of dining across all meal periods and events. You will oversee menu planning, food quality, and cost controls while managing a team in a busy hospitality environment.

The role requires strong leadership, extensive kitchen management experience, and availability to work weekends and holidays in the Saldanha/West Coast area. Hotel background is highly valued.

Qualifications

• Experience as Executive Chef, Head Chef or Senior Sous Chef.
• Hotel experience strongly preferred.
• Strong kitchen management and staff leadership experience.
• Good menu-planning and food-presentation skills.
• Experience with food costing, stock control and purchasing.
• Sound knowledge of food safety and hygiene standards.
• Ability to manage a busy kitchen and work effectively under pressure.
• Strong organisational and leadership skills.
• Available to work hospitality hours, weekends and public holidays.
• Ideally based in or around Saldanha / the West Coast area.

Responsibilities

• Manage the day-to-day hotel kitchen operation.
• Plan and develop menus that meet guest expectations and operational requirements.
• Maintain consistently high standards of food quality, taste and presentation.
• Oversee breakfast, lunch, dinner and function/banqueting requirements.
• Lead, train, motivate and manage the kitchen team.
• Manage food preparation, service and kitchen productivity.
• Control food costs, stock levels, purchasing and wastage.
• Maintain portion control and consistent recipe standards.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, hygiene and kitchen cleanliness requirements.
• Prepare and manage kitchen staff schedules.
• Work closely with hotel management and front-of-house teams.
• Assist with menus and catering requirements for conferences, functions and special events.
• Monitor kitchen standards and continuously improve the guest dining experience.

Skills

Kitchen management

Staff leadership

Menu planning

Food cost control

Stock control

Food safety

Organisational skills

Pressure management

Hospitality hours

Job description

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the day-to-day hotel kitchen operation.
• Plan and develop menus that meet guest expectations and operational requirements.
• Maintain consistently high standards of food quality, taste and presentation.
• Oversee breakfast, lunch, dinner and function/banqueting requirements.
• Lead, train, motivate and manage the kitchen team.
• Manage food preparation, service and kitchen productivity.
• Control food costs, stock levels, purchasing and wastage.
• Maintain portion control and consistent recipe standards.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, hygiene and kitchen cleanliness requirements.
• Prepare and manage kitchen staff schedules.
• Work closely with hotel management and front-of-house teams.
• Assist with menus and catering requirements for conferences, functions and special events.
• Monitor kitchen standards and continuously improve the guest dining experience.

Requirements

• Previous experience as an Executive Chef, Head Chef or Senior Sous Chef.
• Hotel experience strongly preferred.
• Strong kitchen-management and staff-leadership experience.
• Good menu-planning and food-presentation skills.
• Experience with food costing, stock control and purchasing.
• Sound knowledge of food safety and hygiene standards.
• Ability to manage a busy kitchen and work effectively under pressure.
• Strong organisational and leadership skills.
• Available to work hospitality hours, weekends and public holidays.
• Ideally based in or around Saldanha / the West Coast area.

The Opportunity

This is a strong opportunity for an experienced hotel chef who enjoys being hands-on, leading a team and maintaining consistently high culinary standards.

If you are passionate about hospitality, food quality and creating a memorable guest dining experience, we would like to hear from you.