Executive Chef | Lb

HotelJobs; South Africa; On-site; ZAR 643,000 - 735,000; Full time

Job summary

Kendrick Recruitment is seeking an experienced Executive Chef to lead the culinary operations of a luxury safari camp in Tanzania. You will manage a high-volume kitchen in a remote Serengeti setting, ensuring exceptional dining experiences for guests.

The role requires strong leadership, menu development for diverse guest preferences, and rigorous control of food costs and hygiene standards to sustain luxury service levels.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as an Executive Chef or senior culinary leader.
• Experience in hotel and luxury lodge operations.
• Strong leadership and communication skills.
• Financial acumen with budgeting and stock management.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all kitchen operations, ensuring high standards of food quality and service.
• Develop menus that reflect luxury hospitality standards and accommodate dietary needs.
• Lead, train and motivate the kitchen team to maintain a performance-driven environment.
• Plan and coordinate food preparation for high guest volumes and busy occupancy.
• Establish efficient kitchen SOPs and production schedules.

Skills

Executive Chef

High-volume kitchen

Leadership

Food cost management

Remote environment experience

Job description

Executive Chef - Luxury Safari Camp, Tanzania

Location: Serengeti, Tanzania

Salary: Estimated US$3,500-US$4,000 net per month, to be confirmed

Kendrick Recruitment is seeking an experienced and highly capable Executive Chef to lead the culinary operations of a luxury safari camp in Tanzania. This is an exciting opportunity for a chef with a strong background in both hotel and lodge environments, who can deliver exceptional dining experiences while managing a high-volume kitchen in a remote setting.

The property features 91 rooms and a modern, fully equipped kitchen with high-quality facilities. At full occupancy, the camp may accommodate close to 200 guests, making this role ideal for a commercially minded chef who is confident managing large teams, maintaining consistency and scaling kitchen operations to meet demand.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee all kitchen operations, ensuring consistently high standards of food quality, presentation and service.
• Develop menus that reflect luxury hospitality standards while catering to diverse guest preferences and dietary requirements.
• Manage; train and motivate the kitchen team, fostering a professional and performance-driven working environment.
• Plan and coordinate food preparation and service for high guest volumes.
• Establish efficient kitchen systems, standard operating procedures and production schedules.
• Manage food costs, stock control, purchasing, supplier relationships and waste reduction.
• Maintain strict food safety, hygiene and health standards throughout the kitchen.
• Work closely with lodge management and food and beverage teams to ensure seamless service delivery.
• Monitor kitchen performance and implement improvements to enhance efficiency and consistency.
• Adapt operational planning to occupancy levels while maintaining exceptional culinary standards.

Requirements

• Proven experience as an Executive Chef, Head Chef or in a comparable senior culinary leadership role.
• Strong experience in both hotel and luxury lodge operations.
• Demonstrated ability to manage high-volume kitchens, ideally catering for large numbers of guests.
• Experience opening, establishing or improving kitchen operations will be advantageous.
• Excellent leadership, team development and communication skills.
• Strong financial acumen, including food costing, budgeting and stock management.
• Thorough knowledge of food safety, hygiene and kitchen procedures.
• Ability to work effectively in a remote environment with demanding operational requirements.
• A hands-on, adaptable and solutions-driven approach.
• Experience in fast-paced, high-volume hospitality environments will be beneficial.

If you do not hear from us within 7 working days, please consider your application unsuccessful.