Executive Chef — Job Description
Job Summary
The Executive Chef is responsible for the overall management and operation of the kitchen and culinary department. The role ensures consistently high standards of food quality, presentation, hygiene, guest satisfaction, cost control, and team performance while developing menus and maintaining the culinary identity of the property.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and manage the overall culinary operations of the hotel, resort, restaurant, or food service operation.
- Plan, develop, and implement menus in line with the concept, guest expectations, seasonality, and business objectives.
- Ensure consistent food quality, taste, presentation, portion control, and plating standards.
- Establish and maintain high standards of food safety, hygiene, sanitation, and HACCP compliance.
- Manage food costs, recipe costing, portion sizes, wastage, and inventory to achieve budgetary targets.
- Monitor purchasing, receiving, storage, and utilization of food products.
- Work closely with suppliers and the purchasing team to ensure quality ingredients and competitive pricing.
- Supervise, train, coach, and develop chefs, cooks, and kitchen support staff.
- Prepare staffing schedules and allocate duties according to operational requirements.
- Conduct regular kitchen inspections and ensure compliance with company policies and food safety regulations.
- Monitor kitchen equipment and coordinate maintenance and repairs when required.
- Control food production levels according to occupancy, reservations, events, and business forecasts.
- Introduce new dishes, culinary concepts, promotions, and seasonal menus.
- Maintain standardized recipes and ensure proper implementation by the culinary team.
- Handle guest feedback and complaints related to food quality and service.
- Coordinate closely with the Food & Beverage, Service, Stewarding, Purchasing, Sales, and Events teams.
- Participate in budgeting, forecasting, menu engineering, and financial planning.
- Monitor and reduce food waste while promoting sustainable culinary practices.
- Ensure adequate mise en place and smooth kitchen operations during service.
- Maintain accurate records relating to food production, inventory, costing, wastage, and quality.
- Stay updated on culinary trends, techniques, ingredients, and industry developments.
- Ensure compliance with all applicable statutory, health, safety, and organizational requirements.
Qualifications
- Diploma or Bachelor’s degree in Culinary Arts, Hotel Management, or a related field.
- Professional culinary qualification from a recognized culinary institute is preferred.
- Minimum 8–12 years of culinary experience, with significant experience in a senior chef or Executive Chef position.
- Experience in a reputed hotel, resort, fine-dining restaurant, or large-scale food operation is preferred.
Required Skills & Competencies
- Strong culinary and menu-development expertise.
- Excellent leadership and team-management skills.
- Strong knowledge of food safety, hygiene, and HACCP principles.
- Good understanding of food costing, budgeting, purchasing, and inventory control.
- Creativity and passion for food and culinary innovation.
- Strong organizational and time-management skills.
- Ability to work effectively under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Strong knowledge of kitchen operations and international/local cuisines.
- Ability to train and develop culinary teams.
- Good computer and reporting skills.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Food cost percentage
- Guest satisfaction and food-quality scores
- Food wastage percentage
- Kitchen productivity and labor cost
- Menu profitability
- Food safety and hygiene audit results
- Customer complaints related to food
- Inventory accuracy and variance
- Consistency of food quality and presentation
- Employee training and retention
- Compliance with standard recipes and operating procedures
