Executive Chef / Director – Culinary Operations & Product
Multi-Brand | Central Kitchen | NPD-Led Scale
Location: Primary Kitchen Hub + Travel Across Outlets
Experience: 15–20+ years
Employment Type: Full-time
Reporting to: Founder / Leadership Team
About the Role
We are building a multi-brand, multi-outlet food platform operating through central kitchens and outlets across formats (cloud kitchens, bulk, institutional, and retail delivery).
This is a leadership role owning both Culinary Operations and New Product Development (NPD).
The role goes beyond running kitchens, it is about building systems, standardising execution, and scaling food quality consistently across brands and outlets.
As the business grows, a team will be built under this role, while this position continues to own overall direction, standards, and outcomes.
Key Responsibilities
Culinary Operations & Standardisation
- Lead end-to-end kitchen operations across central kitchens and multiple outlets
- Ensure consistent taste, portioning, yields, and presentation across all brands
- Drive food safety, hygiene, and statutory compliance across locations
- Own kitchen audits, execution discipline, and corrective action loops
Current-State Audit & Stabilisation
- Conduct detailed kitchen audits covering:
o taste consistency
o portion control
o yields & wastage
o holding & reheat protocols
o dispatch performance
- Define core KPIs for quality, cost, and throughput
- Deliver clear action plans and execution checklists
Recipe Architecture & Scale-Ready SOPs
- Build a modular recipe architecture (mother gravies, marinades, bases, finishes)
- Standardise recipes into SKU-level SOPs with BOMs, yields, and portion controls
- Define what is cooked centrally vs finished at outlet
- Support multi-outlet scalability without operational complexity
Food Cost & Vendor Management
- Drive food cost control, yield optimisation, and wastage reduction
- Evaluate and standardise vendors (ingredients, quality, handling specs)
- Work closely with purchase and operations teams
Team Leadership & Training
- Lead, mentor, and train large kitchen teams
- Build strong Sous Chefs, Kitchen Managers, and trainers
- Implement structured training, audits, and discipline-led execution
New Product Development (NPD)
- Own end-to-end NPD across indulgent and health-led product tracks
- Build a stage-gated NPD process (concept → pilot → scale)
- Ensure every new product fits:
o operational feasibility
o cost targets
o shelf-life and packaging constraints
- Validate products before rollout across outlets
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What We’re Looking For
- 15–20+ years of experience in central kitchens, multi-brand operations, bulk or institutional food, hotels, or large food companies
- Strong background in:
o high-volume food production
o SOP-driven execution
o multi-outlet consistency
- Proven NPD and menu standardisation experience
- Experience managing large kitchen teams
- Process-driven, calm, and execution-focused leadership style
- Willingness to travel and work hands-on when required
Work Location: In person
