Executive Chef

Role overview

Kitchen leadership and menu

• Lead the entire kitchen operation, including daily preparation and service.
• Develop, standardize, and maintain Afghan and California-inspired menus and seasonal dishes.
• Maintain authenticity, consistency, presentation, taste, and food quality.
• Supervise, train, motivate, and evaluate kitchen staff; plan staffing, schedules, and daily production.
• Coordinate with restaurant management and front-of-house teams for smooth service.

Purchasing and cost control

• Manage kitchen procurement and supplier coordination, including sourcing, quotations, price comparisons, and negotiations where appropriate.
• Plan purchases against stock, menu requirements, and operational needs; monitor food costs, purchasing costs, and supplier pricing against budget.
• Check product quality, freshness, specifications, and quantities; coordinate receiving, storage, labeling, and FIFO practices.
• Track inventory, conduct regular stock checks and periodic counts, maintain purchasing records, and limit shortages, over-purchasing, and waste.

Quality and kitchen operations

• Maintain standardized recipes, portion sizes, plating specifications, production sheets, costing sheets, and kitchen SOPs.
• Conduct tastings and quality checks and maintain consistent quality during high-volume operations.
• Follow UAE food-safety, hygiene, and HACCP standards; implement cost-saving measures without compromising quality.
• Ensure kitchen equipment and facilities are maintained and report maintenance needs to management.

Qualifications

• Experienced, highly skilled chef with culinary expertise in Afghan and California-inspired cuisine.
• Strong knowledge of kitchen purchasing, supplier management, food costing, inventory control, and procurement procedures is required.
• End-to-end kitchen purchasing and supplier-coordination experience is highly preferred.