Head chef

Overview

Key Responsibilities

• Plan and develop rotating weekly and monthly menus for corporate clients, balancing nutrition, variety, dietary requirements, and cost targets.
• Oversee daily food production and service for staff canteens, executive dining rooms, meeting rooms, and corporate events.
• Ensure consistent food quality, presentation, and portion control across all client sites and service points.
• Manage food cost, labor cost, and overall kitchen budget to meet contract margins and KPIs.
• Lead, train, and develop the kitchen brigade across central kitchen and on-site client locations.
• Build and maintain strong professional relationships with corporate client representatives, attending regular review meetings and acting on feedback.
• Coordinate with the operations and sales team on new client mobilizations, tastings, and proposals.
• Ensure strict compliance with HACCP, ISO, and local food safety and hygiene regulations across all sites.
• Manage supplier relationships, negotiate pricing, and maintain a reliable supply chain for high-quality ingredients.
• Oversee inventory, stock rotation, and waste management to minimize losses and support sustainability goals.
• Plan and execute corporate events, executive lunches, VIP meetings, and themed food promotions.
• Accommodate diverse dietary needs including halal, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and allergen-sensitive meals.
• Maintain kitchen equipment, mobile catering equipment, and service-ware in clean, safe, and working condition.
• Prepare regular reports on food cost, menu performance, client feedback, and operational KPIs.
• Stay current with corporate dining trends, workplace wellness initiatives, and culinary innovations.

Required Qualifications

• Culinary degree or diploma from a recognized institution, or equivalent professional culinary training.
• Minimum 7–10 years of progressive culinary experience, with at least 3 years in a head chef or senior chef role within corporate catering, contract catering, hotels, or large-volume hospitality.
• Proven experience delivering daily high-volume food production (3000+ meals per day) to corporate or institutional clients.
• Strong knowledge of international and regional cuisines, with the ability to design healthy, balanced, and cost-effective menus.
• Solid understanding of HACCP, food safety management systems, and local health regulations.
• Valid food handler’s / food safety certification (or willingness to obtain prior to start).
• Experience working with corporate clients and managing service-level agreements (SLAs) is highly preferred.

Skills

• and Competencies
• Excellent culinary skills with strong creativity, presentation, and attention to detail.
• Strong leadership and people management skills across multi-site kitchen teams.
• Client-focused mindset with professional communication and relationship management abilities.
• Sound commercial awareness: budgeting, food costing, labor planning, and contract margin management.
• Excellent planning, organizational, and time management skills.
• Calm and solution-oriented under pressure, especially during peak service.
• Flexibility to work across multiple client sites and adapt to varying corporate environments.
• Proficient in kitchen management software, recipe costing tools, and Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook).

Working Conditions

• Work is performed across a central production kitchen and various corporate client sites.
• Exposure to heat, steam, sharp implements, and refrigeration environments.
• Requires prolonged periods of standing, walking, and lifting items up to 20 kg.
• Standard working hours align with corporate business hours, with occasional early mornings, evenings, or weekends for events and client functions.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Client satisfaction scores and contract retention rate.
• Achievement of food cost and gross profit targets per contract.
• Compliance with food safety, hygiene, and quality audits.
• Consistency of food quality and service across all client sites.
• Team retention, training completion, and development outcomes.
• Menu innovation and successful execution of seasonal or themed promotions.

Compensation

• and Benefits
• Competitive salary commensurate with experience. ( 3500$ - 4000$ )
• Health insurance and statutory benefits.
• Paid annual leave.
• Staff meals, Housing and transport between sites where applicable.
• Opportunities for career progression within a growing corporate catering business.

How to Apply