Central Kitchen Operations Chef

About the role

An experienced Central Kitchen Operations Chef is sought to lead daily kitchen production and ensure consistent food quality, efficient workflow and timely order preparation. The role combines hands-on kitchen supervision with responsibility for staff performance, food safety, inventory control and production costs.

Key responsibilities

• Manage daily central kitchen operations, including preparation, cooking, portioning, packing and dispatch.
• Develop daily and weekly production plans based on confirmed orders, sales forecasts and stock requirements.
• Ensure products follow approved recipes, portion sizes, presentation standards and packaging specifications.
• Supervise kitchen teams, assign duties, arrange shifts and monitor productivity; coordinate production across brands or product lines.
• Check product quality, freshness, taste and consistency before dispatch.
• Maintain food safety and hygiene procedures, including temperature monitoring, allergen controls, cleaning schedules and safe storage.
• Monitor ingredient usage, stock levels, expiry dates and stock rotation, and coordinate with purchasing and stores teams.
• Control food costs, production yields, wastage and labour efficiency, and work with order management and delivery teams.
• Train staff on recipes, procedures, equipment use and quality expectations.
• Monitor equipment condition, coordinate preventive maintenance and repairs, and investigate production errors and customer complaints.
• Submit regular reports on production volumes, wastage, staffing, quality issues and operational improvements.

Required profile

• Minimum 5 years of professional kitchen experience, including at least 2 years supervising a central kitchen, catering operation or high-volume food production team.
• Strong understanding of standardized recipes, batch production, portion control and food costing.
• Practical knowledge of food safety systems, HACCP principles and kitchen hygiene.
• Proven ability to lead teams and manage multiple production deadlines.
• Experience with inventory systems, production records and basic Excel reporting; culinary qualification preferred.
• Fluent in English and Arabic.

Required skills

• Team leadership and staff training
• Production planning and workflow management
• Quality control and attention to detail
• Cost awareness and waste reduction
• Clear communication and coordination
• Problem-solving under pressure