Executive Sous Chef

Role Overview

Executive Sous Chef at Emirates Flight Catering.

Role Purpose

Lead production operations and culinary excellence across multiple production units, managing teams, resources, and processes to deliver high-quality meals on time while optimizing costs and maintaining strict adherence to food safety, quality, and operational standards.

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Development

• Develop and manage production team for planning and organizing routine and additional deliverables in the most effective and profitable manner.
• Work with Exec Chef to develop organizational hierarchy through recruitments, trainings and guidance with long-term succession planning of the department, verifying potential key performers recommended by reporting levels.
• Guide the team on effective scheduling, customer focus, prioritizing work and adhering to specifications with a focus on correct quality and quantity delivered on-time.
• Conduct close supervision and inspection of both process and staff in production units and report findings, thereby ensuring that staff performance meets production deadlines to avoid customer delays.

Production & Operations Management

• Manage material, staff and equipment in the most effective manner to ensure on-time, high-quality deliveries in strict adherence to all laid-down procedures.
• Oversee the development and implementation of new dishes by ensuring that assigned production staff fully understands the requirements of each new dish to maintain client specifications.
• Ensure all developed specifications in terms of portion size, quantity and quality are effectively followed in the kitchen.
• Address customer expectations and issues upfront and find long-term solutions to any anomalies or improvement ideas reported or observed.

Cost Control & Wastage Management

• Evaluate statistics on wastage and ensure that food is prepared economically, establishing controls to minimize food and supply wastage.
• Streamline menu components for cost suitability through economies of scale and production consolidation ideas.
• Prepare and report necessary data for applicable parts of the budget, support in projecting annual food, labor and other costs, and monitor actual financial results.
• Propose corrective actions as necessary to help assure that financial goals for the unit are met.

Innovation & Process Improvement

• Propose innovative logistics solutions to Senior Management as per industry standards to improve rotation of stocks, FIFO, procurement forecasting and production planning.
• Attend and manage menu presentations, actively involving in product design and development as deemed necessary.

Compliance & Quality Assurance

• Adhere and apply all systems and procedures applicable in the workplace in accordance with company policies, including but not limited to SOPs, GMPs, ISO9001-2008 QMS, OHSAS etc.
• Maintain the departmental focus and outlook towards customer satisfaction and positive experience delivery.

Qualifications & Experience

• Hotel Management or Culinary degree.
• Minimum of 7 years' experience in the culinary field.
• Knowledge and experience of food products and processes in a facility with extensive in-house production.
• Extensive experience with business management software applications in a catering environment.
• Significant exposure to Lean Management, Occupational Health & Safety and Quality Assurance management.
• Excellent knowledge and understanding of all aspects of cooking in various cuisines.
• Experience in creating recipes, menu development and costing.

Skills & Competencies

• Ability to develop himself or herself in the current role and beyond.
• Willingness to take on responsibility and able to delegate tasks efficiently.
• Problem solving and decision making ability in real time, with creative and out-of-box thinking.
• Strong organizational skills, effective training and communication skills.
• Attention to detail and quality.