Senior Sous Chef

Role Overview

Senior Sous Chef at Emirates Flight Catering.

Role Purpose

Lead production operations and staff supervision across assigned kitchen sections, ensuring compliance with airline specifications, food safety standards, and operational efficiency while maintaining high-quality output in a high-volume catering environment.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Staff Management

• Ensure that all assigned production staff carry out their duties in a set time frame in order to maintain continuity of work flow and prevent any subsequent delays in operations.
• Share responsibility with Executive Sous Chef and deputize in their absence for compliance of all policies, procedures, rules, and regulations of the kitchen.
• Supervise staff in the implementation process in their section and report any non-conformance; propose solutions if issues cannot be corrected immediately.
• Provide feedback and coaching to team members.
• 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.
• Coach team on proactive attempts at solutions and manage issues focusing on products, equipment, labour, and material management.

Quality Assurance & Compliance

• Ensure that Sous chefs and junior staff follow all developed specifications in terms of portion size, quantity, and quality.
• Check and ensure that dishing is correct in weight and presentation, and items are prepared as per airline specifications with food products colour coded with dates.
• Strictly implement procedures to ensure recipe compliance at all times while actively promoting innovative ideas for cost-reduction without compromising on quality.
• Conduct daily tasting panels, checks, cascades, briefings, and reports as applicable in an organized and responsible manner.

Operations & Process Management

• Manage production, processes, and schedules in assigned areas in accordance with policies, regulations, specifications, recipes, and requirements by applying effective controls.
• Prepare, update, and maintain production sheets including separate breakdowns for EK and other airlines for production and assembly staff.
• Find solutions to problems during daily operational activities and take corrective action before issues occur; keep Executive Sous Chefs informed about daily production, problems encountered, and actions taken.

Continuous Improvement

• Address customer expectations and issues effectively and suggest long-term solutions to any anomalies or improvement ideas reported or observed.
• Understand the lean manufacturing standards established by EKFC and support efforts to deploy and maintain best practices that will reduce or eliminate the 7 areas of waste in operations.

Qualifications & Experience

• Hotel Management or Culinary degree.
• Minimum of 6 years' experience in the culinary field.

Preferred Experience

• Knowledge and experience of food products and processes in a facility with extensive in-house production.
• Excellent knowledge and understanding of all aspects of cooking in various cuisines.
• Experience in creating recipes, menu development and costing.
• Demonstrated leadership skills to efficiently manage a large multi-national workforce.
• Hotel catering equivalent in 5-star facility with excellent knowledge in all aspects of cooking and different cuisines.
• Previous experience in high volume a la carte and/or banqueting in a large kitchen team.

Skills & Competencies

• Ability to provide feedback and coaching.
• Ability to develop himself/herself in the current role and beyond.
• Willingness to take on responsibility.
• Effective delegation skills.
• Problem solving and decision making ability in real time, with creative and out-of-box thinking.
• Strong organizational skills, effective training and communication skills.