EXECUTIVE CHEF (Local / Expat)

To assist and support the Culinary Brigade to the highest standards. To provide leadership and direction in menu design and food production to ensure the culinary operation achieves its goals and contributes to the guest experience and overall profitability of the hotel whilst maintaining InterContinental Brand Standards.

The Executive Chef requires solid leadership qualities, organizational and administrative talent and is fully responsible for Culinary operation. Plan, organize, control and direct the work of colleagues. Responsible for the continuous development and improvement of the people, product and profit of the Culinary Department with a focus on superior quality and consistency.

YOUR DAY-TO-DAY

People

• Direct/Manage everyday activity, plan and assign work ensuring you always have the right staffing numbers
• Develop your team and improve their performance through coaching and feedback, and create performance and development goals for colleagues
• Train colleagues to make sure they deliver with compliance and to the standards we expect
• Drive a great working environment for teams to thrive - linking up departments to create sense of one team
• Promote teamwork and quality service through daily communication and coordination with other departments
• Recommend or initiate any HR elated actions where needed
• To actively participate in the training, development the Culinary colleagues, according to the training plans, comment cards, hygiene reports and any other highlighted areas for fine tuning / development that would benefit the team and guests
• Conducts colleague performance appraisals to review colleagues’ general performance and discuss any areas for fine tuning / development – and highlight areas of strength
• Maximize motivation, morale and consistently maintain discipline and discipline related documentation following hotel guidelines and local legislation
• To conduct daily meetings with the Culinary colleagues to assist, provide support, build morale and enhance credibility
• Interacts with colleagues of other departments within areas of responsibility and develops solid working relationships with them
• The ability to hire, train, discipline, supervise and organize all Culinary personnel on a regular basis
• To assume a professional interest for the quality of food prepared and presented in the employee dining room and the consistent – continuous improvement of related teams and product
• To instil the importance of the Employee Dining Room product to the team, to enable continuous monitoring and pro-active measures are taken to maintain our standards
• The ability to treat employees at every level of responsibilities fairly and consistently to achieve high morale and minimum turnover
• To ensure daily storeroom inspections of all walk-in refrigerators, reach ins, is adhered to
• To ensure the Executive Sous Chef –Chef de Cuisines, communicate and delegate the production schedule for the day, collating quantities to be produced from the forecast and for the next day's operation, to the team with clear and concise details, and follow up

Financial

• Help create the department’s annual budget and the setting of departmental goals
• Monitor budget and control expenses with a focus on food, other expense and labour costs….
• Liaise with purchasing to ensure prompt and efficient purchasing, food quality, issuing of supplies, stock control and inventory control
• The ability to assign prices for food items on daily menus that result in net profit for the food cost area and participates in making decisions regarding printing, layouts, posting and distribution of menus
• The ability to prepare and post employee work schedules to reflect operating forecasts and to keep within budgeted figures
• The ability to coordinate and supervise the ordering of all food supplies and kitchen equipment; approves all products to meet quality standards; keeps cost accounts; and takes responsibility of food preparation areas
• To ensure that operating and kitchen equipment is maintained to a good standard with minimum breakage
• To expedite orders on the line when required
• To ensure all “quality ingredients’’ are professionally prepared in accordance with recipes, plating guides, buffet set ups, with an emphasis on maximizing production time and minimizing waste, to support the Culinary Team achieve its financial goals-targets, Food Cost
• To understand, prepare and post employee work schedules to reflect operating forecasts and to keep within budgeted figures
• Plans and implements effective food promotions in co-ordination with the Food & Beverage Promotion Calendar
• To monitor the venue operating costs and takes corrective pro-active action where necessary to reduce expenses
• Diligence in prevention of wastage
• To be confident relating to Menu Engineering and the continuous development of the product & profit

Guest Experience

• Liaise with Stewarding to ensure an adequate supply of equipment, and to ensure kitchen cleanliness and hygiene meet the required standards
• Make recommendations to Management for modernization of equipment, service methods and presentation, to improve guest satisfaction
• The ability to ensure that sanitation standards as set forth are in compliance as well as the cleanliness and neatness of the kitchen
• To ensure that all venue reports, schedules, standard recipes, menus, food presentation photographs and correspondence are completed to standards, in an accurate and punctual manner
• The ability to set up control systems, which will assure quality and portion consistency
• To have a complete understanding of, and adhere to the company’s policy on Safety Procedures and Practices
• To have a complete understanding of, and adhere to local & the company’s policy relating to Food hygiene and Safe Food Handling practices

Responsible Business

• Oversee the culinary processes, planning of menus and designing standard recipes to ensure consistent quality in food production, that meet guest expectations and contribute to the profitability of the hotel
• Liaise with Engineering to ensure prompt and efficient repair and maintenance
• Liaise with the Venue Managers to monitor food quality, plan "specials" and to discuss operational challenges
• Provide creative culinary ideas to project and enhance the image and reputation of the culinary operation
• Monitor and analyse the menus and product of competitive restaurants and keep up to date with international culinary trends to maintain a competitive advantage
• Attends meetings and briefings, and clearly and concisely disseminates relevant information to related teams, in a timely manner
• To coordinate with Director of Food & Beverage and inform up-to-date on challenges and irregularities that may impact the overall dining experience and operations
• To identify and request assistance, prior to any breakdown occurring
• To respond to change positively, in the departmental function as dictated by the industry, company or hotel
• To be an ambassador of Lateral service for the team
• To support the Director of Food & Beverage, in the consistent drive in relation to Food & Beverage concepts for the hotel considering factors such as product availability, service cost, marketing conditions
• The ability to complete and provide performance evaluations for all Culinary employees making recommendations for recognition as warranted
• The ability to coordinate with the Director of Food & Beverage, and the Director of Catering for any special functions regarding food preparation and presentation, including additional costs and staffing requirements
• To be an Ambassador of the InterContinental Brand Standards
• The ability to develop and ensure a safe working environment for people to work
• The ability to set up control systems, which will assure quality and portion consistency
• To review the compilation and updating the relevant section of the Departmental Operations Manual
• To ensure that proper work orders are completed to repair Culinary equipment and solid follow up to ensure maximum operating equipment
• To take responsibility for the quality of incoming produce, ensuring that all food merchandise is in accordance with order sheets, receiving records and purchasing specifications
• To follow all control and key procedures
• Identify Market needs and trends in terms of food for both hotel guests and local market, and Monitors and analyses the menus and products of competitive restaurants
• To ensure additional support for team is in place in the absence of the Director of Food & Beverage
• Attendance at Departmental meetings and Heartbeat feedback meetings
• Be responsible in keeping our property safe and secure, to participate in any hotel activity related to Fire Life safety.
• Other ad-hoc duties – unexpected moments when we have to pull together to get a task done
• May also serve as manager on duty (MOD) on request.
• May assist with other duties as assigned by management