Culinary Director

Role Overview

The Culinary Director will provide end-to-end strategic, operational, and financial leadership for all kitchen-related activities within the hospitality division. The position covers restaurant operations, pastry production, catering and events, as well as partnerships, pop-ups, concept stalls, and other development initiatives.

This role is accountable for maintaining exceptional culinary standards, dependable execution, cost discipline, sanitation, and continuous innovation, while keeping every culinary activity aligned with the brand direction and business goals.

Culinary Leadership and Daily Operations

• Steer culinary activity across two principal restaurants, pastry production, and events/catering.
• Guide expansion and collaboration initiatives such as pop-ups, concept stalls, and new product development.
• Keep quality, presentation, and guest experience consistent across all locations and concepts.
• Lead menu creation, seasonal updates, and concept innovation.
• Maintain strong operational control and high execution standards.

Team Structure and Reporting

• Directly manage the Executive Chef, Head Chef, Executive Pastry Chef, Executive Sous Chef for Events & Catering, and Executive Chef for Events & Development.
• Set clear KPIs, performance expectations, and development plans for the culinary team.
• Hold regular reviews and coaching sessions to strengthen performance.
• Promote coordination and alignment across all culinary departments.

Events, Catering, and External Activations

• Oversee culinary delivery for catering assignments, premium events, and external activations.
• Ensure event food quality reflects the brand’s positioning.
• Support commercial growth by developing scalable catering and event offerings.
• Work closely with operations and commercial teams to improve revenue outcomes.

Partnerships, Projects, and Product Development

• Direct culinary input for partner chef initiatives, stall concepts, activations, extensions, and pop-ups.
• Support product development and retail-oriented opportunities.
• Create new income opportunities through collaboration and culinary innovation.
• Make sure all partnerships remain consistent with brand standards and product quality expectations.

Hygiene, Food Safety, and Compliance

• Ensure all kitchens comply with local regulations and internal standards in coordination with the Hygiene Manager.
• Implement HACCP and broader food safety practices throughout the operation.
• Carry out routine inspections and enforce corrective actions when needed.
• Protect standards of cleanliness, sanitation, and safe food handling.

Procurement and Cost Management

• Own the culinary procurement approach across outlets and functions.
• Balance cost efficiency with supplier reliability and product consistency.
• Collaborate with procurement and finance teams on food cost control, supplier negotiation, and inventory management.
• Continuously improve Cost of Goods Sold (COGS).

Financial and Commercial Accountability

• Be responsible for food cost performance, kitchen labor efficiency, and contribution to outlet profitability.
• Support revenue growth through menu engineering and pricing decisions.
• Partner with Finance on budgeting, forecasting, and performance monitoring.

Stakeholder Coordination

• Serve as the main culinary contact for internal leaders such as the GM Hospitality, Operations, and Finance teams.
• Liaise with outside partners and collaborators as required.
• Ensure strong communication and alignment among all stakeholders.

Key Competencies

• Proven leadership and team-building ability.
• Advanced culinary expertise across fine dining and high-volume operations.
• Strong commercial awareness and financial understanding.
• Highly organized with a structured approach to operations.
• Capable of handling multiple concepts and stakeholders at the same time.
• Excellent attention to detail and quality control.

Experience and Qualifications

• 10 to 15 years of experience in senior culinary leadership roles is required.
• Experience with multi-outlet or complex culinary operations in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia is preferred.
• Background in luxury hospitality or Michelin-level fine dining is preferred.
• Strong exposure to events and large-scale catering is required.
• Solid knowledge of procurement, cost control, and food safety systems is required.
• Must be culturally adaptable.

Performance Measures

• Food cost percentage against target.
• Consistency and quality scores across outlets.
• Hygiene audit performance.
• Quality and profitability of event execution.
• Team retention and performance outcomes.
• Revenue generated from new initiatives.