Corporate Chef

Job Description

The Corporate Chef is the company’s senior-most culinary leader, responsible for shaping, governing, and elevating all culinary operations across our Corporate, Offshore, Onshore, Defense, and Facilities Management segments.

This role ensures the highest standards of food quality, consistency, innovation, compliance, and operational efficiency across more than 60 sites and a central production unit.

The Corporate Chef is accountable for the development of standardized menus, recipes, and production systems; leading the redesign of our culinary processes; and building the capabilities of our chefs and production teams. The role works closely with Operations, Supply Chain, Cost Control, QHSE, and Learning & Development to deliver a world-class, scalable culinary program rooted in quality, safety, and cost discipline.

Key Responsibilities

• Culinary Strategy & Governance
• Define the culinary vision, standards, and operating framework for all segments and locations.
• Lead the development of long-term culinary strategies, including menu roadmaps, central production expansion, and efficiency initiatives.
• Ensure culinary standards are consistently implemented across all sites, regardless of location or constraints.
• Menu Engineering & Product Development
• Lead menu planning and engineering for all business segments, ensuring alignment with operational capability, nutrition, and client expectations.
• Oversee development and costing of standard menus and recipes using the Menu Management System (MMS).
• Introduce seasonal menus, updated presentations, and innovative dishes tailored to varied segments (Offshore, Labor Camps, Corporate, VIP, etc.).
• Central Production & Culinary Systems
• Lead the development of centralized production systems for sauces, marinades, bakery & pastry, butchery, and mass-prep items.
• Drive efficiency, batch consistency, and product standardization through structured central kitchen processes.
• Collaborate with Operations on workflows, equipment requirements, and capacity planning for the CPU.
• Food Safety, Compliance & Quality Assurance
• Ensure strict compliance with HACCP, ISO 22000, ISO 9001, and client-specific food safety standards.
• Conduct regular culinary and hygiene audits across sites and the CPU, with structured corrective action plans.
• Partner with QHSE to elevate food safety culture, improve documentation, and enforce best practices.
• Training, People Development & SOP Leadership
• Lead the creation of culinary SOPs, workstation manuals, and production guidelines.
• Work with Learning & Development to design competency-based training for all production roles (GA, Cook, CDP, Sous Chef, Exec Chef).
• Mentor chefs across the organization, developing high-performing culinary teams that deliver consistency and quality.
• Support recruitment of key culinary positions and participate in chef assessments and onboarding.
• Cost Control & Operational Efficiency
• Monitor and ensure adherence to food cost targets across all sites.
• Improve cost performance through standardization, yield control, waste management, and optimized purchasing.
• Work with Supply Chain on product evaluation, supplier selection, and ingredient specification to balance quality and cost.
• Support Cost Control in verifying menu costing, recipe accuracy, consumption patterns, and corrective actions.
• Cross-functional Leadership
• Partner with Operations to resolve culinary gaps, improve site performance, and support mobilizations.
• Collaborate with Business Development on menu costing for bids, presentations, and mobilization planning.
• Work closely with Supply Chain and Procurement to ensure ingredient quality, compliance with approved brands, and efficiency in purchasing.
  
  

Job Requirements

Qualifications & Professional Background

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree (required) in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, Food Production, or a related field.
• Advanced professional culinary training from a recognized institution (CIA, Le Cordon Bleu, ICCA, etc.) is highly desirable.
• HACCP Level 4 / Lead Auditor or ISO-related certifications preferred.
  
  

Experience

• 12–18 years of progressive culinary leadership in large-scale catering, remote site operations, hospitality groups, or industrial kitchens.
• Minimum 5–7 years in an Executive Chef / Corporate Chef / Group Chef role, overseeing multiple sites or a central kitchen.
• Proven success in menu engineering, large-volume production, standardization programs, and cost management.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive system-wide culinary improvements.
  
  

Skills & Competencies

• Exceptional leadership and team development capabilities across varied cultures and environments.
• Deep expertise in international cuisines, production techniques, and industrial catering workflows.
• Strong command of food safety, quality assurance, and large-scale production optimization.
• Creativity in menu design, plating standards, and elevating food presentation within operational constraints.
• Strong analytical skills for costing, yield control, and menu performance analysis.
• Excellent communication and cross-department collaboration skills.
• Proficiency in MS Office and strong familiarity with menu/kitchen management systems (e.g., MMS).