Chef de Cuisine Fusion Restaurant

About the Role

Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts is seeking a Chef de Cuisine for a Fusion Restaurant in Al Khobar, Eastern region. This full-time role is responsible for the quality, consistency, and production of the restaurant kitchen. The Chef de Cuisine will lead staff, manage food-related functions, and coordinate menus, purchasing, staffing, and food preparation while ensuring guest and employee satisfaction within budget. The position requires 2-5 years of experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, design, and create new culinary applications, ideas, and products for the restaurant.
• Supervise restaurant kitchen shift operations, ensuring compliance with all Food & Beverage policies, standards, and procedures.
• Maintain proper food preparation, handling, and storage standards.
• Plan and manage food quantities and plating requirements, communicating production needs to key personnel.
• Assist in developing daily and seasonal menu items for the restaurant.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, including proper handling and temperature of food products.
• Estimate daily restaurant production needs and prepare/cook various food types for guests or special functions.
• Check the quality of raw and cooked food products and determine presentation, including decorative food displays.

Leadership and Team Management

• Supervise and coordinate activities of cooks and other food preparation staff.
• Lead shift teams, personally preparing food items and executing requests based on specifications.
• Manage all day-to-day restaurant kitchen operations and understand employee positions to perform duties in their absence.
• Encourage mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members, serving as a role model.
• Ensure and maintain employee productivity levels and cross-training for successful daily operations.
• Establish and maintain open, collaborative relationships with employees.

Operational Goals and Standards

• Set and support the achievement of kitchen goals, including performance, budget, and team objectives.
• Develop specific guidance and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish daily kitchen operations.
• Understand the impact of kitchen operations on overall property financial goals and manage to achieve or exceed budgeted targets.
• Investigate, report, and follow up on employee accidents, and implement company safety standards.

Customer Service Excellence

• Manage day-to-day operations to ensure quality, standards, and customer expectations are met.
• Improve service by communicating guest needs, providing guidance, feedback, and coaching.
• Set a positive example for guest relations and emphasize guest satisfaction in departmental meetings.
• Empower employees to provide excellent customer service and handle guest problems and complaints.
• Interact with guests to obtain feedback on product quality and service levels.

Human Resources and Development

• Identify developmental needs of others and provide coaching, mentoring, or assistance to improve knowledge and skills.
• Participate in training restaurant staff on menu items, including ingredients, preparation methods, and tastes.
• Manage employee progressive discipline procedures and participate in performance appraisals.
• Utilize available on-the-job training tools for employees.
• Assist in the interviewing and hiring of employee team members with appropriate skills.