Chef de Partie

About the Role

Le Meridien is seeking a Chef de Partie to join their team in Riyadh. This full-time role involves assisting the Sous Chef in ensuring the quality, consistency, and production within assigned kitchen areas. The Chef de Partie will lead staff, manage food-related functions, and work to improve guest and employee satisfaction while adhering to operational budgets and maintaining sanitation and food standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Supervise the preparation and production of all hot and cold food items for buffet and à la carte menus, ensuring compliance with prescribed recipes and specifications.
• Oversee kitchen shift operations and ensure adherence to all Food & Beverage policies, standards, and procedures.
• Maintain proper food preparation, handling, and storage standards.
• Recognize and ensure superior quality in products, presentations, and flavors.
• Plan and manage food quantities and plating requirements for various food operations, including restaurants, banquets, and pastry shops.
• Communicate production needs to key personnel and prepare production prep lists.
• Assist in developing daily and seasonal menu items.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, such as HACCP, OSHA, ASI, and Health Department standards.
• Estimate daily restaurant production needs and prepare and cook various food types for regular service, special guests, or functions.
• Check the quality of raw and cooked food products to ensure standards are met and determine food presentation, creating decorative food displays.

Leadership and Team Management

• Supervise and coordinate activities of cooks and other food preparation workers.
• Lead shift teams, personally preparing food items and executing requests based on specifications.
• Manage restaurant kitchen employees, understanding their roles sufficiently to perform duties in their absence.
• Encourage mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members, serving as a role model for appropriate behaviors.
• Ensure and maintain employee productivity levels and cross-training to support successful daily operations.
• Establish and maintain open, collaborative relationships with employees.
• Assume duties of the Sous Chef in their absence and assist the Chef in daily line-ups, conducting them when necessary.
• 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.

Operational and Financial Acumen

• Understand the impact of kitchen operations on overall property financial goals and objectives, managing to achieve or exceed budgeted goals.
• Effectively investigate, report, and follow up on employee accidents, implementing company safety standards.

Guest Service and Development

• Provide services that exceed expectations for customer satisfaction and retention.
• Manage day-to-day operations, ensuring quality, standards, and meeting customer expectations daily.
• Improve service by communicating and assisting individuals to understand guest needs, providing guidance, feedback, and individual coaching.
• Set a positive example for guest relations, emphasizing guest satisfaction during all departmental meetings and focusing on continuous improvement.
• 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.
• Identify developmental needs of others and provide coaching, mentoring, or other assistance to improve knowledge and skills.
• Participate in training restaurant staff on menu items, including ingredients, preparation methods, and unique tastes.

Qualifications and Experience

• 2-5 years of experience in a similar culinary role.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to lead, influence, and encourage others.
• Demonstrated honesty, integrity, and leadership by example.
• Ability to advocate for sound financial and business decision-making.
• Proficiency in analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solutions and solve problems.
• Ability to provide information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates via telephone, written form, email, or in person.
• Experience in managing employee progressive discipline procedures and participating in performance appraisal processes.
• Familiarity with on-the-job training tools for employees.
• Ability to assist in interviewing and hiring employee team members with appropriate skills.
• Willingness to attend and participate in all pertinent meetings.