Chef de Cuisine Moroccan Cuisine

About the Role

Mövenpick Hotel & Residences Riyadh is seeking a Chef de Cuisine specializing in Moroccan Cuisine. This full-time role involves leading the authentic North African culinary offerings and overseeing daily kitchen operations for Moroccan culinary concepts. The position is based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and requires a professional with 5-10 years of experience in a similar capacity within a 5-star Accor property environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and execute authentic Moroccan menus, including traditional Tagines, Couscous, Pastilla, Mezza, pastries, and banquet offerings.
• Preserve authentic Maghrebi flavor profiles while applying modern 5-star plating techniques and high culinary presentation standards.
• Conduct regular menu engineering and seasonal refreshes in line with guest preferences, market trends, and Accor brand guidelines.
• Lead live-cooking stations, private dining experiences, and special Moroccan cultural culinary promotions.
• Direct daily kitchen operations, prep work, and service execution to ensure seamless timing and consistent dish quality.
• Establish standardized recipe sheets, yield charts, and picture specifications for all dishes to ensure consistency.
• Manage kitchen staffing schedules, station assignments, and operational workflows to optimize labor efficiency.
• Oversee raw ingredient receiving, storage, and inventory levels, ensuring authentic Moroccan spices and specialist ingredients are sourced to standard.

Quality Control and Hygiene

• Enforce strict compliance with Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) regulations, HACCP protocols, and Accor Food Safety standards.
• Conduct daily hygiene inspections of workstations, cold storage, equipment, and personal grooming across the culinary team.
• Supervise temperature controls, food labeling, rotation (FIFO), and allergen management protocols.

Financial Management

• Manage kitchen food costs to meet targeted budgets without compromising culinary quality or portions.
• Monitor daily food waste, portion controls, and yield management to minimize operational loss.
• Assist the Executive Chef in annual operating budgets, menu pricing strategies, and equipment capital expenditure planning.

Team Leadership and Development

• Recruit, train, mentor, and evaluate kitchen staff, fostering a collaborative and high-performance environment.
• Conduct regular culinary workshops on traditional Moroccan cooking techniques, spice blending, and slow-cooking methods for junior chefs.
• Support national talent development and Saudization initiatives through targeted operational mentoring and career planning.

Qualifications and Experience

• Demonstrated experience as a Chef de Cuisine, specifically with Moroccan cuisine.
• A minimum of 5-10 years of culinary experience, preferably within a 5-star hotel or luxury dining setting.
• Mastery of authentic Moroccan techniques, flavors, and spice profiles.
• Strong leadership, financial acumen, and operational discipline.
• Ability to ensure high standards of food quality, authenticity, presentation, and hygiene.