Executive Head Chef - Hospitality / Restaurant Group

Pay

ZAR 60000 - 65000 Monthly

Type

Permanent

Sector

Hospitality & Catering

Closes

in 26 days

Recruiter

Fourier Recruitment · All jobs at Fourier Recruitment

About the role

Our client is a leading international restaurant and hospitality group known for creating distinctive dining concepts, exceptional guest experiences and consistently high culinary standards. The group operates approximately 45 restaurants across South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Kingdom. Its growing portfolio includes premium café, casual-dining and fine-dining concepts.

Key Responsibilities

National Culinary Leadership

• Oversee all back-of-house and culinary operations across South Africa.
• Manage, mentor and develop regional Head Chefs and the central culinary support team.
• Establish clear accountability structures across all restaurant locations.
• Set national culinary priorities in alignment with the group’s broader strategy.
• Lead performance reviews and development planning for senior culinary leaders.
• Provide strategic direction to kitchen leadership teams across the country.

Brand Standards and Quality Control

• Protect and enforce the group’s culinary identity and brand standards across all concepts.
• Conduct structured culinary audits, kitchen inspections and food tastings.
• Ensure all menu launches and new product rollouts are completed accurately and on time.
• Monitor food presentation, taste, consistency, portioning and preparation standards.
• Identify, escalate and correct any deviations from approved culinary standards.
• Ensure consistent guest experiences across all restaurant locations.

Operational and Financial Performance

• Maintain regional food-cost performance within approved targets.
• Oversee waste-management strategies and corrective action plans.
• Drive adherence to kitchen operating procedures and approved recipes.
• Ensure procurement alignment and consistent product quality across locations.
• Identify opportunities to improve productivity, efficiency and kitchen profitability.
• Work closely with operational leadership to address performance concerns.
• Monitor stock control, yield management and kitchen-related financial performance.

Team Development and Succession Planning

• Develop a strong national culinary leadership pipeline.
• Identify high-potential chefs and create structured career-development pathways.
• Support succession planning for critical kitchen leadership roles.
• Ensure effective onboarding and training across all culinary teams.
• Coach and mentor regional Head Chefs and senior kitchen employees.
• Build a culture of discipline, accountability, ownership and professional pride.
• Promote consistent leadership and operational standards across the region.

Strategic and Cross-Functional Leadership

• Work closely with regional leadership, culinary development, operations and training teams.
• Align culinary performance with business goals and franchisee expectations.
• Present quarterly reports on national culinary performance, standards and priorities.
• Support positive relationships and alignment with restaurant franchisees.
• Contribute to regional planning and the continued growth of the restaurant portfolio.
• Ensure effective communication between restaurant teams and group culinary leadership.

Menu Development and Innovation

• Provide regional feedback on menu performance and guest preferences.
• Contribute South African market insights to group menu development and research.
• Support the testing and implementation of new dishes and culinary concepts.
• Ensure innovation remains aligned with the group’s identity and operational capabilities.
• Evaluate whether proposed menu developments can be executed consistently across multiple locations.

Team Responsibility

• The Executive Head Chef will have direct responsibility for:
• Two Regional Head Chefs.
• A central back-of-house support team.
• A bar training and standards support function.
• The position will also have indirect oversight of all back-of-house employees and kitchen leadership teams across South Africa.

Key Competencies

• Executive culinary leadership
• Multi-site restaurant management
• Brand and quality assurance
• Food-cost and waste management
• Commercial and financial awareness
• Team development and succession planning
• Menu implementation and innovation
• Operational discipline
• Franchisee and stakeholder management
• Strategic planning and reporting
• Coaching and performance management
• Strong decision-making and problem-solving ability

What they're looking for

• Relevant professional culinary qualification.
• At least 10 years’ progressive culinary experience within premium restaurant, hospitality or food-service environments.
• A minimum of 5 years’ experience in an Executive Chef, Group Executive Chef, Regional Executive Chef or similar senior culinary leadership role.
• Proven experience overseeing multiple restaurants, kitchens or hospitality locations.
• Strong experience managing and mentoring Head Chefs and senior culinary teams.
• Sound knowledge of food-cost management, waste control, procurement and kitchen profitability.
• Demonstrated experience implementing and monitoring culinary standards, SOPs and quality-control systems.
• Strong understanding of menu implementation, recipe consistency and large-scale culinary operations.
• Experience within a franchise, restaurant group or international hospitality environment is highly advantageous.
• Excellent leadership, communication and stakeholder-management skills.
• Strong commercial and operational awareness.
• Ability to interpret culinary and financial performance reports.
• Willingness and ability to travel regularly throughout South Africa.