Director of Culinary - Conrad Maldives Rangali
Exceptional Hospitality Starts with You
Picture yourself brightening someone’s day. When you join our Hotels team, that’s exactly what you’ll do every time you come to work! You are a culinary visionary and the creative force behind our culinary offerings, crafting menus that delight and impress our guests. As a Director of Culinary, and success of all hotel culinary operations – you’re spreading the light and warmth of hospitality by delivering memorable experiences that make the stay for every guest.
The Director of Culinary is responsible for all kitchen including food purchasing, preparation and maintenance of quality, standards, sanitation and cleanliness, training team member’s methods of cooking and preparation, plate presentation, portion and cost control. In collaboration with the Director of Food and Beverage, set the overall strategy for the resort’s Food and Beverage offerings and delivery. Lead the kitchen team in all areas such as team member hiring and development, marketing and business planning, menu engineering, and expense planning.
Here’s what you’ll do during a typical day:
- Direct culinary operations: Oversee the preparation and production of hotel meals, ensuring high standards of food quality, presentation, cost controls, and overall profitability
- Enhance menu offerings: Partner with the Food and Beverage Director to develop new menus and individual menu items based on current food trends and regional tastes
- Delight our guests: Engage with guests and clients to assess satisfaction, address concerns, and implement improvements to elevate the dining experience
- Monitor financial performance: Oversee budget management, forecasting, and reporting to ensure financial targets are met and culinary operations are aligned with the hotel’s goals
- Optimize kitchen operations: Oversee and streamline kitchen systems, processes, and workflows to ensure smooth and efficient operations
- Cultivate a high-performing team: Drive engagement and retention through performance management, professional development, and recognition programs
Ensure regulatory excellence: Uphold compliance with health, safety, sanitation, and alcohol awareness regulations, fostering a culture committed to the highest standards of guest and team member wellbeing
As the Director of Culinary, you will be responsible for performing the following tasks to the highest standards:
•Have a good understanding and ensure the culinary team have sound knowledge of the Resort’s emergency procedures, security, fire regulations and health and safety legislation.
• Develop and implement departmental procedures and standards.
•Have knowledge of the resort, its services/facilities; ensure Team Members have current knowledge of resort products, services, and policies.
•Oversee the entire Department operation to maintain high standards.
•To maintain high visibility with team members and guests.
•Recruit, manage, train and develop the team members in the department.
•Monitor staffing levels to meet cover business demands.
•Manage Team Members performance issues in compliance with resort policies and procedures.
•Monitor the appearance, standards, and performance of the department Team Members with an emphasis on training and teamwork.
• Develop Manager/Supervisor/Team Members by delegating tasks and then empower and coach them.
•Through hands on management, supervise closely all Chefs, and Stewards in the performance of their duties while ensuring that team members have a complete understanding of rules and regulations, and that their behavior complies.
•Allocate work duties to Managers/Supervisor/Team Members.
•Conduct monthly communication meetings and produce minutes.
•Attend training and meetings when required.
•Maintain a high morale and productivity as well as good communication within the department as well as between other departments.
•Set departmental objectives, work schedules, budgets, policies and procedures.
•To prepare the departmental budget that correctly reflects the resort’s business plan.
•Maintain a sound financial business mind-set, effective decision making; demonstrates honesty/integrity, leads by example and always looks for self-improvements.
•To maintain correct procedures for resort accounting, credit control and handling of financial transactions, and supply inventory.
•To ensure maximum cost effective working environment, including manning productivity without effecting service delivery.
•Handle equipment, tools, keys and supplies in proper way, kept in good working condition and regularly inspected, ensure the team does the same.
•Order and purchase equipment and supplies.
•Report maintenance deficiencies and items in need of repair and follow up until completion.
•Report hazard issues and follow up.
•Ensure the consistent production of high quality food through all resort food outlets.
•Ensure that all food and products are consistently prepared and served according to the restaurant’s recipes, portioning, cooking and serving standards.
•Collaborate with the Director of Food & Beverage to plan and price menu items. Establish portion sizes and prepare standard recipe cards for all new menu items.
•Ensure that all products are ordered according to predetermined product specifications and received in correct unit count and condition.
•Ensure deliveries are performed in accordance with the restaurant’s receiving policies and procedures.
• Control food costs and usage by following proper requisition of products from storage areas, product storage procedures, standard recipes and waste control procedures.
•Control costs without compromising standards, improving gross profit margins and other departmental and financial targets.
•Oversee the training of kitchen personnel of all kitchen equipment and utensils.
•Check and maintain proper food holding and refrigeration temperature control points.
•Spend time in the outlets (during peak periods) to ensure that the outlet is managed accordingly;
•Monitor and analyze the activities and trends of competitive restaurants, bars and resorts.
•Develop positive customer relations through proactive interaction with guests, team members, contractors, and suppliers.
•Actively seek verbal feedback from customers on a regular basis and respond to all guest queries in a timely and efficient manner.
• Work with the Director of Food & Beverage to propose future budgets as well as rolling forecasts to ensure that expenses and revenues are in line with expectations;
•With the Chief Steward oversee the management of the hotel’s operating equipment including inventory control and minimizing breakages.
•Ensure quarterly menu engineering to maximize profitability.
• Participate with the preparation of a yearly marketing plan for each outlet, which is the basis of the food and beverage annual marketing plan.
• Work in partnership with other departments to ensure guest’s needs are exceeded.
• Evaluate levels of guest satisfaction and monitor trends, with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Handle guest inquiries, requests and resolves guest complaints.
• Ensure an exceptional level of customer service delivery at all times by providing personal assistance to the guests with a professional, pleasant and positive manner at all times.
• Monitors present and future trends, practices and systems within the industry to ensure competitive standing within the market place.
• Be proactive and observant in service to pre-exempt guest needs.
• Ensure the standards of cleanliness and orderliness of all working areas.
• Carry out lost and found procedures.
•Manage master keys in your possession.
• Be environmentally aware.
•The Resort requires that you perform any task deemed necessary by the General Manager / Hotel Manager for the efficient running of the Culinary Department specifically and the Resort in general.
At Hilton, our core values define what it takes to succeed here and guide the qualities we look for in every team member:
A passion for spreading the light and warmth of Hospitality. Acting with Integrity and always doing the right thing. Inspiring others through Leadership. A belief that Teamwork drives the best outcomes. A sense of Ownership and accountability. And a focus on the Now, bringing urgency and discipline to every moment, knowing it can make a lasting impact.
In addition, this role requires the following minimum qualifications:
- Bachelor’s Degrees in Culinary Arts, Food Service Management, or Hospitality Management
- 10-15 years as Head of Kitchen in a 4 / 5-star category hotel or individual restaurants with high standards
- Work experience in a similar capacity with international chain hotels
- Creating an overall vision and plan for the restaurant
- Designing innovative restaurant menus to suit the theme of the restaurant
- Designing new dishes to fit the menu and keeping customers returning to try new dishes
- Developing menus and item pricing
- Sourcing unique ingredients for the menus, and keeping stock levels fully up-to-date
- Keeping the kitchen fully equipped with all the tools and inventory
- Ensuring that the quality of food is consistently high and that hygiene standards are exceeded
- Organising, employing, training new staff and motivating staff in the kitchen and on the restaurant floor
Organising budgets and finances for the kitchen