Director of Culinary & Operations

1. Strategic Planning & Business Development

• Develop & implement strategic culinary and operational plans aligned with the Company’s goals and growth objectives.
• Identify, evaluate and recommend new markets, restaurant concepts, products, services & other business opportunities.
• Support the long-term development and positioning of the Company’s restaurant brands.
• Plan & execute investment and reinvestment projects, including new restaurant openings, renovations, refurbishments and major equipment purchases.
• Recommend restaurant remodelling & refurbishment plans to ensure each brand’s image, physical appearance and ambience remain relevant and competitive.
• Provide culinary & operational expertise for strategic projects, franchise initiatives and business expansion.

2. Restaurant & Culinary Operations Management

• Take overall responsibility for the operational and culinary performance of all assigned restaurants.
• Establish, implement and continuously improve operational procedures, service standards, recipes, plating guides and kitchen SOPs.
• Ensure consistent standards of food quality, taste, presentation, portioning, service, ambience and value.
• Lead menu development & menu engineering to balance customer appeal, brand positioning, food costs and profitability.
• Optimise front-of-house & kitchen workflows, manpower deployment, production planning and resource allocation to improve productivity and service efficiency.
• Ensure adequate manpower, equipment, ingredients and operational resources are available.
• Oversee ingredient specifications, supply forecasting, supplier quality, procurement requirements and food-cost controls.
• Conduct regular restaurant visits, identify operational and culinary gaps, and ensure corrective actions are completed promptly.
• Lead & support the Operations and Culinary leadership teams through day-to-day direction and coaching.
• Collaborate with Purchasing & Marketing on new restaurant openings, menu launches, campaigns, events and strategic projects.

3. Financial & Business Performance

• Set and align monthly and annual targets for sales, food cost, labour cost, operating expenses and restaurant profitability.
• Monitor and analyse the profit and loss performance of assigned brands and restaurants.
• Ensure restaurant budgets are properly managed and budgeted revenue and profitability targets are achieved.
• Manage recipe costing, yield, portion control, wastage and kitchen productivity.
• Review product mix & menu performance and recommend appropriate pricing, menu-engineering or operational actions.
• Evaluate the financial & operational feasibility of new projects, products, services and capital expenditure.
• Recommend policies, procedures & initiatives necessary to respond to market developments and changing customer demand.

4. People Management, Training & Organisational Capability

• Build a stable, professional and sustainable Operations and Culinary workforce, with emphasis on attracting and developing local talent.
• Lead, mentor and develop Brand Leads & Brand Chefs.perations & Marketing.
  Establish clear performance expectations, leadership standards, career pathways and succession plans.
• Oversee workforce planning, recruitment and performance management to improve productivity and employee retention.
• Identify operational, service, culinary and leadership capability gaps and implement appropriate training programmes.
• Lead on-the-job training, workshops and practical assessments covering service, culinary techniques, equipment handling, food safety and new menu rollouts.
• Ensure employees are properly trained and assessed before deployment to critical restaurant or kitchen stations.
• Evaluate and improve training effectiveness using guest feedback, service performance, audit results and restaurant visitation scores.
• Promote accountability, teamwork, professionalism, recognition and continuous learning across the Operations and Culinary teams.

5. Food Safety, Hygiene & Sanitation

• Ensure all restaurants and production areas comply with prevailing Singapore Food Agency requirements, food-safety regulations and Company standards.
• Conduct regular inspections of kitchens, storage facilities and food-production areas.
• Maintain high hygiene and sanitation standards across food-contact surfaces, equipment and kitchen facilities.
• Ensure the proper handling and storage of raw materials, hot and cold food, frozen products and dry goods.
• Implement and monitor strict First-In, First-Out rotation and expiry-control procedures.
• Ensure temperature records for cold-chain storage, cooking, cooling and hot-holding equipment are properly maintained.
• Ensure food handlers maintain proper personal hygiene and possess valid food-safety certifications.
• Oversee the Kitchen Stewarding function, including dishwashing standards, chemical management and kitchen cleanliness.
• Manage waste-disposal and pest-control programmes to prevent contamination and maintain sanitary conditions.
• Lead investigations into serious food-quality or food-safety incidents and ensure corrective and preventive actions are implemented.

6. Workplace Safety, Quality Assurance & Risk Management

• Ensure all restaurant and kitchen operations comply with Company policies, SOPs, audit requirements, Workplace Safety and Health regulations, and other applicable laws.
• Oversee operational, culinary, food-safety, workplace-safety and compliance audits across all restaurants.
• Maintain the required restaurant-visitation and audit scores and ensure findings are rectified within the agreed timelines.
• Establish preventive-maintenance programmes for kitchen equipment, restaurant facilities and operational assets.
• Ensure only approved equipment, utensils and chemicals are used and that employees follow PPE and safe-work requirements.
• Conduct regular safety briefings covering equipment handling, fire safety, emergency response and accident prevention.
• Ensure consistent standards across all brands while accommodating each restaurant concept’s operational requirements.
• Maintain accurate records of incidents, equipment failures, audit findings and corrective actions.
• Identify operational, financial, safety and reputational risks and implement appropriate preventive and mitigation measures.
• Coordinate service providers to resolve maintenance and safety issues promptly.

7. Other Responsibilities

• Undertake any other duties, projects or responsibilities assigned by the Managing Director or Group General Manager.