Job Description

Company Background:

We are representing a well known group of companies within Food & Beverage industry. As they are expanding, they are looking for Culinary Director to join the team based in Petaling Jaya.

Size of Team:

• 8-10 direct reporting staffs
• Around 120 workforce

The Culinary Director is responsible for the overall profitability, quality, and operational efficiency of the companys multi-brand F&B business, covering coffee brands, semi-fine dining, all-day dining, and bakery concepts across shopping malls and shop lots.

This role oversees both Back of House (BOH) and Front of House (FOH) teams to ensure seamless execution of menu offerings, customer experience, and brand positioning. The ideal candidate must have strong financial acumen in P&L management, cost control (COGS & labor), and menu engineering, coupled with culinary creativity and quality assurance (QA/QC) expertise to drive sustainable growth and customer satisfaction.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage financial targets, ensuring profitability across all brands while optimizing costs.
• Monitor food cost percentage, labor cost, and overhead expenses, ensuring all brands meet budgetary goals.
• Evaluate food costs, pricing strategies, and sales performance to adjust menu offerings for maximum profitability.
• Work with procurement to negotiate contracts, optimize ingredient sourcing, and control food wastage.
• Lead menu strategy across all brands, ensuring innovative and customer-driven menu offerings while maintaining brand identity.
• Develop seasonal and promotional menus to enhance customer experience and revenue growth.
• Conduct R&D on new cooking techniques, ingredients, and market trends, ensuring differentiation and competitiveness.
• Work closely with marketing to align menu offerings with brand positioning, promotions, and customer engagement strategies.
• Oversee and align both BOH (kitchen operations) and FOH (restaurant service) to ensure seamless execution of food quality, service standards, and customer experience.
• Implement cross-functional training for kitchen and service staff to ensure product knowledge, operational efficiency, and upselling capabilities.
• Standardize SOPs for kitchen workflows, food preparation, plating, and service protocols to ensure consistency across outlets.
• Work with Restaurant Managers to ensure dining ambiance, customer service, and overall operational efficiency meet brand expectations.
• Establish and maintain high food safety, hygiene, and quality control standards across all outlets.
• Implement regular food audits, mystery dining evaluations, and operational checks to maintain consistency.
• Address customer feedback and resolve quality-related complaints with structured corrective action plans.
• Ensure compliance with local health and safety regulations (e.g., food handling, storage, and kitchen cleanliness).
• Lead, mentor, and develop Head Chefs, Sous Chefs, and Restaurant Managers, ensuring strong leadership in each outlet.
• Develop structured training programs for BOH and FOH teams, improving technical skills, service quality, and product knowledge.
• Foster collaboration between culinary, operations, procurement, and marketing teams to drive business goals.
• Build a performance-driven culture, setting clear KPIs for food cost, wastage control, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency.

Requirements

• 10+ years of culinary leadership experience, preferably in a multi-brand F&B group, hotel, or large restaurant chain.
• Proven track record in P&L management, food cost control (COGS), and menu profitability analysis.
• Strong culinary creativity, with experience in menu innovation and R&D.
• Deep understanding of QA/QC, food safety regulations, and kitchen operations management.
• Excellent leadership, problem-solving, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Hands-on approach with a balance of strategic thinking and operational execution.
• Comfortable with using Google Suite apps (Sheets, Docs, Slides, Gmail)

Qualified candidates may apply online or send updated resume to revathiy(at)talentrecruit.com.my OR mona(at)talentrecruit.com.my

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.