Position Summary

The General Manager (Central Kitchen) is responsible for the end-to-end leadership, operational excellence, food safety, and financial performance of the central kitchen producing ready-to-eat (RTE) and ready-to-heat food for a multi-outlet convenience-store business.

This role oversees production planning, quality assurance, supply chain coordination, cost control, product innovation, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement to ensure consistent delivery of safe, high-quality, scalable food products that meet brand, margin, and growth objectives.

Reporting Line

·
Reports to:
Chief Commercial Officer / CEO

·
Direct Reports may include:

o
Production Manager

o
Quality Assurance / Food Safety Manager

o
Supply Chain / Procurement Manager

o
Engineering & Maintenance Manager

o
R&D / Product Development Lead

o
Finance / Admin Manager (dotted line)

Key Responsibilities

1. Operations & Production Management

·
Lead day-to-day central kitchen operations, ensuring
on-time, in-full (OTIF)
production and delivery to all retail outlets.

·
Develop and manage
production plans
aligned with store demand forecasts, promotions, and seasonal peaks.

·
Ensure optimal utilisation of labour, equipment, and facilities to maximise throughput and efficiency.

·
Implement standard operating procedures (SOPs) across preparation, cooking, portioning, chilling, packing, and dispatch.

·
Drive continuous improvement in productivity, yield, waste reduction, and labour efficiency.

2. Food Safety, Quality & Compliance

·
Ensure full compliance with
MOH Malaysia
,
HACCP
,
MeSTI / GMP
,
Halal (JAKIM)
, and other applicable food safety standards.

·
Establish and enforce robust
food safety management systems
, traceability, recall readiness, and crisis response protocols.

·
Oversee internal audits, external inspections, certifications, and corrective action plans.

·
Ensure consistent product quality, taste, shelf-life, and presentation across all SKUs and batches.

3. Financial & Commercial Management

·
Own the
P&L
of the central kitchen, including cost of goods, labour, utilities, wastage, and capex.

·
Set and manage budgets, cost targets, and productivity benchmarks.

·
Drive
cost optimisation
initiatives without compromising food safety or quality.

·
Partner with merchandising and commercial teams to support
menu pricing, margin optimisation, and promotional execution
.

4. Supply Chain, Procurement & Inventory

·
Oversee procurement of raw materials, packaging, and consumables, ensuring quality, continuity of supply, and competitive pricing.

·
Build strong relationships with approved suppliers and co-manufacturers where applicable.

·
Implement strong inventory controls for raw materials, WIP, and finished goods to minimise expiry, shrinkage, and write-offs.

·
Coordinate closely with logistics and distribution teams to ensure cold-chain integrity.

5. Product Development & Menu Innovation

·
Collaborate with R&D, marketing, and merchandising teams to develop new RTE products aligned with consumer trends and brand positioning.

·
Ensure new products are
scalable, cost-effective, and operationally feasible
for mass production.

·
Support test-kitchen trials, pilot runs, and smooth transition to full production.

·
Continuously review and improve existing SKUs based on sales performance, feedback, and cost structure.

6. People Leadership & Capability Building

·
Build, lead, and retain a high-performing management and operations team.

·
Set clear KPIs, performance standards, and accountability across departments.

·
Ensure adequate training in food safety, SOPs, leadership, and technical skills.

·
Foster a strong culture of
discipline, safety, ownership, and continuous improvement
.

7. Systems, Automation & Scalability

·
Ensure the use of
ERP, production planning, inventory, and QA systems
implemented effectively to improve visibility and control.

·
Drive automation, mechanisation, and layout optimisation to support business growth.

·
Plan capacity expansion, new facilities, or line upgrades in line with store network expansion.

·
Support data-driven decision-making using production, yield, waste, and quality metrics.

Requirements

Key Deliverables & KPIs

·
OTIF delivery performance

·
Food safety audit scores and zero critical non-compliances

·
Cost per unit / gross margin targets

·
Waste and yield improvement

·
Labour productivity metrics

·
Successful launch of new SKUs

·
Staff turnover and training completion rates

Qualifications & Experience

·
Bachelor’s degree in
Food Science, Food Technology, Engineering, Operations Management
, or related field.

·
Minimum
10–15 years
experience in food manufacturing or central kitchen operations, with at least
5 years in a senior leadership role
.

·
Strong experience in
ready-to-eat / fresh food
production preferred.

·
Hands-on knowledge of HACCP, Halal requirements, and Malaysian food regulations.

·
Proven track record managing scale, complexity, and multi-SKU operations.

Key Competencies

·
Strong operational and commercial acumen

·
Structured, disciplined, and detail-oriented

·
Decisive leadership with the ability to manage large teams

·
Excellent stakeholder management across retail, logistics, and corporate teams

·
Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, high-volume environment

Working Environment

·
Based at the central kitchen facility

·
Requires flexibility to support early-morning, late-night, or peak production cycles

·
Occasional travel to outlets, suppliers, or new facility sites