Drives innovation and business results for Puna, the signature restaurant at Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, currently defined by a modern Peruvian culinary concept developed in collaboration with Chef Diego Muñoz. Leads the execution and evolution of the restaurant’s culinary identity, ensuring alignment with brand standards, guest expectations, and the overall positioning of the property, while maintaining the ability to adapt, refine, or reposition the concept over time. Develops and elevates culinary ideas, experiences, and offerings, contributing creatively to the restaurant’s identity and ensuring a distinctive and recognizable presence within the luxury dining landscape. Creates a prominent image for the restaurant and drives business through strategic Marketing, Public Relations, and guest engagement initiatives, in partnership with Restaurant and Hotel leadership teams. Builds strong relationships with guests and internal stakeholders, with a focus on delivering immersive, memorable, and emotionally engaging dining experiences, including intimate and chef-driven formats such as Paruro. Accountable for achieving financial and operational goals, ensuring efficiency while maintaining the highest standards of quality and creativity. Leads and develops the culinary team, including training on menu concepts, ingredients, preparation techniques, and ensuring readiness to successfully execute both the current concept and any future evolutions of the restaurant offering.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Education and Experience

• High school diploma or GED; 4 years of experience in culinary, food and beverage, or a related professional area.

OR

• 2-year degree from an accredited university in Culinary Arts, Hotel and Restaurant Management, or related major; 2 years of experience in culinary, food and beverage, or a related professional area.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in fine dining, signature restaurants, or concept-driven culinary environments, preferably within luxury hospitality.
• Exposure to modern Latin American or Peruvian cuisine is highly valued, particularly in contemporary or ingredient-driven formats; however, broader experience in concept-driven or global fine dining kitchens will also be considered.
• Experience in chef-led or immersive dining experiences (e.g., tasting menus, chef’s table, omakase-style formats) is preferred.
• Strong understanding of ingredient-driven cuisine, with the ability to work with local products and adapt to different culinary styles or concepts.
• Demonstrated ability to execute a well-defined culinary concept with consistency and attention to detail, while contributing to its evolution over time.
• Experience working in open kitchen environments or guest-facing culinary roles is preferred.
• Proven leadership skills with the ability to develop, inspire, and adapt teams in dynamic and evolving operational settings.

Languages

• Fluency in English is required, both written and spoken.
• Spanish proficiency is highly desirable, given the local operating environment and team dynamics.

Key Attributes

• Creative mindset with the ability to balance innovation and consistency
• Strong sense of culinary identity and storytelling
• Ability to deliver refined, high-quality execution under pressure
• Adaptability and openness to concept evolution and change
• Guest-centric approach, with confidence interacting directly with guests
• Strong organizational and communication skills

CORE WORK ACTIVITIES

Leading a restaurant driven by culinary distinction

• Develops, designs, or evolves the culinary concept of the restaurant, currently expressed through Puna, ensuring alignment with its defined identity while maintaining the ability to adapt and reposition the offering as required.
• Supervises and leads restaurant kitchen operations, ensuring consistency, precision, and excellence in execution within a high-end, open kitchen environment.
• Recognizes and consistently delivers superior quality in products, presentation, and flavor profiles, aligned with fine dining expectations and the standards of a Ritz-Carlton Reserve.
• Plans and manages food quantities, production levels, and plating standards across all dining formats, including à la carte and curated tasting experiences.
• Communicates production needs effectively to key stakeholders across the operation.
• Assists in the development and continuous evolution of menus, ensuring relevance, creativity, and alignment with both guest expectations and the restaurant’s positioning, while remaining adaptable to future concept changes.
• Monitors compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and brand standards.
• Ensures proper handling, storage, and temperature control of all food products in line with safety and luxury hospitality standards.
• Estimates daily production needs and manages kitchen execution accordingly.
• Prepares and oversees the preparation of food for regular service, special events, and immersive dining formats, ensuring consistency across all experiences.
• Checks the quality of both raw and finished products to ensure standards are consistently met.
• Determines presentation standards and develops refined, contemporary plating aligned with the restaurant’s identity.

• Supervises and coordinates the activities of cooks and kitchen team members, ensuring alignment with current concept requirements and readiness to adapt to evolving culinary directions.

Creating a Prominent Image for the Restaurant and Driving Business through Significant Marketing/Public Relations/Media Activities

• Oversees the positioning and reputation of the restaurant, currently expressed through Puna, ensuring it maintains a distinctive and elevated presence within the luxury dining landscape while remaining adaptable to future concept evolution.
• Partners with the Restaurant General Manager/Manager and Hotel/Brand Marketing teams to develop, execute, and continuously refine the restaurant’s marketing and public relations strategy, ensuring alignment with the property’s positioning and the Ritz-Carlton Reserve philosophy.
• Supports and participates in on-site and off-site public relations opportunities, including media engagements, culinary collaborations, and curated events, contributing to the visibility and reputation of the restaurant.
• Actively contributes to the development of restaurant-related storytelling, including social media content, guest experiences, and public communications, ensuring consistency with the culinary identity and brand narrative.
• Serves as a key representative for the restaurant in internal and external engagements, including guest interactions, signature dining experiences, and curated formats such as Paruro, reinforcing the restaurant’s identity through direct connection and presence.
• Participates in local and international networking opportunities, strengthening the restaurant’s positioning as a destination within the broader culinary landscape.

• Continuously identifies opportunities to elevate the restaurant’s profile, adapting positioning strategies as the concept evolves to maintain relevance, differentiation, and commercial success.

Building Relationships with a Focus on Creating Exciting and Memorable Guest Experiences

• Builds strong relationships with guests and internal partners, delivering a highly personalized and immersive dining experience aligned with the standards of a Ritz-Carlton Reserve.
• Interacts directly with guests to obtain feedback on product quality and service levels, using insights to enhance both the current Puna experience and future iterations of the restaurant concept.
• Creates memorable and emotionally engaging dining moments by connecting culinary offerings with storytelling, culture, and a strong sense of place, ensuring each experience is distinctive and relevant.
• Maintains an active presence in the dining room and in intimate formats such as Paruro, reinforcing the connection between the culinary team and the guest experience.
• Monitors quality and service standards daily to ensure they consistently meet or exceed guest expectations within a luxury fine dining environment.
• Improves service performance by guiding and coaching team members, ensuring a deep understanding of guest needs and the ability to deliver refined, intuitive service.
• Sets a positive example for guest engagement and service excellence, embodying the Gold Standards in all interactions.
• Emphasizes guest satisfaction and continuous improvement during departmental meetings, fostering a culture of feedback, learning, and adaptability aligned with evolving restaurant concepts.
• Empowers Ladies and Gentlemen to take ownership of the guest experience, enabling them to anticipate needs and deliver exceptional service.

• Handles guest opportunities and feedback with professionalism and care, ensuring timely and thoughtful resolution while maintaining the integrity of the dining experience.

Achieving Financial Goals

• Accountable for the financial performance of the restaurant, currently expressed through Puna, ensuring alignment with business objectives while maintaining the flexibility to support evolving culinary concepts and offerings.
• Takes an entrepreneurial approach, in partnership with Restaurant and property leadership, to achieve financial goals while preserving the integrity of the guest experience and culinary concept.
• Identifies and leverages revenue opportunities through curated dining experiences, including tasting menus, immersive formats such as Paruro, special events, and future concept-driven initiatives.
• Understands financial opportunities and market positioning by remaining informed of culinary trends, guest preferences, and the competitive luxury dining landscape.
• Drives top-line revenue by actively contributing to the development and promotion of signature dining experiences and unique culinary offerings.
• Sets, monitors, and supports the achievement of kitchen and restaurant goals, including food cost, labor efficiency, productivity, and overall performance.
• Ensures effective forecasting, planning, and cost management, balancing operational efficiency with quality, creativity, and guest satisfaction.
• Adapts financial strategies and operational decisions in alignment with evolving restaurant concepts, ensuring continued relevance, profitability, and long-term sustainability.

Managing and Conducting Human Resource and Talent Management Activities

• Participates in recruiting efforts focused on building a strong and adaptable culinary talent pipeline aligned with the standards of a Ritz-Carlton Reserve.
• Engages actively in the interviewing and hiring of culinary team members with the appropriate level of technical expertise, creativity, and cultural fit to execute the current Puna concept and support future culinary evolutions.
• Maintains appropriate oversight of staffing decisions, within corporate policies, ensuring the team structure supports both operational excellence and flexibility.
• Prepares labor forecasts and manages scheduling for kitchen personnel in alignment with business needs, productivity goals, and evolving operational requirements.
• Adjusts staffing and schedules as necessary to respond to business demands, concept changes, and guest expectations.
• Identifies the developmental needs of team members and provides ongoing coaching and mentorship to strengthen both technical skills and creative capability.
• Leads training initiatives focused on menu knowledge, ingredients, culinary techniques, and storytelling, ensuring the team is fully prepared to execute current offerings and adapt to future concept developments.
• Manages progressive discipline processes in accordance with company policies, maintaining fairness and consistency.
• Participates in the performance appraisal process, providing constructive feedback and supporting individual growth and accountability.
• Encourages cross-training and skill diversification to enhance team versatility and readiness for different dining formats, including immersive and evolving concepts.
• Utilizes on-the-job training tools and structured learning opportunities to continuously build capability within the team.
• Fosters an environment of trust, respect, collaboration, and adaptability among team members, aligned with the Ritz-Carlton Gold Standards.
• Serves as a role model of professional behavior, leadership, and culinary excellence.
• Monitors productivity and performance levels, ensuring alignment with operational goals and guest expectations.
• Facilitates clear understanding of roles, expectations, and standards, while preparing the team to successfully operate within both the current concept and future iterations of the restaurant offering.

Additional Responsibilities

• Provides information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates through various communication channels, ensuring clarity, alignment, and consistency across the operation.
• Analyzes information and evaluates results to identify opportunities for operational improvement, guest experience enhancement, and concept evolution.
• Maintains awareness of culinary trends, market dynamics, and guest preferences, supporting the continuous refinement of the restaurant’s positioning and offerings.
• Participates in and contributes to all relevant meetings, collaborations, and cross-functional initiatives, ensuring alignment with both operational priorities and strategic direction.
• Supports additional projects, initiatives, and responsibilities as assigned, demonstrating flexibility and adaptability within a dynamic and evolving luxury environment.