Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or Diploma in Food Production, Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, Food Science, or a related field.
  
• At least five (5) years' experience managing commercial kitchen operations, food production, or value addition.
  
• Demonstrated experience leading kitchen teams.
  
• Strong understanding of food costing, menu engineering, and production planning.
  
• Experience implementing food safety and quality systems.
  
• Proven ability to manage operational budgets and improve profitability.
  

Responsibilities

1. Value Addition Strategy & Business Growth

• Develop and execute strategies to grow KIC's cooked meals and value-added product portfolio.
  

• Identify opportunities for new products and market expansion.
  

• Improve profitability through product innovation and operational efficiencies.
  

• Contribute to annual business planning and growth initiatives.
  

• Position the value addition function as a key revenue driver within Keep IT Cool.
  

2. Kitchen & Food Production Operations

• Oversee daily food production activities to ensure operational efficiency.
  

• Develop production schedules aligned with customer demand.
  

• Ensure timely preparation and delivery of meals and value-added products.
  

• Monitor production output, workflow, and labour productivity.
  

• Maintain high standards of cleanliness, organisation, and kitchen discipline.
  

3. Product Development & Menu Innovation

• Develop seasonal menus and new value-added products.
  

• Improve recipes to balance quality, nutrition, consistency, and profitability.
  

• Standardise recipes and portion sizes.
  

• Introduce innovative products using KICs poultry and fish products.
  

• Conduct product testing and customer feedback reviews.
  

4. Food Safety & Quality Assurance

• Ensure compliance with food safety regulations and company standards.
  

• Implement HACCP-based food safety practices.
  

• Maintain hygiene and sanitation standards throughout the kitchen.
  

• Conduct routine quality inspections.
  

• Ensure full traceability of ingredients and finished products.
  

5. Inventory & Cost Management

• Monitor food costs and production yields.
  

• Oversee inventory of raw materials and finished goods.
  

• Reduce wastage through effective planning and portion control.
  

• Collaborate with Procurement to ensure timely availability of ingredients.
  

• Manage departmental budgets and operational expenditure.
  

6. Leadership & Team Development:

• Supervise the Chef, Kitchen Assistants, and food production staff.
  

• Establish clear performance expectations and accountability.
  

• Coach and mentor team members.
  

• Develop training plans to improve culinary and operational capability.
  

• Foster a culture of teamwork, innovation, and continuous improvement.
  

• Customer satisfaction ratings.
  

• Product consistency.
  

• Food safety audit scores.
  

• Customer complaint resolution.