Head Chef/Kitchen Manager

Healthy Plates, a dynamic startup specializing in school and institutional catering in Lahore, is looking for an Executive Head Chef to lead its kitchen operations for a batch-cooking program. This full-time position involves managing the production of hundreds of nutritious, safe, and flavorful meals daily, ensuring timely delivery while adhering to budget constraints. The successful candidate will bring strong expertise in production planning, kitchen leadership, and cost control, paired with a practical, hands-on approach suitable for a resource-limited and fast-growing environment. Reporting directly to the Program Director, the Executive Head Chef will be instrumental in upholding high standards of food safety, quality, and operational efficiency.

Key Responsibilities

- Daily Production & Batch Cooking: Oversee and participate in medium-scale batch cooking, ensuring consistent taste, texture, and portion quality across hundreds of meals.

- Menu Execution: Implement rotating menus that meet nutritional goals, accommodate age-appropriate portion sizes, and comply with dietary and halal requirements.

- Food Safety & Compliance: Enforce HACCP-based standard operating procedures covering all stages from receiving and storage to cooking, cooling, reheating, holding, and transport. Maintain sanitation records and ensure readiness for internal and external audits.

- People Leadership: Manage a small team of chefs and kitchen assistants by creating rosters, assigning daily tasks, delivering training focused on speed, quality, and hygiene, and fostering continuous improvement through coaching.

- Procurement & Cost Control: Work closely with procurement to forecast ingredient needs, standardize specifications, reduce waste, and achieve cost-per-meal targets.

- Production Planning: Translate daily meal orders into detailed production plans using standardized recipes and yield factors. Prepare prep lists and coordinate dispatch schedules.

- Quality Assurance: Conduct regular tastings and final quality checks, monitor feedback from stakeholders such as teachers and parents, and implement corrective measures as necessary.

- Equipment & Maintenance: Ensure proper use and upkeep of kitchen equipment, promptly reporting any maintenance or repair needs.

- Documentation & Reporting: Maintain accurate records including time-temperature logs, inventory, cleaning schedules, and training activities. Report daily production KPIs to management.

- Startup & Batch Cooking Standards: Apply standardized recipes with target yields and critical temperature controls. Utilize FIFO and batch coding for traceability, enforce strict time-temperature controls, portion control tools, allergen protocols, and food safety practices.

- People & Culture: Promote a culture of punctuality, cleanliness, and respect. Conduct weekly toolbox talks on hygiene, safety, and operational efficiency. Encourage flexibility and cross-training to ensure coverage during absences.

- KPIs Monitored Weekly/Monthly: Track on-time dispatch rates, food cost per meal versus targets, yield and wastage percentages, HACCP compliance scores, customer satisfaction, and staff attendance and training hours.

Required Qualifications

- 3 to 5 years of experience in catering, central kitchen, or banquet operations, including batch cooking.

- Strong knowledge of HACCP principles, hygiene standards, and Pakistani food safety regulations.

- Proven leadership skills managing small teams in startup or resource-constrained kitchen environments.

- Competency in production planning, inventory management, and basic spreadsheet applications.

- Culinary diploma or certification is preferred.

- Experience with halal catering is an advantage.

Preferred Qualifications and Benefits

- Hands-on leadership style comfortable with the dynamics of a startup kitchen.

- Strong problem-solving abilities and keen attention to detail.

- Discipline in adhering to SOPs and a commitment to continuous improvement.

- Work schedule includes a six-day workweek with early morning production aligned to dispatch times.

- Competitive salary with performance-based bonuses linked to KPIs.

- Additional benefits include meals, paid leave, uniform provision, and opportunities for professional training.

Healthy Plates is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to compliance with local labor and tax laws and maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy toward unsafe food practices. This role requires in-person presence at the Lahore facility.