DIRECTOR OF CULINARY & OPERATIONS

1. Strategic Planning & Business Development • Develop & implement strategic culinary and operational plans aligned with the Company’s goals and growth objectives. • Identify, evaluate and recommend new markets, restaurant concepts, products, services & other business opportunities. • Support the long-term development and positioning of the Company’s restaurant brands. • Plan & execute investment and reinvestment projects, including new restaurant openings, renovations, refurbishments and major equipment purchases. • Recommend restaurant remodelling & refurbishment plans to ensure each brand’s image, physical appearance and ambience remain relevant and competitive. • Provide culinary & operational expertise for strategic projects, franchise initiatives and business expansion. 2. Restaurant & Culinary Operations Management • Take overall responsibility for the operational and culinary performance of all assigned restaurants. • Establish, implement and continuously improve operational procedures, service standards, recipes, plating guides and kitchen SOPs. • Ensure consistent standards of food quality, taste, presentation, portioning, service, ambience and value. • Lead menu development & menu engineering to balance customer appeal, brand positioning, food costs and profitability. • Optimise front-of-house & kitchen workflows, manpower deployment, production planning and resource allocation to improve productivity and service efficiency. • Ensure adequate manpower, equipment, ingredients and operational resources are available. • Oversee ingredient specifications, supply forecasting, supplier quality, procurement requirements and food-cost controls. • Conduct regular restaurant visits, identify operational and culinary gaps, and ensure corrective actions are completed promptly. • Lead & support the Operations and Culinary leadership teams through day-to-day direction and coaching. • Collaborate with Purchasing & Marketing on new restaurant openings, menu launches, campaigns, events and strategic projects. 3. Financial & Business Performance • Set and align monthly and annual targets for sales, food cost, labour cost, operating expenses and restaurant profitability. • Monitor and analyse the profit and loss performance of assigned brands and restaurants. • Ensure restaurant budgets are properly managed and budgeted revenue and profitability targets are achieved. • Manage recipe costing, yield, portion control, wastage and kitchen productivity. • Review product mix & menu performance and recommend appropriate pricing, menu-engineering or operational actions. • Evaluate the financial & operational feasibility of new projects, products, services and capital expenditure. • Recommend policies, procedures & initiatives necessary to respond to market developments and changing customer demand. 4. People Management, Training & Organisational Capability • Build a stable, professional and sustainable Operations and Culinary workforce, with emphasis on attracting and developing local talent. • Lead, mentor and develop Brand Leads & Brand Chefs.perations & Marketing. Establish clear performance expectations, leadership standards, career pathways and succession plans. • Oversee workforce planning, recruitment and performance management to improve productivity and employee retention. • Identify operational, service, culinary and leadership capability gaps and implement appropriate training programmes. • Lead on-the-job training, workshops and practical assessments covering service, culinary techniques, equipment handling, food safety and new menu rollouts. • Ensure employees are properly trained and assessed before deployment to critical restaurant or kitchen stations. • Evaluate and improve training effectiveness using guest feedback, service performance, audit results and restaurant visitation scores. • Promote accountability, teamwork, professionalism, recognition and continuous learning across the Operations and Culinary teams. 5. Food Safety, Hygiene & Sanitation • Ensure all restaurants and production areas comply with prevailing Singapore Food Agency requirements, food-safety regulations and Company standards. • Conduct regular inspections of kitchens, storage facilities and food-production areas. • Maintain high hygiene and sanitation standards across food-contact surfaces, equipment and kitchen facilities. • Ensure the proper handling and storage of raw materials, hot and cold food, frozen products and dry goods. • Implement and monitor strict First-In, First-Out rotation and expiry-control procedures. • Ensure temperature records for cold-chain storage, cooking, cooling and hot-holding equipment are properly maintained. • Ensure food handlers maintain proper personal hygiene and possess valid food-safety certifications. • Oversee the Kitchen Stewarding function, including dishwashing standards, chemical management and kitchen cleanliness. • Manage waste-disposal and pest-control programmes to prevent contamination and maintain sanitary conditions. • Lead investigations into serious food-quality or food-safety incidents and ensure corrective and preventive actions are implemented. 6. Workplace Safety, Quality Assurance & Risk Management • Ensure all restaurant and kitchen operations comply with Company policies, SOPs, audit requirements, Workplace Safety and Health regulations, and other applicable laws. • Oversee operational, culinary, food-safety, workplace-safety and compliance audits across all restaurants. • Maintain the required restaurant-visitation and audit scores and ensure findings are rectified within the agreed timelines. • Establish preventive-maintenance programmes for kitchen equipment, restaurant facilities and operational assets. • Ensure only approved equipment, utensils and chemicals are used and that employees follow PPE and safe-work requirements. • Conduct regular safety briefings covering equipment handling, fire safety,…