Chef De Cuisine/Head Chef

START YOUR JOURNEY WITH US

Can you imagine waking up to the sound of silence where the horizon stretches endlessly and the desert whispers stories of centuries past?
Welcome to Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa, a timeless sanctuary hidden among the rolling dunes of the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve.

Here, every sunrise paints the sands in gold, and every moment invites you to slow down and reconnect with nature, with purpose, and with yourself.
Among lush palm groves and desert wildlife, our 42 private pool villas offer a world apart, a place where luxury feels natural and authenticity breathes in every detail, from handcrafted interiors to views that blur the line between sky and earth.

Our story is one of heritage, passion, and belonging, and now, it could be yours too.
Join a team that brings the spirit of Arabia to life, crafting experiences as unforgettable as the desert itself.

LOVE WHAT YOU DO EVEN MORE

At Marriott, we believe exceptional guest experiences begin with how we treat our associates.
At Al Maha, you’ll become part of a close-knit family that values passion, purpose, and pride in what we do.

We’re looking for talented and dedicated individuals to join our team, and in return, we offer you the following:

• A career with limitless horizons, from the golden dunes of Al Maha to over 8,000 Marriott hotels worldwide, where new opportunities await.
• Professional growth and mentorship guided by some of the region’s most accomplished hoteliers.
• Competitive salary and benefits, including on-property accommodation and full-board meals.
• Exclusive Marriott privileges, discounted stays and dining, plus special rates for friends and family.
• Comprehensive medical and life insurance coverage.
• All the tools, resources, and support you need to excel every day.

OUR EXPECTATIONS FROM THE ROLE:

Accountable for overall success of the daily kitchen operations.  Exhibits culinary talents by personally performing tasks while leading the staff and managing all food related functions.  Works to continually improve guest and associate satisfaction while maintaining the operating budget. Supervises all kitchen areas to ensure a consistent, high quality product is produced.   Responsible for guiding and developing staff including direct reports. Must ensure sanitation and food standards are achieved.

SCOPE / BUSINESS CONTEXT

• A Full Time position based at Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa, The Luxury Collection.
• Number of Direct Reports – 5-25
• Titles of Direct Reports- Sous Chef, Chef de Partie

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Experience:

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

OR

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

Skills and Knowledge 

• PIC Managing Food safety

Education or Certification 

• N/A

  CORE WORK ACTIVITIES

• The following are specific responsibilities and contributions critical to the successful performance of the position:

  Leading Kitchen Operations Team

• Supervises and manages associates. Managing all day-to-day operations. Understanding associate positions well enough to perform duties in associates’ absence.
• Supervises and coordinates activities of cooks and workers engaged in food preparation.
• Utilizes interpersonal and communication skills to lead, influence, and encourage others; advocates sound financial/business decision making; demonstrates honesty/integrity; leads by example.
• Provides services that are above and beyond for customer satisfaction and retention.
• Encourages and builds mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
• Serves as a role model to demonstrate appropriate behaviors.
• Ensures and maintains the productivity level of associates.
• Ensures property policies are administered fairly and consistently.
• Celebrates successes and publicly recognizes the contributions of team members.
• Solicits associate feedback, utilizes an “open door” policy and reviews associate satisfaction results to identify and address associate problems or concerns.
• Ensures associate recognition is taking place on all shifts.
• Participates in an on-going associate recognition program.
• Estimates daily production needs on a weekly basis and communicates production needs to kitchen personnel daily.
• Leads shifts while personally preparing food items and executing requests based on required specifications.

Maintaining Culinary Goals

• Sets and achieves goals including performance goals, budget goals, team goals, etc.
• Communicates specific guidance and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish daily kitchen work.
• Understands the impact of department’s operation on the overall property financial goals and objectives and manages to achieve or exceed budgeted goals.
• Comprehends budgets, operating statements and payroll progress reports as needed to assist in the financial management of department.
• Reviews staffing levels to ensure that guest service, operational needs and financial objectives are met.
• Calculates accurate theoretical and weighted food costs.

Ensuring Culinary Standards and Responsibilities are met

• Develops, designs, or creates new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• Supervises kitchen shift operations and ensures compliance with all Food & Beverage policies, standards and procedures.
• Recognizes superior quality products, presentations and flavor.
• Ensures compliance with food handling and sanitation standards.
• Ensures compliance with all local, state and federal (OSHA, ASI and Health Department) regulations.
• Assists the Executive Chef with menu development.
• Assists Executive Chef with all kitchen operations.
• Performs all duties of kitchen managers and associates as necessary.
• Ensures associates maintain required food handling and sanitation certifications.
• Prepares and cooks foods of all types, either on a regular basis or for special guests or functions.
• Checks the quality of raw and cooked food products to ensure that standards are met.
• Assists in determining how food should be presented and creates decorative food displays.

Ensuring Exceptional Customer Service

• Improves service by communicating and assisting individuals to understand guest needs, providing guidance, feedback, and individual coaching when needed.
• Interacts with guests to obtain feedback on product quality and service levels.
• Strives to improve service performance.
• Empowers associates to provide excellent customer service.
• Demonstrates a positive example for guest relations.

Managing and Conducting Human Resource Activities 

• Identifies the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
• Manages day-to-day operations, ensuring the quality, standards and meeting the expectations of the customers on a daily basis.
• Participates in associate progressive discipline procedures.
• Ensures disciplinary procedures and documentation are completed according to Standard and Local Operating Procedures (SOPs and LSOPs) and supports the Peer Review Process.
• Assists Executive Chef with managing, developing, and coaching direct reports including completion of Leadership Performance Process (LPP).

Additional Responsibilities 

• Provides information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Analyzes information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Attends and participates in all pertinent meetings (e.g., Daily Stand Up, BEO, Pre-Cons, Staff, Forecast, Department and Intradepartmental).

Food Safety 

• Follow appropriate personal hygiene procedures to ensure food served to guests is safe for consumption, including disinfecting hands prior to handling food and wearing a hat/hairnet and proper footwear.
• Follow and ensure compliance with food safety and handling policies and procedures, such as product rotation, First In-First Out (FIFO); dating, labeling, cleaning, and organizing coolers/freezers/storage areas; and Cold Chain compliance, across all food-related departments and areas.
• Prepare all potentially hazardous foods at the correct temperature according to the HACCP guidelines.
• Maintain kitchen logs for food safety program compliance 
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of company Food Safety Programs within assigned area of responsibility, as well as Dubai Municipality standards.
• Follow guidelines and checklists related to PIC (Person in charge)
• Support initiatives related to food safety and help in strategy planning.
• Report any guest complaints or other issues related to food safety to the culinary management.
• Check and ensure the correctness of the temperature of appliances and food using thermostats and thermometers, including monitoring freezer systems, such as fans, drains, and doors, for proper operation, and report issues or problems to facility management.

MANAGEMENT COMPETENCIES

Leadership

• Adaptability – Develops strategies and identifies resources to implement and manage change; models flexibility in adjusting priorities; and communicates the need for change in a positive way that encourages commitment. 
• Communication – Actively listens and uses appropriate communication styles to deliver complex information in a clear concise way and influences others to accept a point of view, gain consensus, or take action. 
• Problem Solving and Decision Making – Models and sets expectations for solving complex problems, collecting and comparing information to evaluate alternatives, considering their potential impact before making decisions, involving others to gain agreement and support, and guiding others to implement solutions.
• Professional Demeanour – Exhibits behavioural styles that convey confidence and command respect from others; makes a good first impression and represents the company in alignment with its values.

Managing Execution

• Building and Contributing to Teams – Leads and participates as a member of a team to move the team toward the completion of common goals while fostering cohesion and collaboration among team members.
• Driving for Results – Focuses and guides others in accomplishing work objectives.
• Planning and Organizing – Gathers information and resources required to set a plan of action for self and/or others; prioritizes and arranges work requirements self and/or others to accomplish goals and ensure work is completed.

Building Relationships

• Co-worker Relationships – Develops and uses collaborative relationships to facilitate the accomplishment of work goals.
• Customer Relationships – Develops and sustains relationships based on an understanding of customer needs and actions consistent with the company’s service standards. 
• Global Mind-set – Supports employees and business partners with diverse styles, abilities, motivations, and/or cultural perspectives; utilizes differences to drive innovation, engagement and enhance business results; and ensures employees are given the opportunity to contribute to their full potential.

Generating Talent and Organizational Capability

• Organizational Capability – Evaluates and adapts the structure of organizational units, jobs, and work processes to best fit the needs and/or support the goals of an organizational unit.
• Talent Management – Provides guidance and feedback to help individuals develop and strengthen skills and abilities needed to accomplish work objectives.

Learning and Applying Professional Expertise

• Applied Learning – Seeks and makes the most of learning opportunities to improve performance of self and/or others. 
• Business Acumen – Understands and utilizes business information (e.g., data related to employee engagement, guest satisfaction, and property financial performance) to manage everyday operations and generate innovative solutions to approach business and administrative challenges.
• Technical Acumen – Understands and utilizes professional skills and knowledge in a specific functional area to conduct and manage everyday business operations and generate innovative solutions to approach function-specific work challenges.
• Basic Competencies  – Fundamental competencies required for accomplishing basic work activities. 
  • Basic Computer Skills – Uses basic computer hardware and software (e.g., personal computers, word processing software, Internet browsers, etc.).
  • Mathematical Reasoning – Demonstrates ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly, correctly, and in a way that allows one to solve work-related issues.
  • Oral Comprehension – Demonstrates ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Reading Comprehension – Demonstrates understanding of written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
  • Writing – Communicates effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

In joining Marriott Hotels, you join a portfolio of brands with Marriott International. Be where you can do your best work, begin your purpose, belong to an amazing global team, and become the best version of you.

Marriott International is an equal opportunity employer. We believe in hiring a diverse workforce and sustaining an inclusive, people-first culture. We are committed to non-discrimination on any protected basis, such as disability and veteran status, or any other basis covered under applicable law.

The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts, with over 120 properties in more than 35 countries, offers the promise of authentic experiences that evoke lasting, treasured memories. Our more than 100 years of experience, beginning in 1906 under the Italian CIGA brand – a collection of Europe’s most celebrated and iconic properties – serves as a solid foundation as we continuously evolve to exceed the desires of the luxury traveler.