Executive Chef at Bowmans (Law Firm)

Job description

Responsible for managing the culinary operations for the firm. This includes but is not limited to the coffee shop operation, Executive Dining operation and all internal and external client events or functions. The incumbent will oversee both the kitchen and coffee shop staff. The implementation of best practices, pertaining to food quality and health and safety standards rests with the role.

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS:

• Senior Certificate
• Qualified and trained Chef with a Culinary Certificate/Diploma
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience within the hospitality or food service industry in a leadership or similar role.
• Proven track record in effectively coaching, mentoring and managing a team
• Experience within a professional services or corporate environment advantageous

JOB ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Research and Menu Planning
• Keeping up to date with new products and food trends.
• Plan menus by liaising with the Client Liaison Supervisor and Business Development – Marketing & Communication with regard to firm events and functions.
• Evaluate products (produce) to ensure that quality, price and related goods are consistently met.
• Food Preparation and Quality Control
• Evaluate and ensure food products are of a high standard to ensure that quality is consistent and maintained at all times.
• Cooks and directly supervises the cooking of all items that require skilful preparation.
• Periodically visit dining area and coffee shop area to engage with staff, directors and clients and seeking feedback for continuous quality and improvement.
• Stock Management
• Approve the requisition of stock and other necessary food supplies.
• Work closely with the Stock Controller/s to ensure quality products are purchased from the correct supplier/s.
• Establish controls to minimize food and supply waste.
• Financial Management
• Prepare necessary data for budgetary purposes to project annual food, staffing and other costs and to minimize food costs.
• Exercise portion controls for all items served and establish menu pricing.
• Be knowledgeable of the working of the POS (Point of Sale) system.
• In conjunction and on a rotating basis, sign off on daily cash up’s of coffee shop sales.
• Safeguarding and banking of cash on a daily basis.
• Negotiate the best possible prices on produce from supplier and review it on a quarterly basis.
• Health and Safety Management
• Ensure that the kitchen team strictly adheres to health and safety regulations when it comes to food storage, handling and preparation and other safety and sanitation codes involving dining utensils, kitchen equipment and overall cleanliness.
• Support and promote safe working habits and safe working environment at all times.
• Co-ordinate activities and safeguard all kitchen staff by implementing training and increasing their knowledge about safety, sanitization and accident prevention principles.
• Management and Leadership
• Supervises own teams performance to ensure daily and monthly deliverables are achieved
• Gives regular, comprehensive and constructive feedback to their team and provides input into their performance appraisals
• Proactively seeks feedback from team members and deals constructively with any criticism
• Adjusts management style to get the best from the individuals within the team
• Delegates work to team members taking into account their capacity, level of skill and exposure to different types of work and complexity; provides clear instructions and direction, with reasonable deadlines
• Provide training and professional development opportunities for all kitchen staff
• Relationship Building
• Develop and maintain relationships with levels of staff as a trusted resource.
• Maintain strong working relationships with and have open and transparent communication between all members of the team
• Develop and maintain relationships with vendors to ensure quality of service delivery

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES:

• Achievement Orientation:
• Makes efforts to improve others’ efficiency and motivates and coaches others to follow own example of excellence.
• Contributes ideas for improvements in work methods and outcomes.
• Continuous Learning:
• Stays abreast of emerging trends in own area, identifying emerging new requirements.
• Pursues challenging experiences and strategically undertakes learning activities, beyond customary role or area of expertise, to add value in current area.
• Creativity and Innovation:
• Creates new ideas, solutions or approaches to ongoing challenges.
• Uses unconventional areas as sources of inspiration and insight into new options and solutions.
• Stress Management:
• Maintains composure and effectiveness despite stressful circumstances.
• Teamwork:
• Ensures that all group members have an opportunity to contribute to group discussions.
• Helps build consensus among team members.
• Gives credit and acknowledges contributions and efforts of other team members.
• Fosters team spirit.
• Developing Others:
• Works with employees to set performance goals and expectations.
• Provides honest, timely, clear and specific feedback on performance in ways that maintain others’ self-esteem.
• Coaches’ staff, transferring accumulated knowledge and expertise.
• Conducts post-mortems with staff to identify and facilitate the application of lessons learned.
• Planning and Organizing:
• Identifies who will do what, when, taking into account group members’ skills, needs and, if possible, preferences.
• Monitors progress and use of resources (people, supplies, money).
• Makes needed adjustments to timelines, steps, and resource allocation.
• Continually plans for effective accomplishment of next steps.

If you do not receive a response within 2 weeks of submitting your application, please consider your application unsuccessful.

Bowmans is committed to achieving the objectives set in its transformation charter, and the targets in its employment equity plan. All recruitment decisi