Head Chef – Voco (Pre-Opening)

Job Description

About Voco

Operating under IHG Hotels, Voco is a leading global hotel chain with nearly 137 hotels worldwide. The brand has become known for its distinguished beachfront resorts, city hotels, and branded residences. The Voco Sharjah is ideally located in the heart of Sharjah, which gives easy access to Sharjah International Airport and other commercial districts.

Voco Sharjah is designed with authentic Voco signature charm, hospitality, fitness centers, luxury suites, stylish guest rooms, and swimming pools. The hotel is perfectly located near USN University Sharjah, Alijada Community, and Sharjah Hospital. The Voco Sharjah has a selection of dining experiences, cafés, and a lobby lounge. Whether for a short visit or an extended stay, Voco Sharjah delivers a warm, friendly, and comfortable experience.

We believe that every plate tells a story, so for the pre-opening of Voco Sharjah, we are seeking a head chef with a palate for serving truly memorable, eye-catching dishes. You will ensure high standards in quality and presentation, and a smooth kitchen operation.

What you will do:

• Take charge of leading all kitchen operations across the hotel’s bar, restaurants, banquet halls, room dining, and bakery production, ensuring consistent high quality and innovation.
• Oversee all Aspects of food preparation, freshness, and adherence to established recipes and standards.
• Consider dietary preferences, restaurant concepts, flavor balance, and presentation to create an innovative, diverse menu that reflects the restaurant’s concept.
• Keep workstations service-ready, clean, and tidy; communicate clearly with kitchen staff to keep tickets moving and customers happy.
• Coordinate closely with the Operations Director, Food & Beverage team, and other departments to deliver exceptional guest dining experiences and to create successful events.
• Plan daily culinary operations to ensure appropriate staffing levels and an efficient workflow throughout the day.
• Analyze variances, monitor food costings, and implement cost-saving initiatives without compromising standards, quality, or guest satisfaction.
• Administer supplier relationships and monitor the availability and quality of ingredients and kitchen equipment.
• Ensure compliance with food safety regulations, hygiene practices, and sanitization standards to maintain a safe working environment.
• Menu engineering, recipe standardization, and accurate food costing to maximize F&B profitability.

About you:

The ideal candidate for this position will have the following experience and qualifications:

• Minimum 5-7 years of culinary leadership experience, which includes managing large kitchen operations.
• Culinary arts or similar accredited culinary school degree with completed chef training apprenticeship.
• Deep understanding of food safety, HACCP, local regulatory requirements, and hygiene standards.
• Comfortable working in high-exposure environments with guests, suppliers, and outsourced teams, plus maintaining professional standards at all times.

• Mentors commis, reduces wastage, trains kitchen staff, and works under pressure.
• Strong knowledge of menu development, creates new dishes, controls the cost of food, inventory management, and budgeting.
• Outstanding leadership and people management skills with the capability to coach, uplift, and develop high-performing teams.
• Collaborate with executive chefs on menu concepts and contribute to the development of the dining experience.