Requirements
Requires 5-10 years of experience as an R&D Chef, Culinary Lead, Innovation Chef, Head Chef, or similar, with a strong background in QSR, cloud kitchens, fast-casual brands, or large-scale production kitchens. Must be able to balance creativity with cost control and operational feasibility, and have experience with commercial manufacturing technologies (retort, frozen, preservative-based products, hot-fill). Strong documentation skills and the ability to train diverse culinary teams are essential. Familiarity with UAE food safety standards (HACCP, Municipality guidelines) is preferred.
Description
A newly established and rapidly expanding QSR and Cloud Kitchen group in the UAE is developing multiple innovative food concepts designed for scale across the GCC. With ambitions to become one of the region's leading food brands, they are building a culinary team that can transform concepts into commercially successful, consistent, and scalable products. To support this growth, Black Pearl has been exclusively retained to recruit a passionate and highly skilled Culinary Lead / Product Development Chef.The Culinary Lead will be responsible for menu innovation, recipe creation, product development, and culinary standardization across multiple QSR concepts. This role combines creativity with operational execution-requiring strong technical culinary knowledge, R&D capabilities, and the ability to convert recipes into scalable central kitchen or outsourced manufacturing formats.You will play a key role in shaping the brand's culinary identity, ensuring every product meets quality, cost, consistency, and scalability standards.Key Responsibilities1. Menu Innovation & Concept DevelopmentResearch and create new menu items aligned with brand positioning and regional trends.Develop recipes across multiple cuisines (Indian, Asian, Fast-Casual, Sandwiches, Rolls, or Fusion).Conduct benchmarking across Dubai's competitive QSR and cloud-kitchen landscape.2. Recipe Engineering & StandardizationCreate detailed recipe specifications including ingredient lists, methods, yields, timings, and plating/packaging.Ensure consistency across locations by converting complex recipes into simple, repeatable SOPs.Standardize portion sizes and ensure cost-effective recipe structures.3. Sensory Testing & Quality AssuranceLead tasting panels and analyze sensory feedback for product refinement.Maintain strict quality, taste, texture, and presentation standards across all kitchens.Work with QA to develop and enforce food quality parameters.4. Supply Chain CollaborationEvaluate and approve raw materials, ingredients, and packaging options.Work closely with procurement to ensure consistency, cost targets, and supplier compliance.Assist in selecting and training vendors or co-packers for outsourced production.5. Production & Central Kitchen IntegrationScale recipes from development to batch production in central kitchen environments.Build SOPs for food preparation, cooking, assembly, storage, and dispatch.Conduct periodic kitchen audits to monitor adherence to culinary and hygiene standards.6. Product CommercializationDesign products suitable for frozen, retort, preservative-based, emulsified, or hot-fill processes.Work with operations and supply chain teams to ensure products meet shelf-life and production constraints.RequirementsTo be considered for this role, you need to meet the following criteria: 5-10 years of experience as an R&D Chef, Culinary Lead, Innovation Chef, Head Chef, or similar.Strong background in QSR, cloud kitchens, fast-casual brands, or large-scale production kitchens.Ability to balance creativity with cost control and operational feasibility.Experience with commercial manufacturing technologies (retort, frozen, preservative-based products, hot-fill).Strong documentation skills and the ability to train diverse culinary teams.Familiarity with UAE food safety standards (HACCP, Municipality guidelines) preferred.