Executive (Sous) Chef - Central Kitchen

- The Executive Chef (Food Engineering Focus) is responsible for leading large-scale production of savory Vietnamese and Western cuisine, butchery, and ready-to-eat meals while integrating modern food engineering, sustainability, and dietary inclusivity into daily operations.
- This role blends culinary mastery with financial, operational, and R&D leadership. The Executive Chef ensures scalable recipe execution, cost efficiency, manpower productivity, food safety compliance, and innovation that addresses today's consumer trends-including plant-based diets, vegetarian offerings, and dietary needs such as Halal and Kosher.
* Planning & Budgeting
- Manage food cost, labor cost, and productivity to meet budget targets.
- Support the Head of Production in developing annual production plans, manpower forecasts, budgets, and Capex, ensuring alignment with growth and automation strategies.
- Track productivity KPIs (output per FTE, yield per batch) and drive improvements.
- Identify cost-saving opportunities through recipe optimization, by-product utilization, and supplier negotiations.
- Contribute to long-term capacity planning to meet store expansion, partnerships, and B2B opportunities.
* Culinary & Production Leadership
- Lead operations in commissary across various sections: receiving, hot kitchen, butchery, soups, sauces, grills, and RTE lines, product waste lines.
- Ensure consistent production of authentic, premium ingredients and RTE products, balancing traditional recipes with efficiency at scale.
- Oversee and train teams in advanced culinary techniques (e.g., sous-vide, smoking, braising, steaming, grilling) as well as core chef skills and product knowledge, ensuring store-based associates meet brand standards.
- Mentor chefs, butchers, and line cooks to strengthen technical, cultural, and leadership skills.
- Create a team culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
- Collaborate closely with Supply Chain, QA/QC, Marketing, and Operations to ensure seamless alignment of production with business needs.
* Food Engineering & Operational Excellence
- Design and optimize food processing layouts and workflows to maximize efficiency, safety, and scalability.
- Integrate automation and advanced technologies (combi steaming, pressure cooking, sous vide cooking, vacuum, MAP, pasteurization, freezing).
- Standardize recipes for high-volume production while maintaining flavor, nutrition and consistency.
- Monitor yields, batch performance, and process productivity with data-driven controls.
- Supervise protein handling from receiving to finished goods, ensuring portion control, cold chain compliance, yield optimization, and by-product utilization.
- Lead HACCP, ISO, and cold chain programs across production, conducting audits, enforcing SOPs, and aligning with export standards.
- Ensure hygiene systems and in-store compliance, including dietary and religious requirements (Halal, Kosher, vegetarian), in coordination with the Hygiene & Sanitation Manager.
* Innovation, Sustainability & Consumer Trends
- Develop and implement waste reduction and sustainability programs for raw, cooked, and packaging materials.
- Lead initiatives in energy efficiency, water usage reduction, sustainable sourcing, and eco-friendly packaging/storage solutions.
- Partner with NGOs and community partners for food donation initiatives.
- Collaborate with relevant stakeholders and suppliers to design scalable savory recipes and detect/respond to consumer trends.
- Research and develop plant-based and vegetarian options to meet modern dietary trends.
- Integrate health-conscious, functional, and sustainable food solutions.
- Stay ahead of global and local food trends (clean label, organic, low-carb, wellness-driven).
- Ensure inclusiveness in offerings by addressing Halal, Kosher, Vegan, allergen-free, and other dietary requirements.
- Conduct trials and validations for automation, shelf-life extension, and consumer acceptance.