Executive Chef

Role Summary

The Executive Chef role sits within the Culinary department of the Food & Beverage division and reports to the Division Head at Level 3. This position carries overall responsibility for the operational, administrative, and financial performance of all kitchens at Mandarin Oriental, Doha. The role also involves supervising two department heads at Levels 4 and 5.

About the Hotel

Mandarin Oriental, Doha is set in the centre of Msheireb Downtown Doha, facing the Barahat, an open-air square surrounded by retail, dining, entertainment, and cultural attractions. The property is designed as a refined urban retreat that blends Qatari heritage with contemporary style. It features 249 rooms, suites, and serviced apartments, nine different dining experiences, a spa inspired by timeless Eastern wellness traditions, a rooftop pool with panoramic views, and several distinctive event spaces.

Mission and Values

The hotel’s mission is to delight and inspire its fans at every opportunity. Its guiding principles focus on delighting customers and colleagues, striving to be the best, working collaboratively, and acting responsibly.

Key Responsibilities

The Executive Chef is expected to lead all kitchen operations, support the wider food and beverage strategy, and ensure that culinary standards remain consistent with brand expectations, local regulations, and business goals. The role also includes planning, team development, cost control, guest satisfaction, and compliance with internal policies.

Operational Leadership

• Take full charge of all operational, administrative, and financial matters across the culinary areas.
• Review business demand and adjust involvement across different kitchen functions as required.
• Stay alert to market developments and work with internal and external partners on culinary research and innovation.
• Develop and implement policies, standards, and procedures covering menu planning, product specifications, hygiene, sanitation, and control of food, labour, and operating costs.
• Lead the team in applying company systems, standards, and operating methods effectively.
• Create tools, processes, and standards that support reliable and consistent food delivery.
• Provide strong direction from concept development and product creation through to execution.
• Promote effective communication and teamwork across the F&B division and with other departments.
• Plan, train, evaluate, and roster culinary colleagues according to standards and business needs.
• Support stewarding teams with cleaning schedules, side-duty planning, and follow-up actions.
• Oversee the external cleaning contractor and monitor the food quality and hygiene standards of the staff canteen provider.
• Ensure kitchen and stewarding spaces are clean and maintained through regular inspections with stewarding and engineering teams.
• Follow up on inspection reports to maintain a high standard of cleanliness and order.
• Ensure food safety standards meet hotel requirements, Safe & Sound expectations, and Qatar Municipality regulations.
• Work with outlet managers and chef de cuisines on menus, pricing, and promotional activity to maximize revenue in line with market demand.
• Review quality audits, guest feedback, and incident reports to identify improvement areas and implement corrective actions.
• Coordinate with Materials Management to source required products.
• Maintain grooming and appearance standards across the culinary team.
• Protect and maintain hotel equipment through active supervision.
• Plan manpower, equipment, and supplies based on forecasts to ensure efficient operations.
• Ensure plating guides are followed accurately and kept current.

Guest Experience

• Deliver guest satisfaction in line with Legendary Quality Experiences, brand pillars, and service standards.
• Meet prospective event guests personally for menu discussions and planning.
• Oversee VIP requests and special dietary requirements closely.
• Motivate the team to create memorable moments that surprise and delight guests.

Team Leadership and People Management

• Hold regular one-to-one conversations with team members to encourage open communication and address concerns.
• Share hotel and department updates clearly with colleagues.
• Use the colleague handbook and related documents to communicate rules and expectations.
• Handle counselling and disciplinary matters according to hotel procedures.
• Run daily team briefings to support two-way communication.
• Act as a mentor and share knowledge with the team.
• Support all learning and development activities, including on-the-job and group training.
• Maintain the department training matrix and job description/job specification records.
• Ensure colleague career development needs are recorded and prioritised in the MO Profile system.

Financial and Administrative Duties

• Track and control the monthly P&L, with emphasis on food, labour, and consumables costs.
• Prepare weekly rosters that align staffing levels with service standards, budgets, and business volumes.
• Oversee the preparation of menus, production instructions, and plating guides with defined ingredients and portions.
• Ensure recipe costing is completed before hotel opening to support menu pricing.
• Keep recipes updated and aligned with selling prices.
• Analyse outlet financial performance, including menu engineering.
• Follow the accounting procedures required for culinary operations.

Additional Expectations

• Stay current with food and beverage trends so à la carte and buffet offerings remain competitive with international standards.
• Conduct practical dish training to keep chefs’ product knowledge fresh and relevant.
• Plan and execute Ramadan and other promotional activities for outlets and banquets.
• Attend all scheduled meetings and carry out other reasonable duties assigned by the Director of Food & Beverage.
• Act as a hotel ambassador at all times.
• Use the principle of proper planning to support effective performance in all activities.

Policies, Compliance, and Conduct

The role requires strict compliance with company policies, standard operating procedures, and all applicable legal and regulatory requirements. The colleague must safeguard confidential and personal information, avoid inappropriate use of hotel IT resources, follow Safe, Sound and Sustainable policies, observe the social media policy, and uphold a zero-tolerance approach to harassment and discrimination of any kind.

Employment Notice

Mandarin Oriental reserves the right to add, remove, or amend the duties and responsibilities in this description at its discretion, with appropriate notice.

The selected colleague is expected to read and acknowledge the job description.