Executive Chef

Job Description - Executive Chef (HOT0AXQB)

Work Locations

London Hilton on Park Lane
22 Park Lane
London W1K 1BE

WELCOME TO A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITIES AT THE WORLD'S #1 BEST WORKPLACE, AWARDED BY GREAT PLACE TO WORK & FORTUNE.

A new era begins at the London Hilton on Park Lane. Located in the heart of Mayfair, London Hilton on Park Lane was the first Hilton to open within the UK and is close to all that London has to offer. Soaring high above Park Lane, the hotel is famed for its unparalleled five-star luxury. With 453 spacious guest rooms, including 56 suites and a Presidential Suite, there is something for all.
2023 was the hotel’s 60th anniversary, which has seen the refurbishment of Executive rooms and suites as well as a re-development of the lobby level, including a brand new restaurant and bar.

WHAT DO WE OFFER?

1. A competitive salary and benefits package
2. Worldwide career opportunities
3. Access to leadership development programs and hundreds of courses through Hilton University
4. Industry-leading Team Member travel rates through Go Hilton
5. Wellbeing initiatives to help you thrive and be your best self
6. A workplace to be proud of and recognized as the “No. 1 Best Place to Work.”
7. Opportunities to be recognised for being awesome and doing a great job.
8. Support and guidance from our Corporate F&D experts, when you need it.

JOB OVERVIEW

The Executive Chef is responsible for the entire hotel operated culinary performance. Working closely with the F&D venue operations teams and Meeting and Events teams, you will be responsible for the overall delivery of world-class cuisine.

This is a key role in the hotel leadership team.

Are you passionate about operating market-leading restaurants and bars? Do you know what it takes to inspire your team to create exceptional culinary experiences every time? Are you a pioneer in Food trends, social media, and marketing? As a leader, are you supportive and inclusive? If so, this role is tailor-made for you!

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

As Executive Chef your key responsibilities will be:

1. Culinary Leader
   1. You are fully responsible for developing the reputation of the hotel through the production of excellent quality food throughout the hotel.
   2. Deliver world-class culinary experiences in F&D venues, banqueting, meeting and events.
   3. Lead the kitchen brigade and ensure ongoing development of Team Members, identifying an effective approach to succession planning.
   4. Dedicated to fostering an inclusive workplace, where every team member’s unique background and perspective are valued and respected.
   5. Review departmental results - including sales, costs, profit margins, covers, guest satisfaction - and act with the team to improve performance.
   6. Constantly seeks out opportunities and technologies to revolutionize culinary executions across venues and large-scale Meetings, Events and Banquets.
2. Excellence in Food
   1. Lead the Culinary team to create attractive food concepts, menus, products, and promotions that drive revenue and profit.
   2. Deliver high-quality, well-presented food to meet and exceed guests’ needs - and social media feeds!
   3. Champion Hilton’s sustainability goals through local sourcing, use of seasonal produce and minimizing food waste.
   4. Consistently exploring new culinary trends and techniques to keep the menus fresh and exciting while meeting the evolving tastes of customers.
3. Exceptional Guest Experiences
   1. Deliver exceptional guest experiences by maintaining consistently high service standards and product knowledge throughout the culinary team.
   2. Make sure that food allergies and dietary requirements are treated with absolute seriousness.
   3. Review and act on guest feedback, taking prompt action to resolve guest complaints and improve guest loyalty.
   4. Enhance the hotel’s image through online reputation management for food, driving positive reviews on key platforms and websites.
   5. Lead, develop and inspire the culinary team, creating an inclusive environment where all Team Members can thrive and achieve their professional goals.
   6. Practice great people management, from recruitment to training to succession planning and recognition.
   7. Develop an efficient culinary workforce plan to identify current and future needs based on forecast business volumes, budgets, and HR guidelines.
   8. Responsible for ensuring that the monthly working schedules are made and maintained in accordance with local legislation.
   9. Communicate well and often, building great relationships with key stakeholders.
   10. Make sure culinary operations strictly comply with all regulations (including health, safety and hygiene, food safety certification, licensing) and that potentially hazardous situations are identified, reported, and corrected.
   11. Work with the purchasing team to select suppliers and create efficient purchasing processes.
   12. Keep up to date with what is happening in current and future trends, markets, ingredients, competitors, and suppliers – to drive innovation.

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

We are looking for an inspirational leader who is passionate about food, with at least 3 years’ experience in a similar role and an internationally recognized degree or diploma. Experience of similar capacity in an international luxury hotel culinary operation is a requirement.

To be successful in this position you will have:

1. Commercial focus, with a demonstrated ability to deliver exceptional business performance and results.
2. Inspirational leadership and people management skills, experienced in leading, developing and motivating a large team and working effectively with other departments.
3. Excellent verbal and written communication to deliver a compelling message for the right audience, from team briefings to representing the hotel publicly.
4. Guest focus, maintaining the highest standards of service and quality to create memorable guest experiences.
5. Effective relationship management skills to build good working relationships with key stakeholders, internally and externally, including suppliers, local media and influencers.
6. Creativity, strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, able to work effectively in a fast-paced environment while remaining calm and focused under pressure.
7. Consistently delivers high-quality dishes with meticulous attention to detail and innovative flair, all while managing the complex logistics of large-scale banqueting events.
8. Must be forward-thinking, with a strong background in both luxury and high-volume (600 pax +) operations, to seamlessly blend sophistication with efficiency.

You will also be fluent in English, a social media expert, and comfortable using F&D systems and MS Office.

USEFUL TO KNOW: This position is full-time and may require working weekend and/or evening shifts.