Head of Food Production

PoweredUp Consulting

Food Services & Catering

Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage food production operations across the central kitchen and production units.
• Ensure timely and efficient preparation and delivery of food items to all restaurant outlets.
• Implement and monitor standard operating procedures (SOPs) for food production to maintain consistency and quality.
• Enforce strict adherence to food safety standards (e.g., HACCP, ISO, or local regulations).
• Regularly audit production processes for hygiene, sanitation, and compliance.
• Work closely with QA/QC teams to resolve quality issues and conduct root cause analyses.
• Collaborate with R&D and marketing teams to develop and roll out new menu items.
• Standardize recipes and portion sizes to ensure uniformity across all outlets.
• Optimize cooking processes and ingredient sourcing (in conjunction with the Procurement team) for efficiency and scalability.
• Manage relationships (in conjunction with the procurement team) with raw material and ingredient suppliers to ensure timely delivery and cost-effectiveness.
• Work with procurement to evaluate vendors and negotiate contracts.
• Monitor inventory levels, wastage, and reordering schedules to minimize losses.
• Monitor food production costs and implement measures to improve margins.
• Identify opportunities for process automation, lean production, and waste reduction.
• Ensure optimal resource utilization (labor, equipment, ingredients) to meet demand without overproduction.
• Team Leadership
• Recruit (in conjunction with the HR team), train, and manage production staff across locations.
• Foster a culture of discipline, continuous improvement, and accountability within the team.
Set performance targets and evaluate team effectiveness regularly.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Technology, Culinary Arts, Food Science, Industrial Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum of 8–10 years of experience in food production, preferably in QSR, catering, or large-scale food manufacturing.
• Proven leadership in managing central kitchens or large production teams.
• Strong knowledge of food production systems, safety standards, and quality assurance.
• Excellent organizational, planning, and time management skills.
• Experience with food cost control, supply chain management, and production forecasting.
• Proficient in food production software, ERP systems, and Microsoft Office tools.
Strong interpersonal and leadership skills with the ability to work under pressure.

Working Conditions:

• Based at the head office/central kitchen or production facility, with regular visits to restaurant outlets.
• Must be available for operational needs, including weekends or early mornings when required.
Travel may be required between production centers and vendor sites.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience.
• HMO/Medical Provision
• Duty Lunch
• Paid annual leave days and allowance
• Telephone recharge cards & Transport/Fuel allowance
• Opportunity to be a part of a growing QSR chain with a focus on innovation, profitability, and safety.