EGYPT - Regional Executive Chef

COMPANY DESCRIPTION

Viking is a strong and dynamic company - with a growing fleet of more than 80 river ships, seven ocean vessels, 2 expedition ships. Our vessels are cruising over 100 itineraries around the world. As part of our river fleet, Viking currently owns and operates 3 vessels in Egypt (with 3 more under construction) with the support of two local offices in Cairo and Luxor.

PURPOSE OF POSITION

As the Regional Executive Chef (REC), you are required to be fluent in both English and Arabic and you will be responsible for managing and executing all Viking River Food and Beverage (F&B) operations and strategies on our growing Egyptian fleet. You will be part of our global River Operations Team, reporting to the Corporate Operations Manager in charge for our operations in Egypt. You will be working in close contact with both the regional office in Cairo and the teams onboard the ships. For broader functional related topics and initiatives, you will liaise with the Senior Corporate Executive Chef and Director of Food and Beverage.

You will be based in Egypt (ideally Cairo or Luxor), and you will be required to travel regularly to visit both the office and the vessels, as well as occasionally to Basel, Switzerland to meet with the Viking Head Office.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Your main responsibilities for this operation will be to:

• Ensure all Food and Beverage related procedures and standards are implemented across all ships
• Ensure service standards, revenues and costs are achieved and maintained within the targets established by the company
• Support the Corporate Operations Managers in the day-by-day operation
• Implement, review or contribute to create SOPs on all offered F&B related activities and services
• Drive and take an active involvement in Talent Management regarding identification, retention and development of current and future Viking Food and Beverage Talent.
• Train and coach the team of Executive Chefs on service standards and best practices
• Develop and implement effective training and onboarding programs for galley personnel.
• Regularly inspect the ships, ensuring full compliance on all HACCP related tasks and responsibilities including spot checks on all related documentation required by law and follow up if needed with trainings and or operational initiatives, in alignment with the respective Corporate Operations Manager
• Be able to conceptualize and implement menu programs and cycles
• Actively get involved in yield and cost management control in conjunction with the Senior Corporate Chef and the Purchasing / Procurement department. Proactively identify and suggest opportunities or adjustments needed to improve the operations
• Support local product sourcing to ensure product availability and high quality products

QUALIFICATION PROFILE

• Degree in Culinary Arts from a recognized institution or on the job experience
• Leadership experience in culinary arts in land-based hotel and/or cruise ship catering.
• Must be well-versed in modern and classical cooking techniques and simultaneously be innovative, having a pulse on current culinary trends.
• A good understanding of multi – unit F&B operations covering both galley, restaurant, and bar
• Strong understanding of food cost and general P&L principles and forms
• Proficient in training, supervising, coaching, and evaluating employees
• Strong ability to implement and follow work rules and standard operating procedures
• Strong ability to plan, organize and complete work in accordance with time deadlines
• Strong interpersonal skills - interact tactfully and effectively with staff, management, and customers
• Strong ability to self-motivate, self-engage, and self-develop
• Proficient Microsoft Office user
• Professional proficiency in both English and Arabic

The company reserves the right to change/extend this job description, if necessary, at any point of time during her/his employment.
 

Position:                                           Regional Executive Chef
Supervisor:                                      Corporate Operation Manager
Gives instructions to:                    Executive Chef, Sous Chef, Chef de Partie, Commis de Cuisine, Utility
Receives instructions from:         Corporate Operation Manager

APPLICATION AND JOB RELEVANT INFORMATION
Our roles will be subject to our appearance standards (including in relation to visible tattoos) and employees are expected to project a professional image at all times. Visible tattoos are not permitted. Tattoos concealed with make-up, skin-colored sleeves or any covering other than the company uniform will still be considered visible for the purposes of our appearance standards. Exemptions to this may be considered on a case-by-case basis where appropriate. Tattoo removal may not result in successful employment and therefore is not encouraged and is the candidate’s personal decision. Furthermore, any offer of employment is subject to you passing all mandatory medical examinations as required by the company. After submitting your CV, we might ask you to introduce yourself with a personal video recording. We always encourage our candidates to take this step to add their personality to any written application. Please note, however, that this step is optional and not a mandatory part of the recruiting process. For further information please refer to our Recruitment Guidelines.

DISCLAIMER
As part of any recruitment process, Viking collects and processes personal data relating to job applicants. We are committed to being transparent about how we collect and use that data and to meeting our data protection obligations. If you would like to find out more about how your information will be used, please view the privacy notice on our careers page.