Deputy Culinary Director

Reports To: Culinary Director
Location: Pakistan
Open to candidates based in the GCC, South Asia, and regional markets willing to relocate

About the Role

The Catalyst Group is hiring a Deputy Culinary Director – Standards, Development & Training on behalf of its client, Rina’s Kitchenette (Rina's Hospitality Group), an established and high-growth multi-unit hospitality brand expanding its footprint across locations and cities. In this role, you will serve as the chief architect of our culinary systems, quality controls, and kitchen operations. 

Unlike a traditional hands-on Executive Chef role, this position is focused on codification, operational scalability, and culinary governance. Working directly alongside the Culinary Director, you will translate the brand’s culinary vision and signature flavors into master recipes, standardized operating procedures (SOPs), detailed plating guides, and rigorous training systems. Your mission is simple: build the infrastructure that allows every kitchen across our network to execute our food to an exact, uncompromising standard—without requiring constant personal supervision.

Key Responsibilities

Recipe Codification & Master Documentation

• Codify existing and new menu items into comprehensive master recipe files, complete with exact ingredient weights, yields, portion sizes, and prep procedures.
• Create visual plating and build guides, assembly sequence manuals, and quality control checkpoints for both pre-prep and line execution.
• Maintain a central, version-controlled repository of all kitchen SOPs, standardizing everything from station setups to hygiene protocols.

Culinary Training & Quality Systems

• Design and implement formal culinary training modules, onboarding tracks, and skill certification programs for kitchen personnel at all levels.
• Establish brand-wide quality assurance and recipe-compliance audit protocols, regularly evaluating kitchens for operational consistency and flavor execution.
• Train kitchen teams and head chefs on proper technique, waste reduction, portion control, and strict adherence to written SOPs.

Operational Development & Menu Rollouts

• Lead the operational rollout of menu updates, seasonal items, and new culinary concepts across all current and future locations.
• Direct kitchen setup, line mapping, and staff training for new restaurant openings (NROs).
• Partner with the supply chain team to verify raw material consistency, conduct yield tests, and establish acceptable ingredient substitutions.

Cost Control & Efficiency

• Maintain rigorous food costing models, yield calculations, and waste-tracking frameworks across all outlets.
• Continuously audit prep and line processes to optimize throughput, minimize waste, and protect margin integrity without compromising quality.

Key Requirements

• Proven background in Culinary R&D, Corporate or Brand Chef roles, or multi-unit kitchen leadership within structured restaurant groups, hotel chains, airline catering, or central production facilities
• Practical expertise building master recipe databases, kitchen SOPs, visual plating manuals, yield sheets, and staff training materials from scratch (candidates will be required to share non-proprietary examples of documentation they have personally created)
• Direct experience scaling culinary consistency across multiple locations, including executing menu rollouts and leading new restaurant openings
• System-oriented mindset with sharp attention to granular operational details such as exact measurements, timing, cooking temperatures, and portion limits
• Strong coaching and cross-cultural communication skills to translate complex culinary procedures into accessible training frameworks for diverse kitchen teams

• High commercial acumen with a strong command of culinary math, yield analysis, waste management, and food cost controls