Executive Chef

About Talent House:We are a leading recruitment and HR consulting firm that operates as a link between people and companies in achieving a shared purpose. We offer creative, effective and flexible solutions that not only help individuals discover their career paths but also provide organisations with talent they can recruit, develop and retain.About the Role:Our client, Meraki Centro Limited, seeks an Executive Chef to join their dynamic team. The Executive Chef is the highest culinary authority at Meraki. This role exists to ensure that every dish, every bake and every food product that leaves a Meraki kitchen — whether at branch level or from the HQ production facility — meets the highest possible standard of quality, creativity and consistency.The Executive Chef leads from the kitchen — setting the standard, building the team, driving innovation and ensuring that Meraki's food offering remains relevant, exciting and exceptional across all four café outlets and the HQ production kitchen.This is not a back-of-house role. This is a leadership role that shapes the Meraki brand from the inside out. The Executive Chef is as responsible for the culture and capability of the kitchen teams as they are for the food that those teams produce.Key Responsibilities: 1.  Culinary Leadership & Kitchen ManagementProvide clear, inspiring and accountable culinary leadership across all four Meraki café kitchens and the HQ production facilitySet, maintain and continuously raise the culinary standard across every Meraki kitchen — ensuring consistency of quality, presentation and taste at every outletBe present and active across all kitchen operations — this is a hands-on leadership role, not a desk roleCreate and maintain a kitchen culture of excellence, precision, hygiene and pride — where every team member understands that what they produce represents the Meraki brandManage and resolve kitchen operational issues swiftly and decisively — minimising disruption to serviceConduct regular kitchen inspections across all branches — identifying and correcting any deviation from the Meraki culinary standard immediately  2.  Menu Development & Culinary InnovationLead the design, development and regular refresh of Meraki's café menus across all four outlets — ensuring the offering is current, exciting and commercially viableDraw on exposure to diverse global cuisines to bring fresh, creative and distinctive ideas to the Meraki menu — while honouring the brand's identity of simple, fresh and deliciousDevelop seasonal menus and limited edition offerings that create excitement and drive customer visitsCollaborate with the COO and CEO on menu strategy — balancing creativity with commercial performance and food cost targetsResearch food trends locally and internationally and translate relevant insights into Meraki menu opportunitiesDevelop a signature Meraki food identity — a distinctive culinary voice that is immediately recognisable and consistently deliveredEnsure all new menu items are fully costed, tested and documented before being introduced to any outlet3.  HQ Production Kitchen — Bulk & Ready-to-Go MealsOversee all food production operations at the Meraki HQ production kitchen — managing the output, quality and efficiency of bulk meal and ready-to-go food productionDevelop the ready-to-go meal range — creating products that are convenient, delicious, well-priced and consistent with the Meraki brandDesign and implement production schedules that ensure timely, accurate and well-coordinated delivery of food products to all four café outletsMaintain strict quality control standards at the production kitchen — ensuring every product that leaves the facility meets the Meraki standardIdentify opportunities to expand the HQ production capability — new product lines, retail products, corporate catering and wholesale opportunitiesManage production kitchen staffing, workload and output to meet demand without waste or inefficiency4.  Food Costing, Waste Management & COGS ControlOwn the food cost percentage across all kitchens — ensuring production is consistently within the approved COGS targetsDevelop and maintain accurate recipe cost cards for every menu item — updating them whenever ingredient costs changeImplement and enforce strict portioning standards across all outlets — ensuring consistency of both quality and costMonitor and actively manage food wastage across all kitchens — identifying and addressing the root causes of wasteWork closely with the Operations & Financial Risk Manager to track and manage food costs, wastage and variances at branch and production levelMake commercially sound decisions about menu pricing, ingredient sourcing and production volumes  5.  Kitchen Team Development & TrainingRecruit, train and develop a high-performing culinary team across all Meraki kitchens — building both technical skill and professional prideDesign and deliver ongoing training programmes for kitchen staff — covering technique, hygiene, consistency, product knowledge and Meraki culinary standardsIdentify and develop kitchen talent — building a pipeline of skilled chefs and production staff who are ready to grow with MerakiSet clear performance expectations for all kitchen team members and hold them accountable through regular feedback and formal reviewsFoster a kitchen culture of learning, craftsmanship and continuous improvement — where excellence is the expectation not the exceptionManage kitchen staffing levels — working with the COO to ensure appropriate resourcing across all outlets and the production kitchen  6.  Food Safety, Hygiene & ComplianceMaintain the highest standards of food safety and hygiene across all Meraki kitchens — ensuring full compliance with Zambian food safety legislation and industry best practiceEnsure all kitchen team members are trained on and compliant with food safety and hygiene requirements at all timesConduct and oversee regular food safety audits and kitchen inspections — addressing any non-compliance immediatelyMaintain accurate and up to date food safety documentation across all kitchen facilitiesManage food allergen protocols rigorously — ensuring every team member understands the importance of allergen management and the risk of non-complianceOversee food storage, labelling, temperature control and rotation procedures across all outlets and the production kitchen7.  Supplier Relationships & Ingredient SourcingWork with the Procurement Manager to identify, evaluate and approve suppliers for all kitchen ingredients — prioritising quality, consistency, value and where possible local sourcingChampion the use of fresh, seasonal and locally sourced Zambian ingredients — bringing authenticity and local pride to the Meraki food offeringMaintain strong relationships with key suppliers — ensuring consistent quality, competitive pricing and reliable supplyStay current with ingredient availability and seasonality — designing menus and production schedules around what is fresh and availableIdentify new and innovative ingredients that can elevate the Meraki food offering and differentiate the brand  8.  Cross-Functional Collaboration & ReportingWork closely with the COO, branch managers and the Operations & Financial Risk Manager to ensure the culinary operation supports the overall business strategyReport monthly to the COO on culinary performance — covering food cost, menu performance, kitchen team development, quality standards and production outputCollaborate with the Marketing and Brand Manager on food photography, menu launches, social media content and customer-facing culinary storytellingSupport corporate catering and events — designing menus and overseeing food production for Meraki's corporate and event clientsContribute to Meraki's growth strategy — bringing culinary insight to decisions about new branches, new product lines and new marketsQualifications & ExperienceEssential:Formal culinary qualification from a recognised culinary institute — Diploma or Degree in Culinary Arts or equivalentMinimum 7 years of professional kitchen experience — with at least 5 years in a senior chef or head chef roleDemonstrated experience leading kitchen teams across multiple sites or outletsProven exposure to and command of multiple international cuisines — with the creativity and range to bring diverse culinary influences to the Meraki menuStrong understanding of food costing, COGS management and kitchen financial controlsExtensive knowledge of food safety standards, hygiene protocols and allergen managementExperience in high-volume food production — whether in a production kitchen, catering operation or multi-site restaurant environmentDesirable:Experience in the café, bakery or lifestyle food and beverage sectorInternational culinary experience — training or working in kitchens outside ZambiaExperience developing retail food products or ready-to-go meal rangesExposure to Zambian and broader African ingredient traditions and cuisineExperience with food photography and social media content for food brandsThe Culinary Profile We Are Looking ForThe right person for this role is not simply a great cook. They are a culinary leader — someone who combines exceptional technical skill with the vision to build something distinctive, the discipline to maintain consistently high standards and the warmth to develop a team that loves what it does.Compensation:The incumbent will receive a competitive salary commensurate with experience.To Apply:Please send your CV to careers@talenthousepeople.com before the 10th of July 2026.