Private Head Chef – High Profile Residence | UAE

Our clients are seeking a highly flexible, creative, and progressive Private Head Chef to join a prestigious private household in the UAE. This is an exceptional opportunity for a culinary professional with experience in private residences or luxury hospitality environments who thrives in delivering world-class dining experiences .
The successful candidate will demonstrate innovation in menu planning, adaptability under pressure, and a passion for creating healthy, refined, and exciting cuisine tailored to a variety of dietary requirements and preferences. The role also requires occasional local and international travel with the family.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, design, and continuously update creative menus and recipes for daily family dining and occasional VVIP events.
• Create refined, healthy Mediterranean-style cuisine with a fine dining approach, inspired by chefs such as Yotam Ottolenghi, featuring vibrant salads, fresh seasonal ingredients, lean proteins, and colourful presentation.
• Prepare a wide range of cuisines, including gastropub-style comfort food, family-style meals, and international dishes to ensure a varied and exciting rotational menu.
• Design healthy, nutritious, and visually appealing meals for children with exceptional attention to presentation and care.
• Accommodate all dietary requirements and restrictions, including gluten-free, low-carbohydrate, allergy-sensitive, and balanced nutritional meal planning.
• Provide macro and nutritional breakdowns for meals and snacks when required.
• Deliver exceptional standards under pressure and accommodate last-minute requests with professionalism and efficiency.
• Seek and implement feedback, refining dishes and menus to satisfy Royal family members and distinguished guests.
• Maintain a calm, respectful, and well-organised kitchen environment, demonstrating excellent leadership, communication, and team management skills.
• Ensure full compliance with HACCP standards, food safety regulations, and all operational policies and procedures.
• Source high-quality, fresh, and organic ingredients wherever possible while maintaining awareness of local market availability.
• Manage ingredient orders, supplier relationships, LPO reviews, pricing, produce quality checks, and delivery integrity.
• Conscientiously manage resources to minimise wastage and maintain operational efficiency within allocated budgets.
• Report equipment issues, maintenance concerns, and any safety hazards promptly.
• Accompany the family on local and international travel when required.

Candidate Requirements

It is essential that candidates possess the following:

• Previous experience working within a private household environment or for high-profile/VVIP families.
• A creative mindset with a passion for progressive cuisine and continuous culinary development.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to maintain a calm and respectful kitchen culture.
• Excellent verbal and written English communication skills preferred.
• A 3-year Hospitality Management qualification or equivalent culinary university degree.
• Minimum 5–8 years’ experience in a similar role within an international five-star hotel or luxury private household.
• Strong working knowledge and application of HACCP procedures and food safety standards.
• Ability to perform under pressure and manage last-minute requests with discretion and professionalism.
• Strong organisational, management, and communication skills.
• Flexibility to work early mornings, late evenings, weekends, and travel as required.

Employment Details

Location: UAE
Contract Type: Permanent
Start Date: TBC
Working Hours: 8 hours per day (early and late shifts as scheduled)
Working Days: 6 days per week

Holiday Allowance:

• You will be entitled to maximum of 30 Calendar Days paid annual leave after completion of one-year genuine service in accordance with Palace Rules & Regulations

Package & Benefits

• Salary: QAR 24,0450 per month
• Total Package Value:
• QAR 32,795 per month (approximately £6,672.05equivalent)
• Housing allowance: QAR 8,500
• Mobile phone allowance: QAR 250
• Vehicle provided