Job Requirements Job Description – Head Chef Position: Head Chef

Property: Hampton by Hilton Accra Airport – 170 Rooms

Department: Food & Beverage – Kitchen

Reports to: General Manager

Supervises: Sous Chef / Cooks / Kitchen Assistants / Stewards

Employment Type: Full-Time, Permanent

Start Date: Pre-opening phase

Position Summary

The Head Chef is responsible for the overall management of the kitchen operations, ensuring consistent food quality, hygiene, cost control, and compliance with Hampton by Hilton brand standards.

In addition to international and brand-standard offerings, the Head Chef must be capable of producing high-quality local and regional dishes, adapted to the hotel’s clientele, cultural context, and market expectations.

The kitchen operation covers:

• Breakfast service
• Lunch and dinner menus
• Conferencing and banqueting menus

The Head Chef reports directly to the General Manager and works in close coordination with the Operations Managerto ensure smooth service flow, guest satisfaction, and operational efficiency.

Key Responsibilities1. Kitchen Operations & Food Production

• Lead and manage all kitchen operations across:
• Breakfast service (core Hampton offer);
• Lunch and dinner menus;
• Conferencing and banqueting menus.
• Develop, standardise, and execute menus that combine:
• Hampton by Hilton brand requirements;
• International cuisine;
• Local and regional dishes, adapted to the hotel’s diverse clientele.
• Ensure food quality, consistency, presentation, portion control, and timely service.
• Adapt menus and production volumes based on occupancy, events, and business mix.

2. Local & Regional Cuisine Capability

• Demonstrate or quickly develop strong knowledge of local and regional cuisine, ingredients, and cooking techniques.
• Ensure authentic, high-quality preparation of local dishes while maintaining:
• hygiene standards,
• presentation consistency,
• cost control.
• Work with the General Manager to position local cuisine appropriately within:
• breakfast offerings (where applicable),
• lunch and dinner menus,
• conferencing and banqueting menus.
• Source local ingredients responsibly and in compliance with quality and safety standards.

3. Food Cost Control & Budget Discipline

• Take full responsibility for food cost control, yield management, and waste reduction across all meal periods and events.
• Monitor and control:
• food cost percentage,
• purchasing and supplier usage,
• portioning and standard recipes,
• stock rotation (FIFO).
• Prepare food cost budgets and variance analyses in collaboration with the General Manager and Finance.

4. Kitchen Staffing & Leadership

• Recruit, train, schedule, and supervise all kitchen staff, including cooks, kitchen assistants, and stewards, within GM-approved headcount and budget.
• Ensure the kitchen team is capable of delivering:
• international dishes,
• local/regional cuisine,
• high-volume conferencing menus.
• Maintain discipline, professionalism, and a strong food-safety culture.
• Conduct performance reviews and recommend disciplinary action where required.

5. Hygiene, Food Safety & Compliance

• Ensure full compliance with:
• HACCP principles;
• Hilton food safety standards;
• Local food safety and hygiene regulations;
• ESMS, OHS, and GBVH requirements where applicable.
• Ensure all kitchen staff are trained in food safety, hygiene, and allergen management.
• Maintain cleanliness, pest control, and proper waste management at all times.

6. Pre-Opening & Conferencing Responsibilities

• Participate actively in the pre-opening phase, including:
• Kitchen final layout validation and equipment testing;
• Menu development for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and conferencing;
• Supplier selection and product testing;
• Recruitment and training of the kitchen team;
• Dry runs, mock services, and soft opening execution.
• Design scalable menus suitable for:
• individual guests,
• group bookings,
• meetings and conferences.

7. Coordination with Operations & Service

• Work closely with the Operations Manager to ensure:
• smooth service flow during breakfast, lunch, dinner, and events;
• alignment between kitchen production and service delivery;
• effective service recovery in response to guest feedback.
• Adjust kitchen operations based on occupancy forecasts and event schedules.

8. Asset Protection & Sustainability

• Ensure proper use and maintenance of kitchen equipment.
• Coordinate with Engineering for preventive maintenance.
• Support sustainability initiatives, including waste reduction and responsible sourcing of local ingredients.

Candidate Profile Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum 5 years experience in hotel kitchen operations.
• Proven experience as Head Chef or Senior Sous Chef, preferably in:
• international hotel brands;
• environments with local/regional cuisine requirements.
• Demonstrated experience producing:
• breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus;
• conferencing / banqueting menus.
• Pre-opening experience is a strong advantage.
• Formal culinary qualification preferred.

Skills & Competencies

• Continental cuisine international standards with capability to develop regional cuisine if required.
• Solid understanding of high-volume food production and event catering.
• Excellent food cost control and kitchen productivity skills.
• Strong leadership, organisation, and team-management abilities.
• High standards of hygiene, discipline, and professionalism.

Summary

The Head Chef is a key contributor to guest satisfaction and hotel profitability, responsible for delivering a versatile kitchen operation capable of serving international guests while showcasing local and regional cuisine. Through effective leadership, cost control, and menu execution across breakfast, lunch, dinner, and conferencing, the Head Chef supports the overall success of the Hampton by Hilton Accra Airport.

Work Experience

Qualifications & Experience:

• Minimum 5 years experience in hotel kitchen operations.
• Proven experience as Head Chef or Senior Sous Chef, preferably in:
• international hotel brands;
• environments with local/regional cuisine requirements.
• Demonstrated experience producing:
• breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus;
• conferencing / banqueting menus.
• Pre-opening experience is a strong advantage.
• Formal culinary qualification preferred.

Skills & Competencies:

• Continental cuisine international standards with capability to develop regional cuisine if required.
• Solid understanding of high-volume food production and event catering.
• Excellent food cost control and kitchen productivity skills.
• Strong leadership, organisation, and team-management abilities.
• High standards of hygiene, discipline, and professionalism.

Disclaimer
This job posting is for a position at a hotel that is owned and operated by an independent franchisee. The franchisee controls all aspects of the hotel’s employment practices, including recruiting, hiring, salary, benefits and compensation decisions, and the collection and processing of the personal data that you provide on this website. If you accept this position, you will be employed by a franchisee and not by Hilton. You will not be eligible from compensation or benefits from Hilton. You will be eligible for compensation or benefits only as may be provided to you by the independent franchisee.