Sous Chef & Operations Manager

About the Company

RoomService is building a private-chef service for households in Dubai. Each home is matched with a dedicated chef who prepares breakfast, lunch, and dinner fresh to order, tailored to the household’s ingredients, macros, and timing preferences. The experience is not a meal-kit, a restaurant, or a standard delivery app. Instead, the model combines a shared chef network with centralized kitchen support, including ingredient sourcing, prep, packaging, and delivery. The service has already been validated in a pilot, and the next step is to scale the operation across Dubai.

Role Overview

This is a founding position for a chef who also thinks like an operator. The main responsibility is to build a reliable, scalable kitchen system that can support multiple households without compromising quality. In the early stage, the role also includes hands-on procurement and delivery management. The right person will be comfortable turning a pilot into a repeatable operating model and helping shape the processes from the ground up.

Core Focus Areas

• Build and improve the centralized mise en place flow so one chef can produce personalized meals for several households efficiently while maintaining quality.
• Convert dishes into standardized recipes with controlled portions, consistent output, and disciplined food-cost management.
• Source ingredients, packaging, and consumables to required standards, negotiate supplier terms, and keep inventory and par levels under control.
• Recruit, brief, and coordinate riders; plan delivery routes and timing; ensure meals reach customers hot and on schedule.
• Support chefs by coordinating menus, production volumes, and timing while maintaining strong hygiene and food-safety standards.
• Run the daily operating rhythm, handle issues as they arise, and create SOPs so recurring problems are prevented.

What Success Looks Like in the First 6 Months

• A prep system that clearly increases the number of menus one chef can handle without any drop in quality.
• Recipes and food costs brought under control through standard portions and improved cost trends.
• A dependable hot-delivery process with on-time performance and a clear escalation path when delays occur.
• Procurement running smoothly with a managed supplier base, negotiated terms, and low waste.
• Documented SOPs across kitchen, procurement, and delivery that allow someone else to step in and run the operation.

What We’re Looking For

• A professionally trained chef with operator mindset and hands-on kitchen experience at sous chef or chef de partie level.
• Strong practical knowledge of mise en place, food cost, kitchen flow, and day-to-day production management.
• Approximately 6 to 8 years of experience in professional kitchens such as restaurants, hotels, catering, or cloud kitchens, preferably in Dubai.
• Comfort with working numbers, including portions, stock, and cost control.
• High ownership, strong initiative, and willingness to handle the early-stage grind directly.
• Ambition to help build a business from scratch and grow into a broader culinary leadership role.
• Valid UAE driving licence and access to a car are strongly preferred.
• Food safety or HACCP awareness is an advantage.
• Arabic language skills alongside English are a plus.

Nice to Have

• Experience in cloud kitchens, quick-commerce, or delivery operations.
• Understanding of nutrition, macros, and calorie-based meal planning.
• Existing supplier or rider contacts in Dubai.
• Previous experience setting up a kitchen or operational function from the ground up.

Compensation and Growth

The salary is around AED 15,000 per month, with founding equity to be discussed. The role offers a clear route toward leading the full culinary operation as the company expands, along with real ownership in an early-stage business.