Chef De Cuisine

The shipboard Chef de Cuisine plays a pivotal role in the culinary leadership of our culinary programming, contributing to both strategic and operational decisions regarding the culinary offerings. This position oversees culinary operations, ensuring exceptional quality and innovative dining experiences.

Inspire and lead a diverse culinary team, ensuring effective communication

Implement comprehensive training programs to enhance culinary skills and uphold high standards of performance. 

Guest Experience Excellence: 

Ensure all dining experiences exceed guest expectations by providing personalized attention and exceptional service. 

Develop strategies to enhance the overall dining experience, promptly addressing feedback and resolving issues. 

Operational Oversight: 

Manage daily culinary operations, ensuring seamless coordination between kitchen and service staff for prompt and consistent food service. 

Ensure that kitchen operations adhere to the highest standards of cleanliness, efficiency, and safety. 

Menu and Concept Development: 

Collaborate with onboard culinary teams to design innovative menus that reflect current trends and cater to diverse dietary preferences. 

Regularly review and update menu offerings based on guest feedback, seasonal ingredients, and emerging culinary trends. 

Craft industry-best "surprise and delight" experiences. 

Financial Management: 

Control labor and operating expenses through effective planning, budgeting, and inventory management, with a focus on creative revenue generation. 

Monitor financial performance, analyze variances, and implement corrective actions to meet budget targets. 

Quality and Compliance: 

Uphold high standards of food quality, presentation, and safety, ensuring compliance with health, safety, and sanitation regulations (VSP). 

Conduct regular inspections and audits to maintain hygiene standards and address potential issues. 

Strategic Planning and Innovation: 

Contribute to long-term vision and strategic planning for culinary operations, including new concepts and service innovations. 

Stay informed about industry trends to keep the yacht's culinary offerings competitive and appealing. 

Team Collaboration: 

Collaborate with other departments to ensure seamless integration of food and beverage services within the overall yacht operations. 

Participate in leadership meetings and work with the Planning Committee to align culinary strategies with broader yacht objectives. 

A Hospitality Management Degree is preferred, however not mandatory, with relevant experience in Leadership Management, Culinary Arts, Business Administration, or a related field.

Advanced certifications or diplomas in culinary arts, food and beverage management / admin, food safety certification, or related areas are considered 

Minimum of 7-10 years in food and beverage management, with at least 3-5 years in a culinary management role.

Proven experience in luxury hospitality or yacht/cruise line operations is preferred.

Exceptional leadership, strategic planning, and operational excellence are required.

Strong communication skills and proficiency in English are essential.

Familiarity with food and beverage operational systems is a must. Michelin Star restaurant or hotel experience is considered ideal. 

Willingness to live and work onboard the Yacht for extended periods, with travel to various international.

Oversee culinary operations, ensuring seamless coordination between kitchen and service staff for high-quality service.

Maintain consistent food and beverage quality adhering to Four Seasons' brand standards. Conduct regular training to ensure crew deliver exceptional service. 

Adopt and implement the Four Seasons standards of luxury service, which include attentiveness, generosity, and genuine heart hospitality.

Emphasize the importance of intuitive, customized service, ensuring our guests feel special. 

Foster a service culture that emphasizes personalized attention, ensuring that each Yacht guest feels valued and recognized.

Utilize guest preferences and past interactions to tailor dining experiences and enhance satisfaction. 

Continuously train crew to engage with guests proactively, offering personalized recommendations and accommodating specific requests, thus creating memorable and individualized dining experiences. Embrace the principle of intuitive service, where team members are trained to anticipate and respond to guest needs before, they are expressed. This includes recognizing cues and preferences and addressing them in advance to enhance overall satisfaction.  Monitor guest feedback and review survey results to assess satisfaction and identify areas for improvement.  Glitch Recovery-address and resolve guest complaints or issues promptly, ensuring a positive and memorable experience. 

Ensure all culinary and stewarding crew are thoroughly trained in maritime safety procedures and SOLAS regulations, including emergency response protocols and evacuation procedures. 

Conduct regular safety drills and training sessions to keep crew updated on safety practices and ensure readiness in case of emergencies. 

In partnership with the Yacht's marine team, comply and reinforce emergency procedures for food and beverage areas, including actions to take during drills and real-life emergencies. 

Ensure that all food and beverage service and galley areas are equipped with necessary safety equipment, including fire extinguishers, first aid kits, crew PPE, and emergency lighting. 

Partner with Inventory team to conduct quality inspections for provisions and supplies delivered to the Yacht "spot checks." Ensure that Four Seasons standard are met for freshness, quality, and safety.

Collaborate with the procurement and logistics teams to verify that all food and beverage items are received in best condition, addressing any discrepancies or issues at once. 

Ensure that all provisioning processes are followed, from unloading to storage and preparation, adhering to best practices for food safety and hygiene, mitigating any risks related to contamination or spoilage. 

Ensure meticulous attention to detail in every aspect of the dining experience, from the presentation and execution of dishes to the ambiance of the dining rooms.

This includes maintaining impeccable cleanliness and organizing settings

Regularly review and refine service procedures to ensure that every detail contributes to a seamless dining experience. 

Math Ability-able to add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals. 

Reasoning Ability-ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral or in diagram form. Ability to deal with problem involving several concrete variables in standardized situations. 

Work Environment & Physical Demands: 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions for this job.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. 

While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to stand, use hands to finger, handle or feel; Reach with hands and arms; Talk, hear and smell. 

The employee must be able to lift or move up to 55 pounds (25 kilograms) without assistance, to bend, climb, perform repetitive motion and repetitively heavy lift. 

Vision requirements: 

Ability to adjust focus, depth perception, peripheral vision, distance vision and close vision and to be able to otherwise perform the essential functions of the job in a manner that does not present danger to the employee or others or without a reasonable accommodation. 

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