Executive Chef / Culinary Director

Job Description

About AJA Honestly Good Food AJA is a fast-growing brand rooted in wellness, culinary creativity, and everyday joy. With two thriving outlets, a third launching soon, and a centralized base kitchen, AJA is redefining healthy indulgence through bold global flavours and thoughtful hospitality. We are now looking for a visionary Executive Chef / Culinary Director to lead the next phase of our food evolution — someone who can balance innovation and consistency, develop teams, and build the culinary identity of India’s next big premium F&B lifestyle brand. Role Summary The Executive Chef / Culinary Director will be responsible for driving AJA’s culinary vision across multiple outlets and formats. This leader will oversee menu innovation, kitchen systems, production at the base kitchen, training of chefs, and culinary R&D — while ensuring alignment with AJA’s brand promise of premium, health-conscious, globally inspired food. About the job Job Description: Food & Beverage Operations Position Title: Head F&B - Operations Department: Food & Beverage Reports To: CEO Location: Chandigarh Key Responsibilities 🔸 Culinary Leadership & Brand Building Define and evolve AJA’s signature culinary voice across outlets, menus, and formats (dine-in, delivery, retail) Develop seasonal menus that are creative, health-forward, cost-effective, and trend-responsive Translate the brand tagline “Everyday Nice” into food experiences that feel indulgent yet wholesome 🔸 Menu Development & Standardization Design new dishes, beverage pairings, and product lines for multiple outlets and future packaged formats Build detailed recipe cards, plating guides, and cost sheets for all SKUs Ensure seamless execution and consistency across all kitchens 🔸 Kitchen & Production Oversight Supervise Head Outlet Chefs and Base Kitchen Production Manager Monitor food production standards, hygiene (FSSAI), and kitchen workflow Own end-to-end food quality, yield management, and process efficiency 🔸 Team Development Recruit, mentor, and retain high-performing culinary talent Create and implement training programs and kitchen SOPs Instill a culture of discipline, creativity, and team ownership 🔸 Collaboration & Strategic Thinking Work cross-functionally with: Operations Head for outlet performance Marketing Lead for campaigns, launches, and content shoots Finance for food cost tracking, vendor selection, and forecasting Contribute to the development of a scalable, franchise-ready kitchen model 🔸 Innovation & R&D Experiment with new cuisines, superfoods, sustainability practices, and lifestyle trends Explore opportunities for future product lines: packaged meals, sauces, smoothies, etc. What We’re Looking For 10+ years in progressive culinary leadership roles (multi-outlet or concept development preferred) Expertise in global cuisines with a passion for healthy, ingredient-forward cooking Proven ability to manage teams, systems, and scale in fast-paced environments Highly organized, cost-conscious, and operationally disciplined Strong communication and leadership skills with creative instincts Ability to lead both from the kitchen and the whiteboard Why AJA? Be part of a brand redefining India’s premium casual dining segment Full creative freedom to shape AJA’s culinary voice and innovation pipeline Leadership role with real influence on the brand’s national growth Vibrant work culture rooted in design, wellness, and joy