Head - Kitchen Operations

Namaste,

The DAV Group - Chennai, functioning under the aegis of Tamil Nadu Arya Samaj Educational Society was established in 1970 at Gopalapuram in Chennai with just 50 students. The Group today, caters to over 40,000 students across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. It has a staff of 1500 plus which includes 1,200 teachers. Four of our branches have been consistently ranked amongst top 15 schools in the country.

In addition to K-12 schooling, DAV has recently ventured into Higher Education with DAV-SMK Fomra College of Arts & Science at Kelambakkam, Chennai.

Job Description

The Head of Kitchen Operations will lead and manage all kitchen & food services at DAV School, Pallikaranai. The role involves overseeing daily operations, ensuring food safety & hygiene, promoting healthy, balanced menus, optimizing costs, guiding the kitchen team, and continually improving kitchen processes to align with the school's standards of wellness and nutrition.

The Head of Kitchen Operations will be responsible for ensuring the kitchen functions as a healthy kitchen, which means:

• Menus contain a balanced diet: sufficient variety (whole grains, pulses, vegetables, fruits, lean protein, minimal processed food).
• Preference for fresh, seasonal & local produce wherever possible.
• Elimination or limited offering of “junk food” / food high in fat, salt or sugar in the school campus, including during events.

Educational Qualifications

• Diploma or Degree in Hotel Management / Culinary Arts / Food & Nutrition or related field.
• Certification in Food Safety / Hygiene (e.g. HACCP, Food Safety & Standards Authority / local equivalent) is highly desirable.

Experience

• Minimum 5 years of experience in kitchen operations—large‑scale catering, hotel kitchens, institutional kitchens or equivalent.
• At least 2 years in a supervisory or managerial role, leading teams of cooks, kitchen assistants etc.
• Experience in menu planning, nutrition‑aware cooking, cost control & inventory management.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee all kitchen operations: meal prep, cooking, service, clean up.
• Develop menus that are nutritious, balanced, seasonal and sensitive to students’ dietary needs & preferences.
• Enforce strict food safety, hygiene & sanitation standards in food prep, handling, storage, and serving.
• Manage procurement & inventory of food, ingredients, kitchen equipment; minimize waste.
• Recruit, train, supervise kitchen staff; maintain staffing rosters, ensure performance standards.
• Monitor food quality: taste, portion size, presentation, consistency.
• Innovate: new recipes, process efficiencies, cost‑saving, better supplier options.
• Coordinate with school leadership for special events & needs.
• Salary shall commensurate with experience

Salary shall commensurate with experience

Apply via our careers page:

https://davchennai.darwinbox.in/jobs/jobsdetailed/id/a68b5527b2cec8/grp_company/5f93c70ba8d88

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: From ₹40,000.00 per month

Work Location: In person