Menu Planner

Job Purpose

• To translate the Air India brand characteristics into a world leading airline on inflight cuisine. The position is a key strategic role responsible for crafting innovative, high-quality menus for in-flight and lounge dining experiences. The role involves curating diverse culinary offerings aligned with customer demographics, dietary needs, and industry trends to deliver a world-class gastronomic experience. This position also ensures the seamless implementation of these menus across global F&B suppliers, maintains consistency in quality, and leverages passenger feedback to refine services continuously.
• The role requires extensive collaboration with F&B service partners across the network, Air India stakeholders, and group chefs from supplier teams globally. This includes international travel, operational oversight, training, and coordination to uphold the highest standards of menu development and execution.
• Responsible to monitor various feedback received for inflight meals via various channels and amending the preparation process, whenever required. This role is also responsible for continuously analyzing these feedback and performance metrics and amending strategies to improve them and elevate the customer’s inflight experience.

Key Accountabilities

Menu Innovation and Development

• Responsible for providing robust culinary support to the development process of new menus for Air India stations ensuring compliance within define parameters.
• Design innovative, culturally diversified menus for in-flight across classes and routes.
• Curate signature offerings and themed menus for special occasions, seasonal events, and new route launches.
• Monitor and report across product quality and performance worldwide with regards to food and beverage delivery
• Create recipes adaptable to in-flight kitchen constraints, reheating methods, and altitude effects on taste.
• Incorporate customer demographics, dietary restrictions, allergens, and regional preferences in menu planning.
• and implement high-quality ingredients ensuring standards and consistent availability across geographies.
• Stay abreast of global culinary trends and integrate innovative techniques suitable for in-flight dining.
• Collaborate with the Service Design team to finalize crockery, plating designs, and F&B items.
• Possesses comprehensive knowledge of beverage programs, including the pairing of wine and spirits with food, ensuring alignment with the airline's brand identity.

Supplier( F&B Service partner) Coordination and Training

• Introduce approved menus to global F&B service providers and ensure alignment with Air India’s standards.
• Train chefs and staff from F&B service providers on preparation, portion control, and presentation.
• Develop comprehensive recipes, plating guidelines, and menu grids for seamless execution.
• Conduct "cook-along" sessions/programs with supplier chefs at various locations to ensure desired outcomes.
• Oversee the trials of menu items with suppliers, refine recipes, and finalize production processes.
• Continuously engage with assistant chefs globally to ensure implementation and consistency.

Quality Assurance and Feedback Management

• Monitor feedback from passengers, crew & internal channels besides structured feedback channels.
• Analyse trends in feedback, identify root causes for complaints, and develop actionable solutions.
• Conduct routine food audits across stations, evaluate findings, and enforce corrective measures with suppliers.
• Ensure compliance with quality and safety standards across all geographies.
• Provide periodic reports on feedback trends, quality metrics, and improvement plans to key stakeholders.
• Report early trends on cost escalations with menu changes & advise corrective measures.

Business and Strategic Coordination

• Collaborate with internal stakeholders, including branding and marketing teams, to design and distribute menu cards with a detailed write up’s.
• Prepare detailed meal portion control (MPC) documentation for all sectors and routes.
• Align menu development with Air India’s overall brand strategy and passenger experience goals.
• Oversee cost management for food production and recommend solutions to address cost escalations.
• Support cross-functional initiatives and facilitate knowledge-sharing among teams to enhance overall F&B operations.

Leadership and Team Management

• Lead culinary teams and F&B consultants across multiple locations.
• Guide F&B service providers in implementing processes that ensure operational efficiency and culinary excellence.
• Provide mentorship and training to culinary teams, fostering a culture of innovation and quality.
• Coordinate with suppliers’ group chefs during international travel to maintain consistency and address regional challenges.
• Ensures that information from the feedback and audits is regularly disseminated to all who might be affected.
• Support F&B services’ initiatives and works with colleagues to facilitate cross business leverage opportunities.

Other Requirements: -

• Flexibility to work across time zones and adapt to the dynamic aviation environment
• Proficiency in using analytics tools and analysing the insights.
• Commitment to elevating the customer experience through culinary excellence.

Any other additional responsibility could be assigned to the role holder from time to time as a standalone project or regular work. The same would be suitably represented in the Primary responsibilities and agreed between the incumbent, reporting officer and HR.

Skills Required for the role

Food and Beverage

Global Culinary Skills/expertise & coordination

Stakeholder & People Management

Menu innovation

Quality assurance

Analytical thinking

Key Performance Indicators

Culinary Excellence & Quality metrics

• Timely rollout of menus
• Resolution time for feedbacks and audit findings
• Complaints received related to feedback
• Number of signature products/concepts launched
• Number of new menus launched and implemented
• Number of cook along sessions carried out at F&B service provider
• Improvement in passenger satisfaction scores related to in-flight dining.
• Consistency in food quality across all geographies as per set standards
• Adherence to budget for menu development and F&B operations.
• Reduction in ingredient wastage and cost-effective sourcing practices
• Passenger satisfaction with curated wine and beverage offerings
• Percentage of successful trials and cook-alongs leading to menu finalization
• Positive media coverage or recognition for in-flight and lounge dining experiences
• Enhanced perception of the airline’s culinary offerings.

People management

• Training and Capability building
• Appraisal

Educational and Experience Requirements

Minimum Education Requirement

• Graduate or equivalent diploma in Hotel Management from a premier institute
• Preferred: Master’s degree in Food science & Business administration

Desired Experience

• Minimum 15 years of work experience, preferably with large airlines and flight kitchens/ 5 star hotels.
• Strong sense of culinary design and execution. Ability to work with chefs to execute on a culinary vision.
• Strong understanding of airline F&B operations
• Experience in handling global supply chain and food production logistics
• High levels of innovation and influencing
• Equipped with strong motivational, mentoring and coaching skillsets/experience.
• Strong sense of initiative and accountability
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Exposure to high-volume operations requiring consistency and quality control