Executive Head Chef

£75,000, plus excellent benefits including healthcare, wellbeing support, 23 days' annual leave plus bank holidays, life assurance, meals on duty, and more.

As Executive Head Chef
, you will provide overall culinary leadership for the Kia Oval, responsible for the quality, consistency, creativity and commercial performance of the food operation.

Reporting to the General Manager, the role will lead and develop the senior culinary team, including the Conference & Events Head Chef, Matchday Head Chef and Performance Chef, ensuring a consistent culinary vision across all areas of the business.

Working across matchdays, premium hospitality, conference and events, retail and performance nutrition, the Executive Head Chef will ensure exceptional food experiences for guests, clients, players and colleagues.

A key focus of the role will be people leadership and development, creating a positive, inclusive and high-performing culinary culture while developing talent and succession across the kitchen operation.

The role will also lead the Kia Oval's sustainable food agenda, embedding seasonality, responsible sourcing, plant-forward menus and food waste reduction into the culinary strategy.

• Lead the overall culinary vision and food strategy for the Kia Oval.
• Develop innovative, seasonal and commercially successful menus across matchdays, hospitality, events, retail and performance catering.
• Maintain consistently high standards of food quality, presentation and guest experience.
• Ensure menus reflect dietary, cultural, nutritional and allergen requirements.
• Keep the culinary offer relevant through innovation, trends and guest insight.

• Lead, inspire and develop the Conference & Events Head Chef, Matchday Head Chef and Performance Chef.
• Create a positive, inclusive and accountable kitchen culture.
• Develop talent, succession plans and career pathways across the culinary team.
• Coach and mentor senior chefs and support them in developing their own teams.
• Work with the GM, DGM and People team, along with the wider leadership team on recruitment, engagement, wellbeing and performance
• Champion Levy's values around diversity, inclusion and colleague development.

• Provide culinary leadership across the Kia Oval's busy matchday and event calendar.
• Ensure the kitchen operation is appropriately staffed, planned and resourced to deliver exceptional service.
• Work closely with the Conference & Events and Matchday Head Chefs to deliver consistent standards
• Support the Performance Chef in delivering high-quality, nutritious food aligned to athlete requirements.
• Be visible and hands-on during key matchdays and major events.

• Lead the Kia Oval and Levy UK&I’s sustainable food strategy.
• Increase the use of seasonal, local and responsibly sourced ingredients.
• Develop attractive plant-forward and lower-impact menu options.
• Drive food waste reduction through effective planning, menu engineering and ingredient utilisation.
• Engage and educate the culinary team around sustainable food practices.
• Work with suppliers and Levy's sustainability teams to deliver agreed environmental targets.

• Take overall responsibility for culinary cost, labour and profitability.
• Work with the General Manager and finance team to deliver agreed financial targets.
• Manage purchasing, suppliers, food cost and waste effectively.
• Ensure kitchen operations meet the highest standards of food safety, hygiene and compliance, working alongside the Venue Compliance Manager on current and future challenges.
• Drive efficiency and continuous improvement across the culinary operation.

• Work closely with the General Manager and wider senior leadership team.
• Build strong relationships with clients, event teams, operational colleagues and key stakeholders.
• Ensure the culinary proposition supports the wider commercial and guest experience strategy of the Kia Oval.
• Represent Levy and the Kia Oval professionally at senior level.

• Extensive senior culinary leadership experience within a large-scale hospitality, sporting, events, hotel or contract catering environment.
• Proven experience leading large and diverse culinary teams.
• Exceptional culinary and menu development skills.
• Strong commercial and financial understanding.
• Excellent leadership, communication and stakeholder…