Development Chef (Airport Lounge Network)

Description

About us:

For airports, for partners, for people. We are CAVU. Founded by MAG (Manchester Airports Group) and backed by over 80 years of aviation expertise, we’re striving to revolutionize airport travel, creating value for passengers and the businesses that serve them.

Why CAVU?

Our name is taken from the aviation, meteorology term, ‘Ceiling And Visibility Unlimited’ (CAVU), which designates the perfect flying condition, where the ceiling is more than 10,000ft and the visibility is more than ten miles.

More than just a name, CAVU is our mindset. It represents all that we stand for. Our proud aviation heritage, our drive to push boundaries, and the very essence of what we do: creating seamless, enjoyable travel experiences for airport passengers.  

Position Summary

The role-holder will take responsibility for shaping, developing and implementing our food & beverage programme that supports our guest operations in our Americas lounges that welcome c2m guests each year… and growing!

The role requires a cool head with experience of operating large scale catering operations, who understands the fine balances that need to be maintained between ensuring our product offer is best-in-class with a distinctive ‘wow factor’, but at the same time, executable at scale within small footprint kitchens.

This role is responsible for ensuring our food and beverage experience remains strong every day, from our early opens to late closures, before we go again in a few hours' time all over again. While a large proportion of your time will be spent developing the menu pipeline to stay well ahead of our quarterly cycle process, time will also be dedicated to nurturing and managing our supply chains, ensuring value for money in our purchasing, whilst also bringing to the forefront smaller and more local suppliers that help build the character of our proposition.

Our guests won’t see what you directly create in our development kitchen. What they will see is the work undertaken by our kitchen teams across our lounges. But it’s on you to ensure our teams fully understand and can implement your menu creations through your delivery of clear and detailed specifications, training materials and ongoing coaching as you tour our lounges across the continent.

Requirements

Key Responsibilities 

· Develop, specify and implement the Food and Beverage offer across our US lounges, producing exceptional food quality and consistent delivery in line with guest and brand expectations

· Remain abreast of market and food trends to ensure offer remains relevant at all   times, including constant monitoring of competitor propositions as well as   ensuring a sense of ‘locality’ in our network of lounges from East to West   coast. 

· Through a   process of continual improvement, ensure the operational delivery processes   constantly evolve as needed to reflect raised standards.

· Support   alongside Heads of Operations to implement exceptional stock control   processes ensuring stock levels reflect business requirements as well as solid   stock rotation principles, and food waste is minimized

· Provide as   required, and to meet legislation, all documentation in terms of calorific, nutritional, allergy as well as all temperature controls, HACCP, COSHH,   labelling, food legislation and licensing.

· Develop as required, seasonal menus; upgrade menus and rotational   daily specials. Manage the quarterly menu change and ensure the Lounge   Manager’s and kitchen teams are fully trained. 

· Use our   customer experience scores and mystery shopping feedback, along with Heads of   Operations, to ensure a feedback process is in place to support future   product refinement.

· Draft, agree   and implement, under guidance, updates on Kitchen/Bar equipment requirements, systems and its management through development with internal/external   partners in order to meet growth plans and to maximise the advantage to the   business.

· Manage delivery of Catering provision across the estate effectively, ensuring the   swift and effective resolution of issues.

· Carry out research   and analysis activities and develop documents and reports to support the   development of plans and proposals relating to the business and operational   development of the business.

· Lead and/or carry out planning and estimating activities to facilitate the development   and effective management of accurate and profitable plans and Audit/Legal requirements.

· Carry out   or lead reporting activities for Food and Beverage, ensuring that performance   issues are identified as early as possible and that effective action is taken   to address such issues.

· Spend circa 40%   of time in our lounges, training and developing our teams, engaging with   local suppliers and ensuring consistent product quality.

· Work as part of the RFP response team, co-ordinating proposed menus (with identified suppliers and indicative costings), forming our bid response to airports   where an opportunity for a new lounge exists.

· Attend RFP presentation meetings, demonstrating a passion and flair for creating great guest experiences and convincing the airport that our lounge proposition is   the perfect fit for their terminal. 

· Support the design of our kitchens as part of new location development, ensuring each   individual space has the capability to execute the proposition to our high   standards, with consistency.

· Contribute   fully to process and governance development and improvement activities to   facilitate the achievement of continuous improvements in quality, cycle time   and asset utilisation.

· Provide advice on legislative and commercial issues to management to facilitate   effective business decision-making and the resolution of issues and disputes, including customer, partner, contractor and other third-party disputes.

· Identify risks in relation to a full range of Operational and   Legislative issues, predominately but not exclusive to Food Safety/Health   & Safety and propose responses in line with policies in order to maximise business return. 

· Responsible for food hygiene and HACCP accountability, alongside head   of operations, developing a food safety plan and managing compliance.

· Prepare business cases or appraisals to support management decisions, and support   business planning activities in assigned areas.

· Participate as appropriate in the development and implementation of pricing policies and   plans in assigned areas, in accordance with all relevant requirements and   procedures.

· Prepare Lounge Catering packs (translated as required) to deliver to opening   timescales of future lounge and bar developments

· Support, with the Head of Operations, the effective training of teams in order to effectively execute the menus and product lines. Given our scale, such support includes   the implementation of materials, video guides, weekly Teams calls etc.

· Work closely with procurement to ensure effective F&B and related supplier 

Skills and Experience Required

· 3+ years' experience in an Operational/commercial/account management or other relevant function, across multiple sites with 24/7 operations.

· 5+ years experiences as a chef with extensive experience in a development kitchen environment

· Understanding of volume food production, handling, cost and good   practice

· Understanding of food delivery and customer service from Mid/High end   service providers

· Good knowledge of contractual terms and conditions

· Good understanding of costing, pricing and estimating processes and   techniques

· Good knowledge of diligence requirements and processes

· Good understanding of relevant contractual/commercial methodologies, techniques and processes

· Good understanding of internal and external customer requirements, and   of partners, contractors and third parties

· Understanding of commercial, finance and legislative requirements

· Well-developed IT skills relevant to the area, with an in-depth   understanding of business information tools and processes

· Ability to write specifications along with training documentation

· Able to work remotely at times with great time management principles   

· This role will require 25% travel to Escape Lounges locations nationwide. 

Preferred Skills and Experience:

· Airport lounge experience

· Travel and/or hospitality industry experience

· Microsoft Office 365

· Likely to possess (as appropriate) vocational qualifications, and/or be   developing towards higher level qualification

CAVU Core Behavior Framework

·Consistently produces accurate and timely legal advice and support to a high quality

· Adopts a commercial mindset and provides sound, business focused and practical advice and

support

· Earns others trust, delivering on promises and adhering to professional standards.

· Take responsibility for own development, searching for and seizing opportunities to learn and improve.

· Continually looks for better ways of doing things.

· Displays energy, positivity and a can-do approach

· Self-awareness and strong at inspiring others to achieve a vision

· Communicates effectively to get the best out of people

· Strong team player, capable of building good relationships and networks

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, actual or perceived sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical handicap, or disability as set forth in the American with Disabilities Act 1990, or Veterans Status.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.