Head Chef job at YooKatale

Background

YooKatale is a mobile food market that connects households and commercial clients in Uganda to a wide range of food products and services. Guided by a mission to make food accessible everywhere and a vision to connect people and communities to healthy food anywhere, the company focuses strongly on customer needs. YooKatale’s core values emphasize customer focus, respect, simplicity, authenticity, curiosity, valuing opportunities, and perseverance. The organization operates with a hybrid model, combining physical and digital food solutions to address everyday challenges in society. Its culture is structured and customer-centric, while also aiming to create a supportive environment for employees and sustainable value for stakeholders.

Role Description

The Head Chef at YooKatale is a part-time, hybrid role based in Central, with some flexibility for work-from-home tasks such as menu planning and coordination. The Head Chef will lead kitchen operations, including menu development that aligns with YooKatale’s focus on healthy and accessible food, food preparation, presentation, and quality control. This role includes supervising kitchen staff, managing food inventory, ensuring food safety compliance, and maintaining high standards of hygiene and cleanliness. The Head Chef will collaborate with operations and digital teams to adapt recipes and menus for mobile market offerings, catering orders, and special promotions. The role also involves cost control, supplier coordination, and continuous improvement of dishes and processes to support customer satisfaction.

Qualifications

• Strong culinary skills in menu planning, recipe development, and food presentation, with a focus on healthy and accessible meals.
• Experience managing kitchen operations, including staff supervision, workflow coordination, and inventory control.
• Solid knowledge of food safety standards, hygiene regulations, and best practices for safe food handling and storage.
• Ability to manage food costs, portion control, and supplier relationships to maintain quality and profitability.
• Comfort working in a hybrid environment that integrates physical kitchen operations with digital platforms and mobile food services.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills to work with cross-functional teams and guide kitchen staff effectively.
• Proven track record as a Head Chef, Sous Chef, or similar leadership role in a restaurant, catering, or food service setting.
• Culinary certification or relevant training is preferred; experience in African or local Ugandan cuisine is an added advantage.

• Lead kitchen operations, including menu development that aligns with YooKatale’s focus on healthy and accessible food, food preparation, presentation, and quality control.
• Supervise kitchen staff.
• Manage food inventory.
• Ensure food safety compliance.
• Maintain high standards of hygiene and cleanliness.
• Collaborate with operations and digital teams to adapt recipes and menus for mobile market offerings, catering orders, and special promotions.
• Manage food costs.
• Coordinate with suppliers.
• Continuously improve dishes and processes to support customer satisfaction.

• Menu planning
• Recipe development
• Food presentation
• Kitchen operations management
• Staff supervision
• Workflow coordination
• Inventory control
• Food safety standards
• Hygiene regulations
• Safe food handling and storage
• Food cost management
• Portion control
• Supplier relationship management
• Hybrid work environment adaptability
• Communication skills
• Collaboration skills

• Strong culinary skills in menu planning, recipe development, and food presentation, with a focus on healthy and accessible meals.
• Experience managing kitchen operations, including staff supervision, workflow coordination, and inventory control.
• Solid knowledge of food safety standards, hygiene regulations, and best practices for safe food handling and storage.
• Ability to manage food costs, portion control, and supplier relationships to maintain quality and profitability.
• Comfort working in a hybrid environment that integrates physical kitchen operations with digital platforms and mobile food services.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills to work with cross-functional teams and guide kitchen staff effectively.
• Proven track record as a Head Chef, Sous Chef, or similar leadership role in a restaurant, catering, or food service setting.
• Culinary certification or relevant training is preferred; experience in African or local Ugandan cuisine is an added advantage.