Executive Chef - InterContinental Lifou Wadra Bay Resort

At InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts we believe international travel should always be alluring. We are dedicated to those who appreciate and enjoy The InterContinental Life – the glamour and exhilaration of fascinating places, mixed with our international know-how and local cultural wisdom.

This summer, we’re opening the doors to InterContinental Lifou Wadra Bay. Boasting 50 sophisticated villas nestled around the lagoon and ocean edge, InterContinental Lifou Wadra Bay is the ultimate in luxury island experiences. The island is known for its pristine sandy white beaches, amazing diving locations with cliffs of coral, local vanilla bean plantations generous local people and rich culture. InterContinental Lifou Wadra Bay is the place to stay while exploring all that New Caledonia has to offer.

With four unique food & beverage outlets across All Day Dining, a Specialty Restaurant, all-day Bar, and In Room Dining, the hotel will serve up truly memorable dishes, whenever and wherever our guests choose to dine. We believe every plate tells a story. So, we’re searching for an Executive Chef with a palate for excellence, to play a pivotal role – far beyond just creating menus – you will build the entire culinary foundation of our hotel. 

A little taste of your day-to-day

Every day is different, but as part of the pre-opening team, you will play a key role in ensuring this new hotel is ready to welcome its first guests, including:

• Developing the hotel’s various F&B menus, including restaurant, room service, banquets, and any special event menus.
• Deciding on the culinary style or theme that aligns with the hotel’s brand, market positioning, and target audience.
• Leading the recruitment of key kitchen staff, including sous chefs, line cooks, pastry chefs, and kitchen assistants.
• Developing training programs to ensure the team is well-versed in kitchen operations, food safety standards, hygiene protocols, and the execution of menu items.
• Creating a cohesive kitchen team by promoting collaboration and ensuring a clear division of tasks based on each team member's strengths.
• Ensuring that the kitchen complies with local health and safety regulations. This includes food storage, temperature control, hygiene practices, and allergen awareness.
• Ensuring that the ingredients align with the hotel’s menu style and quality standards, focusing on freshness, availability, and cost-effectiveness.
• Developing a detailed costing model for each menu item to control food costs while maintaining profitability.
• Working closely with the finance team to manage the F&B budget, which includes kitchen supplies, food costs, labor costs, and other expenses.
• Setting up an inventory control system to track and manage ingredients and kitchen supplies, minimizing waste and ensuring efficient use of resources.
• Implementing systems to monitor waste, portion sizes, and labor costs to ensure profitability.
• Working closely with the Food & Beverage Manager to ensure seamless coordination between the kitchen and service teams.
• Collaborating with marketing teams for food photography, social media promotions, and ensuring the presentation of dishes is visually appealing and marketable.

What we need from you

The Executive Chef role is critical in building a high-functioning kitchen, ensuring smooth F&B operations, and establishing the hotel’s culinary identity before it officially opens, so we’re looking for a talented leader able to balance creativity with operational management and who can demonstrate:

• Advanced vocational training/qualification in culinary arts  ​
• 10+ years of experience in commercial kitchen operations, including at least four years as Head or Executive Chef, with experience leading and managing a high performing team​
• Experience in large-scale operations such as hotels, resorts, or high-volume restaurants is particularly valued.
• Food Safety Certification (preferred)
• Demonstrated Mastery in a wide range of cooking techniques, food preparation methods, and kitchen equipment use is essential.
• Ability to design innovative menus and dishes, catering to different dietary needs, preferences, and trends while maintaining high standards of flavor and presentation.
• Ability to work autonomously and manage workload and key deliverables within a project opening timeline.
• Capacity to build and lead a high-performing and engaged team and commitment to developing and coaching colleagues. 
• High level communication and relationship management skills, collaborating with a wide variety of stakeholders, both internal and external.
• Fluent speaking in both English and French 
• French citizenship required. Please note this role is based on the island of Lifou.
• Available for immediate start

What you can expect from us

Join us and you’ll become part of the global IHG family – and like all families, all our individual team members share some winning characteristics. As a team, we work better together – we trust and support each other, we do the right thing, and we welcome different perspectives. You need to show us you care - that you notice the little things that make a difference to guests as well as always looking for ways to improve – in return we’ll reward all your hard work with a great salary and benefits – including accommodation, package benefits, great room discount and superb training. Visit www.http://careers.ihg.com to find out more about us.