Head Chef

Role Details

• Compensation: NGN 400000 - 700000 per month
• Location: Abuja, Nigeria
• Work arrangement: On-site, full-time
• Experience level: Mid-Senior
• Experience: 3-8 years

The Opportunity

YellowDoor Hotels is a boutique hotel in Abuja built for executives and travelers who expect more. The Living Room, our restaurant and bar, celebrates local and international cuisine-and we're now adding a dedicated wellness café. We need a Head Chef who leads with both fire and steadiness, finds meaning in every dish, and builds a kitchen others want to work in.

Your Mission

• Develop and launch refreshed menus for The Living Room and wellness café
• Lead, coach, and hold accountable a team of up to five kitchen staff
• Monitor and control food cost to hit or beat the 30% revenue target
• Design repeatable kitchen workflows that maintain quality shift after shift
• Collaborate with hotel leadership on guest satisfaction and operational standards
• Own every food outcome-quality, cost, and team performance-without deflecting

Must-have Skills

• Menu Development
• International Cuisine
• Wellness & Clean-Eating Concepts
• Food Cost Management
• Kitchen Team Leadership
• Hospitality Kitchen Operations
• Quality Control

Nice-to-have Skills

• West African & Regional Cuisine
• Nutritional Menu Planning
• Barista or Beverage Knowledge
• Event Catering Management

Tools

• Kitchen Management Systems
• Food Cost Tracking Spreadsheets / Software
• Recipe Costing Tools

The Non-Negotiables

• No prior hotel, resort, or equivalent hospitality kitchen experience
• No track record of managing a kitchen team of five or more
• No demonstrable menu development history across international or wellness cuisine

The Purpose of This Role

To own the culinary operation end-to-end-launching two distinct menus, building a high-performing kitchen team, and making YellowDoor's food a genuine reason guests return.

What Success Looks Like

Within 90 days, both menus are live. By month 6, food cost is at or below 30%. By month 12, the kitchen team is stable, motivated, and zero attrition is traceable to leadership gaps.

What Our Culture Is Like

Boutique, fast-moving, and high-standard. The team is warm but holds itself accountable. Performance matters here, and so do people-you'll be expected to model both without compromise.

How You'll Grow

As YellowDoor grows, this role has a clear path toward Executive Chef or Culinary Director scope, with influence over multi-outlet strategy, vendor partnerships, and brand culinary identity.