Development Manager - Kitchen

Role overview

The Kitchen Development Manager is the operational subject-matter expert for the planning, design and improvement of hotel and resort kitchens and associated back-of-house foodservice areas across Sani/Ikos Group. This role ensures that kitchen designs are operationally effective, safe, efficient, maintainable and aligned with our culinary concepts, brand standards and service requirements.

Working closely with Culinary, Hotel Operations, Property, Design & Product, Engineering, Procurement, FF&E and external consultants, you will translate operating models, menus, volumes and service requirements into clear design criteria. You will review, challenge and formally endorse kitchen designs throughout the project lifecycle, while technical and statutory design responsibility remains with the appointed designers and consultants.

Key responsibilities

• Act as the operational expert for kitchens, food production, stewarding, stores, receiving, waste and associated back-of-house areas.
• Define and maintain kitchen operational design standards, briefing requirements, review checklists and lessons learned.
• Translate culinary concepts, menus, covers, operating hours, production strategies and staffing models into operational design requirements.
• Review concept, schematic, detailed and construction-stage designs for capacity, adjacencies, zoning, workflows, circulation, storage and equipment positioning.
• Provide documented review comments and formal Operations endorsement at key project stage gates, identifying conditions, risks and unresolved matters.
• Challenge designs to improve productivity, guest service, food quality, hygiene, safety, ergonomics, maintainability, energy efficiency and whole-life value.
• Assess kitchen capacity and resilience against forecast demand, events, room service, staff dining and contingency scenarios.
• Review the flow and separation of food, people, clean and dirty items, waste, deliveries and allergens in line with HACCP principles and applicable requirements.
• Review equipment schedules and specifications for suitability, standardisation, durability, cleanability, maintainability and lifecycle cost.
• Work with Procurement, Culinary, Engineering and FF&E to identify standardisation, framework agreements, bulk purchasing and value opportunities.
• Develop and review kitchen designs and equipment selections within approved budgets, balancing operational performance, guest experience, capital cost, lifecycle cost, energy use and maintainability.
• Identify practical value-engineering options and escalate forecast budget pressures promptly for approval.
• Participate in consultant and supplier selection, design workshops, mock-ups, equipment trials, factory visits and value-engineering reviews.
• Support resolution of operational design issues during construction, installation, testing and commissioning.
• Inspect completed kitchen areas, support snagging and operational-readiness reviews, and verify that layouts, equipment and workflows are fit for purpose.
• Join hotel pre-opening teams on site for concentrated periods before and during openings, supporting workflow validation, equipment familiarisation, training requirements and early-life operational optimisation.
• Work effectively under significant time pressure, prioritising readiness issues and coordinating timely resolution with Operations and project teams.
• Undertake post-opening reviews, capture lessons learned and recommend improvements for standards, future projects and existing resorts.
• Maintain clear review records, approvals, action trackers and decision logs, escalating material operational risks to the Operations Director.
• Stay current with kitchen innovation, food-production methods, equipment technology and sustainability, recommending solutions appropriate to our luxury resort model.
• Collaborate across Operations, Culinary, Property, Design, Engineering, Procurement, FF&E, Health & Safety, Hygiene, consultants, suppliers and project teams.

Required qualifications and experience

• Degree, diploma or recognised qualification in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, Foodservice Management, Kitchen Design, Food Technology or a related discipline is preferred.
• Minimum 10 years’ relevant experience in luxury hotel or resort kitchen operations, foodservice development, kitchen planning or a comparable role.
• Senior operational experience as an Executive Chef, Group or Regional Culinary leader, Director of Culinary, or kitchen operations and design specialist is strongly preferred.
• Proven experience developing, reviewing or opening complex hotel or resort kitchens, including multiple restaurants, central production, banqueting and stewarding.
• Strong understanding of kitchen planning, equipment, production flows, food safety, HACCP principles, hygiene, ergonomics, maintainability and operational readiness.
• Ability to read and critically review architectural plans, kitchen layouts, equipment schedules, specifications and coordinated design information.
• Strong cost awareness and experience managing operational design requirements within constrained capital budgets.
• Fluent English is required; Greek, Spanish or other languages relevant to Sani/Ikos Group operations are advantageous.
• Willingness and ability to travel regularly to project and hotel locations and to join pre-opening teams on site for concentrated periods.

Desired skills and competencies

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Confident communicator with the ability to challenge proposals constructively.
• Excellent stakeholder-management and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to manage reviews and priorities across multiple projects and development stages.
• Commercial awareness, with the ability to balance operational performance, guest experience, capital and lifecycle costs, energy use and maintainability.
• High attention to detail and a structured approach to documentation, approvals and decision tracking.
• Resilience and adaptability when working to demanding opening deadlines.
• A genuine interest in innovation, sustainability and continuous improvement within luxury hospitality.

Benefits and perks

At Sani/Ikos Group, you will be part of an ambitious, award-winning hospitality group with exciting growth plans and a strong commitment to people development. We offer a supportive environment where your expertise can make a meaningful impact across our resorts and future openings.

You can expect:

• The opportunity to shape the operational success of iconic beachfront resorts.
• Exposure to high-profile development projects and pre-opening environments.
• Ongoing learning and development opportunities.
• A collaborative culture built on trust, excellence and continuous improvement.
• The chance to contribute to sustainable tourism and responsible hospitality.

Company culture and values

Sani/Ikos Group is built on genuine hospitality, thoughtful design and warm, intuitive service. Our philosophy is rooted in Philoxenia — the Greek tradition of welcoming others with generosity and care.

We are proud to be a leader in sustainable tourism and a member of the United Nations Global Compact. Our people are at the centre of our success, and we are committed to creating fulfilling careers in an environment where individuals feel valued, supported and empowered to grow.

Application process

If you are ready to bring your operational expertise to a role where you can influence design, improve guest experience and support the opening of exceptional resorts, we would love to hear from you.

Please submit your application with your CV and any relevant supporting information. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates and are committed to an inclusive recruitment process.