Manager Inflight Food & Beverage Development and Quality

Manager Inflight Food & Beverage Development and Quality

Fiji Airways is looking to recruit a passionate and goal oriented individual to fill the role of Manager Inflight Food & Beverage Development and Quality. The successful appointee will collaborate with the Executive Chef & Inflight Logistics operations team to design and deliver culinary experiences across different cabin classes based on the F&B proposition designed by Customer Experience teams. You will also be accountable for all short to medium-term and seasonal culinary development projects, which also include training cabin crew teams.

 KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Define and deliver the in-flight food and beverage experience and development programme, working with an extensive network of catering providers to ensure customer offerings meet overall brand image of Fiji Airways.
• Develop Sector Check List Grid (SCL) and specifications for all aircraft and lead their implementation.
• Ensure all menu planning structures/grid are within the food and beverage strategy guidelines and communicate any update of menu planning grids to all caterers and ensure timely execution of menu cycles.
• Plan changes to the product and service (Food and non-food) offering by leading cross-functional teams in planning, competitor research, benchmarking, designing and trialing new initiatives.
• Manage successful outcomes from menu workshops and menu presentations through agreed specifications and commitments with Caterers, which include quality and financial targets.
• Lead any new Food and Beverage development initiatives and tender projects using project management skills to deliver on time and adhere to cost and quality requirements.
• Manages and represents FJ in negotiations for all catering supply agreements and other contractual agreements to ensure they are in accordance with Company’s policies and budget provisions.
• Oversees training on FJ specifications and procedures including: menu production, equipment/inventory management, meal ordering, aircraft servicing and aircraft ramp safety.
• Provide direction, focus, establish priorities and communicate expectations to Caterers.
• Ensure that crew are trained and customers receive the agreed product and service to the defined standards
• Develop and deliver guidelines, training or workshop for Cabin Crew to enrich their culinary knowledge.
• Oversees all catering providers’ performance and compliance to contractually mandated metrics within assigned hub and region.
• Champions HACCP Food Safety guideline of the company and leads quality control checks for all caterers.
• Work within set budgets, forecasts, menu variance analysis and meal costings to ensure accurate and timely data is available and utilized in making the best decisions for the business.
• Develops and implements alternative catering options as needed during off schedule operations and kitchen disruptions.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Degree holder in Food & Beverage, Hotel Catering or related discipline.
• Culinary related experience preferably in airline catering will be an advantage.
• A minimum of 10 years’ relevant work experience in Airline, Hotel Restaurants or Catering Industries.
• Sound working knowledge in quality assurance techniques (such as HACCP), food hygiene and auditing skills.
• Good knowledge of food handling, preparation & cooking procedures.
• Advanced computer e.g. Excel, PowerPoint, MS Word.
• A proven ability to network and continually enhance relationships with key internal teams, caterers and suppliers is vitally important.
• Creative and lateral thinker with visionary foresight, who is self-motivated and proactive
• Attained practical experience / proficiency in Catering or has Food & Beverage Management background (Hospitality industry).
• Highly developed budget-planning skills.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Must be innovative, have initiative, and drive for continuous improvement and innovation.
• Must have a valid passport when required to travel from time to time.
• Professional certification in wine is a definite advantage.