ABOUT ARKAYA

Arkaya is a boutique luxury hill resort in Mukteshwar, Uttarakhand, operated by SuperGlitz Resorts Pvt. Ltd. The property is built around an experience-led idea of luxury: considered design, high service standards, and a Himalayan setting that few properties in the region can match.

Our all-day dining restaurant and bar, 180 Degree Restobar, sits at the centre of the guest experience. It serves resident guests, full-property wedding and celebration buyouts, corporate groups, and diners visiting the property. We work with fresh, seasonal and locally sourced produce from the Kumaon region, and we hold ourselves to metro-city standards of food and service in a hill setting.

ROLE SUMMARY

This is a leadership position, not a line role. The Executive Chef owns the kitchen end-to-end: menus, standards, costs, hygiene, people, and the food memory guests carry home with them.

We already have a capable team of chefs. What we need is someone with the seniority and craft to lead them, train them, correct habits, and lift the entire brigade's output. Because this is a boutique property rather than a large chain hotel, the Executive Chef here is hands-on. The right candidate is as comfortable engineering a menu and holding a food cost as they are running a busy pass on a full-house weekend or a wedding buyout.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Culinary leadership

- Take complete ownership of 180 Degree Restobar: conceptualize, cost and launch menus that give the outlet a distinct identity, strong enough to draw both resident guests and diners from outside the property
- Design and execute à la carte, buffet, in-room dining and banquet menus across North Indian, South Indian, Continental and International cuisine, along with a full bakery, patisserie and dessert programme
- Set and enforce recipe standardization, portion control, plating standards and consistency across every cover served
- Build seasonal menus that make intelligent use of Kumaoni produce,



orchards and regional ingredients
- Personally lead service on high-volume days, VIP covers, chef's table experiences and live counters

Team leadership and development

- Lead, mentor and develop the existing brigade, with structured training on technique, hygiene and presentation
- Establish a clear kitchen hierarchy with defined section roles, duty rosters and accountability
- Identify skill gaps and upskill internally, reducing dependence on repeated external hiring
- Handle kitchen recruitment, appraisals and performance management alongside the General Manager

Commercial and operational control

- Own food cost, contribution margins and menu profitability against agreed targets
- Manage purchase specifications, vendor development and negotiation, a materially more demanding function at a hill property than at a city hotel
- Control indenting, inventory, wastage and yield testing, with documented records
- Work with the marketing team on food-led content, seasonal and festive promotions, and food writer or blogger visits

Weddings, events and banquets
- Plan and execute menus for full-property wedding buyouts, corporate offsites and MICE groups
- Participate in client tastings, menu presentations and pre-event planning with the sales team
- Deliver flawlessly at scale without any drop in à la carte standards

Compliance and hygiene

- Maintain FSSAI compliance, HACCP-aligned practices and impeccable kitchen hygiene at all times
- Own kitchen equipment upkeep, preventive maintenance schedules and safety protocols




- Maintain all statutory and internal documentation required for audits and inspections

CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS

- Minimum 10-15 years of experience in the hospitality industry, with a proven record at luxury or premium hotels, resorts, or reputable standalone restaurants
- Prior tenure as Head Chef or Executive Chef with full ownership of a kitchen, its team and its cost lines
- Genuine all-round command of North Indian, South Indian, Continental and International cuisine, along with bakery, patisserie and desserts
- Demonstrated expertise in menu planning, recipe development, menu engineering and contemporary cooking techniques
- Proven ability to lead and develop a kitchen team, including training, performance feedback, rostering and conflict resolution
- Strong grip on food costing, purchase negotiation, vendor coordination and inventory control
- Comprehensive knowledge of food safety, sanitation and regulatory compliance in commercial kitchens, including FSSAI requirements
- Ability to hold consistent quality under pressure, through peak service and large-format events
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills, working effectively with front-of-house, sales and management teams
- Diploma or degree in Hotel Management or Culinary Arts from a recognized institute
- Willingness to relocate to and be based full-time in Mukteshwar, Uttarakhand
- Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, holidays and peak seasons as the business requires
- Commitment to inclusivity, respectful workplace conduct and mentoring a diverse kitchen team

PREFERRED

- Experience opening or repositioning a restaurant or F&B; outlet
- Exposure to boutique or resort properties in hill or remote locations, where supply chains demand planning and resourcefulness
- Familiarity with hotel PMS and POS systems; the property runs IDS Next
- Comfort interacting with guests and representing the kitchen on camera for brand content

📌 Executive Chef (Nainital)
🏢 Arkaya Mukteshwar
📍 Nainital