General Manager – Central Kitchen (Ready-to-Eat Foods)

Position Summary

The General Manager (Central Kitchen) is responsible for the end-to-end leadership, operational excellence, food safety, and financial performance of the central kitchen producing ready-to-eat (RTE) and ready-to-heat food for a multi-outlet convenience-store business.

This role oversees production planning, quality assurance, supply chain coordination, cost control, product innovation, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement to ensure consistent delivery of safe, high-quality, scalable food products that meet brand, margin, and growth objectives.

Reporting Line

· Reports to: Chief Commercial Officer / CEO

· Direct Reports may include:

o Production Manager

o Quality Assurance / Food Safety Manager

o Supply Chain / Procurement Manager

o Engineering & Maintenance Manager

o R&D / Product Development Lead

o Finance / Admin Manager (dotted line)

Key Responsibilities

1. Operations & Production Management

· Lead day-to-day central kitchen operations, ensuring on-time, in-full (OTIF) production and delivery to all retail outlets.

· Develop and manage production plans aligned with store demand forecasts, promotions, and seasonal peaks.

· Ensure optimal utilisation of labour, equipment, and facilities to maximise throughput and efficiency.

· Implement standard operating procedures (SOPs) across preparation, cooking, portioning, chilling, packing, and dispatch.

· Drive continuous improvement in productivity, yield, waste reduction, and labour efficiency.

2. Food Safety, Quality & Compliance

· Ensure full compliance with MOH Malaysia, HACCP, MeSTI / GMP, Halal (JAKIM), and other applicable food safety standards.

· Establish and enforce robust food safety management systems, traceability, recall readiness, and crisis response protocols.

· Oversee internal audits, external inspections, certifications, and corrective action plans.

· Ensure consistent product quality, taste, shelf-life, and presentation across all SKUs and batches.

3. Financial & Commercial Management

· Own the P&L of the central kitchen, including cost of goods, labour, utilities, wastage, and capex.

· Set and manage budgets, cost targets, and productivity benchmarks.

· Drive cost optimisation initiatives without compromising food safety or quality.

· Partner with merchandising and commercial teams to support menu pricing, margin optimisation, and promotional execution.

4. Supply Chain, Procurement & Inventory

· Oversee procurement of raw materials, packaging, and consumables, ensuring quality, continuity of supply, and competitive pricing.

· Build strong relationships with approved suppliers and co-manufacturers where applicable.

· Implement strong inventory controls for raw materials, WIP, and finished goods to minimise expiry, shrinkage, and write-offs.

· Coordinate closely with logistics and distribution teams to ensure cold-chain integrity.

5. Product Development & Menu Innovation

· Collaborate with R&D, marketing, and merchandising teams to develop new RTE products aligned with consumer trends and brand positioning.

· Ensure new products are scalable, cost-effective, and operationally feasible for mass production.

· Support test-kitchen trials, pilot runs, and smooth transition to full production.

· Continuously review and improve existing SKUs based on sales performance, feedback, and cost structure.

6. People Leadership & Capability Building

· Build, lead, and retain a high-performing management and operations team.

· Set clear KPIs, performance standards, and accountability across departments.

· Ensure adequate training in food safety, SOPs, leadership, and technical skills.

· Foster a strong culture of discipline, safety, ownership, and continuous improvement.

7. Systems, Automation & Scalability

· Ensure the use of ERP, production planning, inventory, and QA systems implemented effectively to improve visibility and control.

· Drive automation, mechanisation, and layout optimisation to support business growth.

· Plan capacity expansion, new facilities, or line upgrades in line with store network expansion.

· Support data-driven decision-making using production, yield, waste, and quality metrics.

Requirements

Key Deliverables & KPIs

· OTIF delivery performance

· Food safety audit scores and zero critical non-compliances

· Cost per unit / gross margin targets

· Waste and yield improvement

· Labour productivity metrics

· Successful launch of new SKUs

· Staff turnover and training completion rates

Qualifications & Experience

· Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Engineering, Operations Management, or related field.

· Minimum 10–15 years experience in food manufacturing or central kitchen operations, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.

· Strong experience in ready-to-eat / fresh food production preferred.

· Hands-on knowledge of HACCP, Halal requirements, and Malaysian food regulations.

· Proven track record managing scale, complexity, and multi-SKU operations.

Key Competencies

· Strong operational and commercial acumen

· Structured, disciplined, and detail-oriented

· Decisive leadership with the ability to manage large teams

· Excellent stakeholder management across retail, logistics, and corporate teams

· Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, high-volume environment

Working Environment

· Based at the central kitchen facility

· Requires flexibility to support early-morning, late-night, or peak production cycles

· Occasional travel to outlets, suppliers, or new facility sites