BOH Lead | Back of House

Own the kitchen. Protect the standard. Keep service moving.

We’re opening new NALA stores in Dubai, and we’re looking for an experienced and hands-on BOH Lead to take ownership of the Back of House operation on every shift.

This is the person who keeps the kitchen ready, disciplined and moving.

You’ll own the kitchen, the pass and food safety throughout the shift — making sure every station is set correctly, every product is built to specification and every food safety standard is followed without exception.

You’ll lead the BOH team with clarity and calm, stepping in when standards slip and making sure the kitchen is always ready to deliver beautiful food to our guests.

Your Mission

Put the guest first. Always.

Everything that happens in the kitchen ultimately reaches the guest.

The right temperature.
The right portion.
The right build.
The right presentation.
The right timing.

Your role is to make sure every one of those details is protected, every shift.

You’ll also be fully cross-trained across the store. Every team member is expected to be trained, signed off and confident across both Front and Back of House. As the BOH Lead, you’ll help build that flexibility into the team and ensure the kitchen has the strength and capability to perform at every level of service.

What You’ll Be Responsible For

Shift Leadership & Station Readiness

• Own the Back of House operation throughout every shift.

• Approve kitchen station readiness before the doors open.

• Check fridge hierarchy, three-sink setup and equipment condition before service.

• Ensure every station is fully prepared, clean and operational before opening.

• If a station is not ready, the store does not open.

• Maintain standards throughout service and address issues immediately.

Kitchen Setup & NALA Standards

• Own the complete BOH setup for every shift.

• Ensure kitchen stations, pass, prep areas and grab-and-go production are clean, organised and ready for service.

• Maintain a disciplined, well-organised kitchen throughout the shift.

• Ensure the pass is always ready to support smooth service.

• Keep production areas stocked and prepared ahead of peak periods.

Food Quality & Build Standards

• Enforce all food build specifications exactly as written.

• No improvisation and no “close enough”.

• Complete the food tasting sheet every morning before service.

• Check food quality, taste, temperature and presentation throughout the shift.

• Do not allow substitutions without appropriate escalation.

• Ensure every product leaving the kitchen meets NALA standards.

• Take immediate action when quality or consistency starts to drift.

Food Safety & Cold Chain

• Own food safety standards throughout the shift.

• Ensure TCS temperature logs are completed at receiving, preparation and holding stages.

• Ensure logs are completed accurately and in real time — never backfilled.

• Verify fridge, freezer, hot-hold and cooling records.

• Monitor cold-chain integrity throughout the full process.

• Act immediately on any temperature excursion and escalate according to standard.

• Maintain complete traceability and food safety documentation.

Hygiene & Cleaning

• Enforce a clean-as-you-go culture throughout the kitchen.

• Ensure service-floor cleans are completed every 10 minutes.

• Keep stations, equipment and preparation areas clean throughout service.

• Ensure the kitchen remains safe, organised and inspection-ready.

• Complete and verify the full end-of-shift cleaning process before anyone signs off.

Team Leadership & Reporting

• Brief the BOH team before every shift and ensure everyone understands the priorities.

• Train, coach and support BOH Crew and Stewards.

• Ensure backups are trained, positioned and ready before every peak period.

• Allocate people according to the needs of the service.

• Lead calmly when the kitchen is under pressure.

• Monitor QPPs weekly and flag any performance drift to the General Manager.

• Complete and submit a shift report every night, capturing all anomalies, incidents and areas requiring follow-up.

Dubai Standards & Compliance

Food safety and compliance are fundamental to this role and are non-negotiable.

You will be required to:

• Run the kitchen in accordance with the Dubai Municipality Food Code and HACCP requirements.

• Ensure a certified Person in Charge (PIC) is present on shift.

• Maintain accurate Foodwatch temperature, cooling and traceability records.

• Enforce halal handling and segregation at all times.

• Ensure all receiving is completed through approved suppliers.

• Apply all required Food Code cold-chain, cooking and holding limits.

• Keep the kitchen continuously inspection-ready.

• Ensure all required Occupational Health Cards, food hygiene certifications and in-house certifications remain current.

• Maintain high standards of uniform and personal presentation at all times.

What We’re Looking For

We’re looking for someone who is:

• A confident, hands-on kitchen leader.

• Passionate about food quality and consistency.

• Highly disciplined when it comes to food safety and standards.

• Calm and decisive under pressure.

• Comfortable leading a team during busy service.

• Detail-focused and unwilling to accept “close enough”.

• Organised and proactive in preparing for peak periods.

• Confident coaching, training and holding people accountable.

• Strong on kitchen systems, hygiene and operational discipline.

• Comfortable working across different BOH roles and supporting the wider team.

• Proud of the food they produce and the standards behind it.

Most importantly, you understand that leadership in the kitchen is about protecting the standard while helping the people around you succeed.

Why NALA?

NALA is part of a culture built around beautiful food, beautiful environments and engaging service. At the heart of the way we work are attention to detail, generosity, teamwork, leadership, excellence, delivery, quality, sustainability and innovation.

We believe every person is a leader — and that leadership means helping the people to the left and right of you.

As BOH Lead, you’ll have the opportunity to help build a new NALA kitchen team in Dubai, develop your people and set the standards that will define the operation from day one.

The standard is simple.

The fridge must be right.
The station must be ready.
The food must be to spec.
The cold chain must be protected.
Every temperature must be logged.
The kitchen must stay clean.
And nothing gets overlooked.

If you’re ready to take ownership, lead from the front and help build something special with NALA in Dubai, we’d love to meet you.

Join us at NALA.