Hygiene Officer

About the role

The First Group Hospitality, a Dubai-headquartered hotel management company, is hiring a Hygiene Officer in Abu Dhabi. The role covers food safety, hygiene and sanitation compliance across kitchens, food and beverage outlets, storage areas and related facilities, and supports regulatory inspections and food safety certification.

Key responsibilities

• Monitor and ensure compliance with food safety, hygiene and sanitation standards across kitchens, outlets, storage areas and related facilities.
• Implement, maintain and monitor food safety management systems, including HACCP procedures and hygiene protocols.
• Carry out regular hygiene inspections and internal audits to find risks, non-compliance and areas for improvement.
• Ensure compliance with Dubai Municipality food safety regulations and local health and safety requirements.
• Check food handling, preparation, storage, transportation and service practices, and verify storage conditions, temperature controls, labelling, expiry dates and stock rotation.
• Inspect kitchen equipment, food preparation areas, cleaning practices and waste disposal, and coordinate with culinary, stewarding, housekeeping and operations teams.
• Deliver food safety and hygiene training to colleagues and investigate incidents and complaints, applying corrective and preventive actions.
• Maintain records of inspections, audits, temperature logs, training and corrective actions, and support external inspections, regulatory audits and certification.
• Ensure food handlers keep good personal hygiene and grooming, and monitor supplier hygiene standards and receiving procedures.
• Report regularly on hygiene and compliance findings to management and promote a strong food safety culture.

Required profile

• Minimum 2-3 years of experience in food safety, hygiene or quality assurance, preferably in luxury hotels, resorts, private members' clubs or hospitality.
• Bachelor's degree or diploma in Food Science, Food Safety, Environmental Health, Microbiology or a related discipline.
• HACCP certification or a recognised food safety qualification is highly desirable.
• Strong knowledge of Dubai Municipality food safety regulations and UAE food hygiene requirements.
• Experience with food safety inspections, internal audits, risk assessments and compliance monitoring; experience supporting regulatory inspections and certifications is an advantage.
• Ability to work shifts, weekends and public holidays as required.

Required skills

• Good understanding of HACCP principles, food safety management systems and hygiene auditing.
• Knowledge of food handling, temperature control, cross-contamination prevention, cleaning, sanitation and pest management.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and maintaining food safety documentation.
• Analytical, organisational, reporting and problem-solving skills, with excellent communication and training abilities.