Head Chef

Your Role as Head Chef

The Head Chef oversees daily kitchen operations and is accountable for delivering high-quality, nutritious, and well-balanced meals that meet diverse dietary needs. You will lead and develop the kitchen team, maintains a clean, safe, and efficient work environment. You will also ensures compliance with health, safety, and regulatory requirements and manages food costs effectively. In this role you will drive menu innovation through the regular review and refresh of seasonal offerings, development of new recipes, enhancement of existing dishes, and incorporation of resident and stakeholder feedback to maintain variety, nutritional balance, customer satisfaction, and cost efficiency.

You’ll deliver this role by:

• Actively participate in WMQ performance development and review processes to meet organisational requirements and support individual career development goals.
• Act in a responsible way that creates an environment where it is safe for all team members to contribute ideas, make suggestions and report any activities, behaviours or conduct that does not align with the WMQ values.
• Leaders are to align their personal leadership style, behaviours and ethical standards with the Wesley Charter and Wesley Mission Queensland’s Vision, Mission and Values.
• Leaders are responsible for creating an environment where staff will feel safe to contribute ideas, make suggestions and report any activities, behaviours or conduct that does not align with the WMQ values.
• Display a proven ability to lead, motivate, and develop a diverse kitchen team, fostering a positive and high-performing work environment.
• Display advanced culinary skills with a strong understanding of food preparation, presentation, and nutrition.
• Demonstrated ability to create innovative, seasonal, and nutritionally balanced menus that meet dietary guidelines and customer preferences.
• Display highly effective prioritisation of tasks and delivery of outcomes within tight deadlines and a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated experience managing end-to-end kitchen operations, ensuring efficient workflows and consistently high food quality.
• Demonstrated knowledge of food safety regulations and best practices, including HACCP and COSHH compliance.
• Proven ability to manage kitchen budgets, control food costs, minimise waste, and optimise financial performance.
• Strong analytical and decision-making skills with the ability to resolve issues quickly and effectively under pressure.

What We Offer

• Attractive Remuneration plus packaging benefits – Boost your take-home pay by up to $18,550 annually through not-for-profit tax concessions
• Work-life balance – Enjoy flexible hours that work around your life, we promote a culture that values personal time and well-being

What We’re Looking For

• Hold formal trade qualifications as a Chef and additional training in nutrition or hospitality management
• Experience managing high volume operations within a commercial catering environment.
• Advanced cooking techniques and presentation skills. Menu planning, including seasonal and speciality dishes.
• Ability to innovate and create new recipes.
• Understanding of modified diet textures for vulnerable populations.
• Strong commercial acumen to manage budgets, control costs and ensure compliant kitchen operations.
• Demonstrated ability to supervise and lead a medium-sized, diverse workforce within a food services or commercial catering environment, while contributing positively to a team-based workplace culture.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain high standards of food preparation, ordering, storage, and safe food handling practices.
• Proven capability to organise and coordinate a kitchen team effectively within a fast-paced and demanding operational environment.
• Demonstrated commitment to delivering high-quality customer service to all internal and external stakeholders.
• Working knowledge of relevant legislative and regulatory requirements, including Work Health and
• Safety (WHS) legislation and Food Safety Standards

A Valuable Addition, Yet Not a Must-Have!

• Demonstrate ability to understand and use effectively electronic systems that support ordering of consumables, financial management of goods for all hospitality services.
• A Certificate or Diploma in Food Preparation Management (or equivalent) from an accredited University or recognised tertiary institution, demonstrating advanced knowledge of large-scale food operations, leadership, and service delivery.
• Formal qualifications in Quality Assurance Programs from an accredited University or College, reflecting advanced capability in compliance frameworks, audit readiness, continuous improvement, and risk management within regulated environments.

Essential Requirements

• Proof of COVID-19 vaccination status (or as required by legislation and WMQ policy)
• Relevant probity checks required by legislation and WMQ Limited policy.
• Current Driver’s Licence and willingness to travel for work

Apply Now!

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