Cafe Kitchen Hand

Youth Projects Ltd; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 30,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Guaranteed hours

Meals & entertainment benefits

Salary packaging options

Professional development

Job summary

The Little Social, powered by Youth Projects Ltd, is seeking a Kitchen Hand in Port Melbourne to help run a busy kitchen and support trainees. You will assist with food prep, catering support, cleaning and day-to-day operations in a social enterprise that creates opportunities for young people.

Join a purpose-built sensory kitchen team focused on inclusivity and community impact, delivering high-quality café experiences while mentoring trainees and contributing to meaningful employment outcomes.

Qualifications

• Experience in food preparation or a relevant qualification.
• Food Handlers Certificate (or willingness to obtain one).
• Strong knife skills and confidence using kitchen equipment.
• Ability to multitask and work well under pressure.
• Passion for hospitality and social impact.
• Full driver's licence.

Responsibilities

• Preparing high-quality meals and catering orders in a fast-paced environment.
• Maintaining food safety standards and a clean, organised kitchen.
• Creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for customers, trainees, and colleagues.
• Supporting trainees through positive role modelling and day-to-day teamwork.
• Working across kitchen, café, and catering operations to ensure smooth service.
• Contributing to both great customer experiences and positive community impact.

Job description

Come join The Little Social and be part of a team where great hospitality creates opportunities beyond the café. As a Kitchen Hand, you’ll play an important role in keeping our kitchen running smoothly while contributing to a social enterprise that creates employment, training and development opportunities for young people.

We're looking for a hands-on hospitality all-rounder who is ready to jump into food preparation, catering support, cleaning, and day-to-day kitchen operations.

Based in our purpose-built sensory kitchen in Port Melbourne, you'll be part of a social enterprise creating meaningful opportunities for neurodivergent people and others facing barriers to employment, while helping deliver an outstanding café experience.

What you’ll be doing:

• Preparing high-quality meals and catering orders in a fast-paced environment.
• Maintaining food safety standards and a clean, organised kitchen.
• Creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for customers, trainees, and colleagues.
• Supporting trainees through positive role modelling and day-to-day teamwork.
• Working across kitchen, café, and catering operations to ensure smooth service.
• Contributing to both great customer experiences and positive community impact.

What we’re looking for:

• Experience in food preparation or a relevant qualification.
• Food Handlers Certificate (or willingness to obtain one).
• Strong knife skills and confidence using kitchen equipment.
• Ability to multitask and work well under pressure.
• Passion for hospitality and social impact.
• Full driver's licence.

Come use your kitchen and hospitality skills to inspire the next generation with The Little Social

A little bit about us, The Little Social

The Little Socialis a bespoke coffee bar that brews the finest espresso and empowers young people to lead meaningful lives by providing hands-on skills development and mentoring from industry experts. Each young person has a platform at The Little Social to build self-confidence, gain key employability skills and genuine work experience in a supportive and judgement free environment.Our cafes harness community goodwill towards social and economic sustainability and ethical business and invests profits into innovate and grow within a social justice framework - reaffirming our vision of young people being good-to-go into a competitive job market.

The Little Social is powered by Youth Projects - an independent, registered charity who provides front line support to individuals and young people experiencing disadvantage, homelessness, unemployment, alcohol and other drug issues through a range of holistic and wrap around support services. Youth Projects is on a mission to provide high impact support, without judgement, full stop.

Why should you work with us?

Everydayyou spend working with us, you’re making a difference. Thestronger our frontlinewarriors, the biggerourimpactof breaking the cycle of disadvantage.We think that’s apretty greatperk, but we don’t stop there…here are some of theothers;

• Guaranteed hours and shifts
• Access to generous salary packaging
• Access to meals & entertainment benefits
• Supervision, coaching and professional development
• Uncapped Employee Assistance Program
• Plus,additional paid leaveincludingparental, wellbeing, family violence and study

Have you made it this far?

If you’re still reading, we think there’s a strong chance you might be our kind of person.

Recruitment for this position will be undertaken as applications are received, and only successful applicants will be notified.Please note that it is a requirement of all Youth Projects positions that the successful applicant holds a valid Working Children’s Check or Police Check.

Our commitment to diversity:

Our commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging: At Youth Projects, we value the unique experiences, perspectives and contributions that a diverse workforce brings. We are committed to creating a safe, inclusive and welcoming workplace for all and actively encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disability, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and people of all genders, sexualities and identities, including members of the LGBTIQA+ community

Safety screening:

Youth Projects is committed to being a child-safe organisation,providing an environment where children who come into contact with the organisation feel safe. Youth Projects has zero tolerance.