Chef

Aroma Ascot Kitchen & Bar; Brisbane; On-site; AUD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Aroma Ascot Kitchen & Bar in Brisbane is seeking a dedicated, experienced Chef to join the leadership team, overseeing daily kitchen operations, driving culinary creativity, and ensuring dishes meet high standards of quality, flavour and presentation.

You will lead menu planning, ingredient sourcing, inventory management and waste reduction, while mentoring staff and maintaining HACCP compliance in a fast-paced hospitality environment.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Chef in a commercial kitchen, restaurant, hotel, or hospitality venue.
• Strong technical knowledge of cuisines, cooking methods, ingredients, equipment, & modern culinary techniques.
• Demonstrated creativity & flair with menu development, plating, & presentation.
• Ability to innovate, adapt dishes to dietary requirements & customer preferences.
• Strong leadership, with clear communication, mentoring, and team management skills.
• Excellent organisational & time management skills, & ability to work under pressure during peak service.
• Commitment to food safety, cleanliness, & HACCP standards.
• Experience using kitchen management systems and inventory tools for operational tracking.

Responsibilities

• Lead, oversee, & coordinate daily kitchen operations to ensure high-quality output.
• Design, create innovative dishes & menus reflecting the restaurant’s brand identity.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, hygiene, & sanitation standards (HACCP).
• Mentor staff, delegate tasks, and build a high-performance kitchen team.
• Monitor inventory, supplier pricing, and minimise food cost & wastage.
• Develop prep systems, production schedules, & workflow for service periods.
• Implement quality control to maintain flavour and presentation consistency.
• Collaborate with front-of-house on menu knowledge and allergen awareness.
• Address customer feedback and implement improvements to the dining experience.
• Prepare & manage kitchen rosters aligning labour costs with budgets & KPIs.
• Maintain equipment, cleaning schedules, & maintenance plans for safety.

Skills

Leadership

Menu development

Plating & presentation

Food safety

Inventory management

Cost control

Team management

Communication

Problem solving

Education

Diploma or Advanced Diploma in Commercial Cookery

Bachelor of Business Administration

Certificate IV in Kitchen Management

Tools

Kitchen management systems

Inventory tools

Computer systems software

Job description

Job Title: - Chef Job Description / PD:

We are seeking a dedicated, experienced, motivated, & passionate Chef to join our culinary team & be a part of the leadership team in delivering exceptional dining experiences for our customers.

In this role, you will be responsible for helping to oversee all kitchen operations, driving culinary creativity, & ensuring that every dish meets the highest standards of quality, consistency, flavour & presentation.

You will play a critical role in maintaining food safety & sanitisation regulations, cost control, profitability, staff development, & operational efficiency across the kitchen.

This position is ideal for a professional Chef who thrives in a fast-paced restaurant environment, demonstrates strong leadership skills, & is committed to building a high-performance collaborative kitchen team culture that delivers outstanding & memorable experiences for our customers, every time.

As our Chef, you will be responsible for helping with menu planning, ingredient sourcing, inventory management & waste reduction, creative dish presentation & consistency.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead, oversee, & coordinate daily kitchen operations to ensure a smooth service & high-quality food output is achieved in a timely manner to meet service period demands.
• Design, create innovative dishes & menus whilst also maintaining established menus & recipes that reflect the restaurant’s brand identity, seasonal produce, customer preferences & dietary limitations.
• Ensure strict compliance with staff presentation, food safety, hygiene, & sanitation standards in line with HACCP & local council regulations.
• Comfortable in delegation & follow-up of tasks, clear articulate communication & mentoring, to develop staff culinary skills, & build a professional high performance & motivated team.
• Monitor inventory levels, supplier pricing, & minimise food cost & wastage through proper storage, rotation, forecasting, & production planning to deliver consistently targeted gross profit margins & cost efficiency.
• Develop prep systems, production schedules, & workflow processes to maximise efficiency during service periods.
• Implement food quality control systems to ensure consistency in flavour, portioning, & presentation across all dishes.
• Collaborate with the front-of-house team to ensure they have the fundamental knowledge of the menu & specials, allergen awareness, & communicate accurately the customers’ dietary limitations.
• Address customer feedback professionally & implement improvements to enhance the dining experience.
• Prepare & manage kitchen rosters to align labour costs with business demand, service levels, forecast budgets & KPI’s.
• Maintain kitchen equipment, cleaning schedules, & maintenance programs to ensure a safe & efficient working environment.
• Participate in budgeting, forecasting, & reporting on kitchen performance metrics & operational KPIs.

Requirements & Skills:

• Proven experience as a Chef with advanced cooking techniques, in a commercial kitchen, restaurant, hotel, or hospitality venue.
• Strong technical knowledge of cuisines, cooking methods, ingredients, equipment, & modern culinary techniques with Seafood, Steaks, Pasta, Pastry & Baking
• Demonstrated creativity & flair with menu development, plating, & presentation.
• Ability to innovate, experiment with new recipes, & adapt dishes to dietary requirements & customer preferences.
• Strong leadership, with clear unambiguous communications skills, collaborative mentoring style, & team management skills with the ability to build a professional & motivate a high-performing kitchen team.
• Excellent organisational & time management skills, a punctual mindset, with the ability to work under pressure during peak service periods.
• High level of commitment to food quality, food safety, & cleanliness standards.
• Competent in using kitchen management systems, inventory tools, & other computer system software for operational tracking, performance analysing & optimising financial inputs.
• Ability to analyse performance metrics such as food cost percentages, supplier pricing, inventory holding vs forecasted levels, wastage, & kitchen productivity.
• Flexible availability, including evenings, weekends, & public holidays.
• A commitment to ensure the kitchen is thoroughly cleaned & not leaving before all cleaning is completed at the end of each shift.
• Have own reliable transportation & current driver’s license.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Diploma or Advanced Diploma in Commercial Cookery or a related culinary qualification.
• Bachelor of Business Administration
• Certificate IV in Kitchen Management or equivalent experience.
• Minimum of 3–4 years’ experience in a professional commercial kitchen environment.
• Previous Senior Chef, or an aspiring Chef de Partie with leadership experience in a similar role, & with experience cooking Seafood, Steaks, Pasta, Pastry & Baking.
• Mature & calm with strong problem-solving skills, articulate communication, attention to detail, & ability to manage competing priorities.
• Proven track record of building & leading a professional, cohesive, efficient, & motivated kitchen teams that deliver creative & consistent culinary delights for our guests.

Why Join Us:

This is an opportunity to be a part of the kitchen’s leadership team, influence culinary direction, & play a significant role in the success & growth of our restaurant business.

We value professionalism, leadership, teamwork, creativity, & someone who fosters & builds a positive & enthusiastic team culture & who takes pride in mentoring team skill development.

You will be provided with the support & autonomy for you to excel.

Join us in crafting memorable meals & a culture of culinary excellence that keeps our customers returning for more & more.