Chef

HELLO AUSSIE STUDENT SERVICES; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 97,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full-time employment

38-hour work week

Diverse menu opportunities

Menu planning and recipe development

Professional kitchen environment

Ongoing professional development

Job summary

HELLO AUSSIE STUDENT SERVICES in Carlton, Melbourne, seeks an experienced Chef to drive menu development, food preparation, quality control and efficient kitchen operations within a diverse dining team.

The role involves coordinating across grill, hot-food and cold-food sections, training staff, and ensuring HACCP-compliant safety and high standards for group dining and events.

Qualifications

• A relevant qualification in Commercial Cookery, Culinary Arts or related discipline or substantial equivalent experience.
• Minimum five years of professional chef experience in established restaurants or commercial kitchens.
• Experience preparing Middle Eastern, Mediterranean or other international cuisines.
• Strong practical cooking skills including grilling, meat prep, rice dishes, appetisers and sauces.
• Experience contributing to menu planning, recipe development and food presentation.
• Knowledge of food costing, inventory management and waste reduction.
• Sound HACCP, food hygiene and safe handling practices.
• Ability to train kitchen personnel and coordinate workflow.
• Excellent English communication for kitchen coordination and safety.

Responsibilities

• Plan, prepare and cook Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and international dishes.
• Develop menus, seasonal specials and recipes based on preferences and availability.
• Prepare grilled meats, rice dishes, appetisers, salads and sauces.

Skills

Food preparation

Grilling

Meat preparation

Rice dishes

Appetisers

Menu planning

Recipe development

Work coordination

Training kitchen staff

English communication

Education

Commercial Cookery qualification

Culinary Arts qualification

Job description

HELLO AUSSIE STUDENT SERVICES – Carlton VIC

We are an established hospitality business located in Carlton, Melbourne, offering a diverse dining experience influenced by Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and international culinary traditions.

Our restaurant focuses on authentic flavours, quality ingredients and consistent food preparation, providing a welcoming dining experience for customers from a variety of cultural backgrounds.

We are seeking an experienced and versatile Chef to join our kitchen team on a full-time, ongoing basis. The successful applicant will contribute to menu development, food preparation, quality control and efficient kitchen operations.

Benefits

• Full-time, ongoing employment with a standard 38-hour working week.
• Opportunity to work with a diverse menu incorporating traditional and contemporary international cuisines.
• Professional and collaborative kitchen environment.
• Opportunities to contribute to menu planning, recipe development and culinary innovation.
• Varied responsibilities involving cooking, food quality management and kitchen coordination.
• Annual base salary.
• Opportunities for ongoing professional development.

Task & responsibilities

• Plan, prepare and cook a variety of Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and international dishes in accordance with the restaurant' s menu and quality standards.
• Develop and refine menus, seasonal specials and recipes based on customer preferences, ingredient availability and business requirements.
• Prepare grilled meats, rice dishes, appetisers, salads, sauces and other menu items using appropriate culinary techniques.
• Standardise recipes, ingredient quantities, cooking methods, portion sizes and presentation standards.
• Monitor food quality, taste, texture and presentation throughout preparation and service.
• Calculate recipe costs, estimate ingredient quantities and implement portion-control and waste-reduction practices.
• Coordinate food preparation activities across grill, hot-food and cold-food kitchen sections.
• Monitor stock levels, ingredient freshness, storage conditions and stock rotation.
• Supervise and guide cooks and kitchen assistants to maintain efficient workflow and consistent culinary standards.
• Provide practical training in food preparation, cooking techniques, recipe consistency and presentation.
• Support food preparation for group dining, catering orders and special events.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, hygiene, sanitation and workplace health and safety requirements.
• Collaborate with restaurant management and front-of-house personnel to maintain service quality and customer satisfaction.

Qualification & experience

Applicants must demonstrate:

• A relevant qualification in Commercial Cookery, Culinary Arts or a related discipline, or substantial equivalent professional experience.
• Minimum five years of relevant professional experience as a Chef or in comparable skilled culinary roles within established restaurants or commercial kitchens.
• Demonstrated experience preparing Middle Eastern, Mediterranean or other international cuisines.
• Strong practical cooking skills, including grilling, meat preparation, rice dishes, appetisers and sauces.
• Experience contributing to menu planning, recipe development and food presentation.
• Knowledge of food costing, inventory management, ingredient utilisation and waste reduction.
• Experience coordinating kitchen workflow and maintaining food quality during busy service periods.
• Sound knowledge of HACCP principles, food hygiene and safe food-handling practices.
• Ability to provide guidance and practical training to kitchen personnel.
• Effective English communication skills for kitchen coordination and workplace safety.
• Availability to work rostered shifts, including evenings, weekends and public holidays.

The following will be highly regarded

• Experience with Persian, Turkish and other Middle Eastern culinary traditions.
• Advanced skills in traditional grilling, marinades, spice combinations and regional cooking techniques.
• Experience preparing traditional and contemporary dishes for multicultural dining environments.
• Experience working across multiple kitchen sections and managing high-volume meal preparation.
• Experience in catering, banquet preparation and special-event food service.
• Demonstrated ability to develop seasonal specials and commercially viable menu items.
• Experience with recipe costing, menu profitability and kitchen efficiency improvements.
• Additional culinary qualifications, specialised training or food safety certifications.

Work Type: Full time

Salary: $96500-110000