Chef - Weekend - Uniting Irwin Hall

Cater Care; Newcastle City Council; On-site; AUD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Weekend penalty rates

Modern facilities

Competitive pay

Job summary

Cater Care is seeking an accomplished Chef to elevate resident dining, combining culinary craft with care, using IDDSI texture-modified meals when required. You will lead the kitchen team to deliver nutritious, beautifully presented dishes in a community-focused environment.

The role requires a Certificate III in Commercial Cookery, experience in high-volume kitchens, and a strong commitment to resident satisfaction and dietary customization.

Qualifications

• Trade Qualified professional with Certificate III in Commercial Cookery.
• Experience in high-volume, fast-paced kitchens; aged care/healthcare hospitality experience valued.
• Commitment to resident satisfaction and catering to dietary needs.
• Ability to manage weekend kitchen operations independently.

Responsibilities

• Kitchen Leadership: Overseeing daily meal services to ensure smooth operations.
• Inclusive Culinary Services: Prepare standard menus and texture-modified diets with dignity and care.
• Quality Assurance: Ensure dishes meet taste, nutrition, temperature, and presentation standards.
• Safety & Compliance: Maintain kitchen hygiene, sanitation, and food safety documentation.
• Team Collaboration: Work with kitchen team to maintain a supportive environment.

Skills

Kitchen leadership

High-volume kitchen

Resident-focused care

Autonomous leadership

Food safety

Education

Certificate III in Commercial Cookery

Job description

Test and expand your technical skills adapting classic food into high-nutritive, beautifully presented, or texture-modified meals

Roster: Saturday & Sunday 6:30 am to 3:00 pm

About the Role

We are seeking an accomplished, compassionate Chef who goes beyond following recipes to elevate the resident dining experience. In this key culinary leadership role, you will combine high-standard culinary craftsmanship with resident-focused care, bringing expertise in the IDDSI standard to deliver delicious, nutritious, and beautifully crafted meals within a vibrant, community-oriented environment.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Kitchen Leadership: Overseeing and directing daily meal services to ensure smooth, efficient operations.
• Inclusive Culinary Services: Preparing standard menus alongside specialized texture-modified diets and dietary requirements with dignity, precision, and care.
• Quality Assurance: Ensuring every dish meets rigorous standards for taste, nutritional value, temperature, and visual presentation before service.
• Safety & Compliance: Upholding strict kitchen hygiene, sanitation, and food safety documentation standards.
• Team Collaboration: Partnering with a dedicated kitchen team to maintain a supportive, organized, and effective working environment.

Who You Are

• Trade Qualified Professional: Posess a Certificate III in Commercial Cookery (or equivalent standard qualification).
• Culinary Experience: Proven experience in high-volume, fast-paced kitchen environments. Experience in aged care, healthcare, hospitality, or corporate catering is highly regarded.
• Resident-Focused Care: A genuine commitment to resident satisfaction, displaying empathy, patience, and flexibility in catering to individual dietary preferences and needs.
• Autonomous & Dependable Leader: Demonstrated capability to manage weekend kitchen operations independently, maintaining high standards of food quality and service consistency.

Why Join Us?

• Competitive Pay: Weekend penalty rates apply.
• Purpose-Driven Work: See the immediate impact of your skills on the well-being of our residents.
• Modern Facilities: Work in a clean, well-equipped, and supportive environment.

Who we are:

Cater Care is a leading, 100% Australian owned contract catering service provider, operating across multiple sectors (Aged care, Education, Retirement, Retail and Remote services).

Through our values of Care, Pride and Community, we pride ourselves on diversity, work/life balance, providing excellent career opportunities to our employees. We encourage First Nations people to consider a career with us.

Please note:

As a result of revised standards around health & well-being in the aged care industry, all applicants must have a current year flu vaccination and undertake a National Criminal History Check.