Contract Aged Care Chef

Energy Staff; Sunshine Coast Regional; On-site; AUD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Weekly pay

Penalty rates

Direct pathway to permanent roles

Ongoing work

Job summary

Energy Staff is seeking experienced Aged Care Chefs for contract assignments across South East Queensland, from the Sunshine Coast through to the Gold Coast. You will work in our network of facilities, taking charge from day one and delivering meals to residents.

Role involves planning and cooking diverse menus, meeting IDDSI diet requirements, supervising kitchen staff, and maintaining high food safety standards.

Qualifications

• Minimum 4 years' experience as a chef or cook in an aged care setting.
• Certificate III in Commercial Cookery or equivalent.
• Current Food Safety Supervisor certification.
• Solid knowledge of texture modification, therapeutic diets and IDDSI.
• Availability to work full-time hours across a 7 day rotating roster, including weekends and public holidays.
• Own reliable vehicle and current driver’s licence.
• NDIS Worker Screening Check or Police Check (or willingness to obtain).
• Full working rights in Australia.

Responsibilities

• Plan, prepare and cook breakfast, main meals, soups, desserts and evening meals to each facility's menu cycle.
• Cater for a full range of dietary and nutritional requirements, including texture modified diets (IDDSI framework).
• Manage multiple dining services and meal timings across the day, often serving several dining areas.
• Liaise with care staff and clinical teams to understand resident requirements and changes.
• Supervise and give clear direction to kitchenhands and assistant cooks.
• Record food safety checks, temperatures, cleaning schedules and other records on site systems.
• Stock control, ordering and portion management within budget.
• Maintain kitchen hygiene and food safety to Aged Care Quality Standards.

Education

Certificate III in Commercial Cookery

Current Food Safety Supervisor certification

Tools

Operandio

Kafoodle

Job description

Contract Aged Care Chefs | Sunshine Coast to Gold Coast | Energy Staff

Position Overview

Energy Staff is seeking experienced Aged Care Chefs for contract assignments across South East Queensland, from the Sunshine Coast through to the Gold Coast.

You will work across our network of aged care facilities, stepping into kitchens that need a capable chef who can take charge from day one. Assignments range from short-term cover through to extended block bookings, with consistent full-time hours for the right people.

This is hands-on cooking for residents who rely on you. You will need to read a kitchen quickly, work to each facility's systems, and deliver food that residents actually look forward to.

The role

Your responsibilities will include:

• Planning, preparing and cooking breakfast, main meals, soups, desserts and evening meals to each facility's menu cycle
• Catering for a full range of dietary and nutritional requirements, including texture modified diets (IDDSI framework), diabetic, high protein, allergen and cultural requirements
• Managing multiple dining services and meal timings across the day, often serving several dining areas
• Liaising with care staff and clinical teams to understand individual resident requirements and changes
• Supervising and giving clear direction to kitchenhands and assistant cooks
• Recording food safety checks, temperatures, cleaning schedules, deliveries and cook-chill records on each site's digital system (Operandio, Kafoodle or similar)
• Stock control, ordering and portion management within budget
• Maintaining kitchen hygiene, food safety and organisation to Aged Care Quality Standards

What we're looking for

• Minimum 4 years' experience as a chef or cook in an aged care setting - this is a firm requirement
• Certificate III in Commercial Cookery or equivalent
• Current Food Safety Supervisor certification
• Solid working knowledge of texture modification, therapeutic diets and IDDSI
• Availability to work full-time hours across a 7 day rotating roster, including weekends and public holidays
• Own reliable vehicle and current driver's licence - essential, as assignments are spread across the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and Gold Coast corridor
• NDIS Worker Screening Check or Police Check (or willingness to obtain)
• Full working rights in Australia
• Ability to walk into an unfamiliar kitchen, pick up the systems and run the service

What we offer

• Consistent full-time hours across an established client network, not sporadic single shifts
• Variety of sites and kitchens across South East Queensland
• Weekly pay, penalty rates and allowances paid correctly
• A recruitment team that has worked in kitchens and understands what you are walking into - you will be briefed properly before every assignment
• Ongoing work and a direct pathway to permanent roles with our clients where that is what you want
• Genuine support from a consultant who answers the phone

About Energy Staff

Energy Staff supplies hospitality and catering personnel to venues and facilities across Queensland. We place chefs, cooks and kitchen teams who can perform without hand-holding, and we back them with proper onboarding, compliance and site briefings.