Executive Chef - Victoria

ALH Hotels; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Exclusive staff discounts on ALH pubs

Health and wellbeing services

Learning and development opportunities

Additional group benefits with Endeva​

Job summary

ALH Hotels is seeking an Executive Chef to lead food strategy and culinary excellence across Victoria’s 80+ venues. You’ll shape menus, ensure financial and safety targets, and mentor venue Head Chefs to deliver outstanding food experiences.

You will drive food innovation, manage apprentices, and partner with operations to optimise peak trading days while maintaining high allergen accuracy and seasonal menu relevance.

Qualifications

• Trade cooking qualifications and significant experience as a chef.
• Multi-site experience across pubs, restaurants, functions.
• Certification in commercial food safety and HACCP principles.
• Cert IV Workplace training and assessment (or equivalent trainer accreditation).
• Knowledge of cooking practices, trends and presentation methods.
• Knowledge of safe, hygienic working practices and ability to instruct others.
• Intermediate computer skills.
• Strong business acumen and demonstrated ability to achieve business development targets.
• Technical food development experience.
• Leadership and team management skills.
• Current driver licence and ability to travel across Victoria as required.

Responsibilities

• Define venues food offer relevant to market and ALH standards.
• Ensure all business metrics are met including financial, safety, customer and team.
• Work with the Operations Team to target and prioritise opportunities for the business.
• Business case recommendations for kitchen equipment changes.
• Support the Operations team in identifying and assisting in the succession planning for future leaders.
• Strategic management of Apprentices and School Based Trainee programs.
• Weekly auditing and continuous improvement in Food Safety processes at venue level as well as ongoing support and training in relevant food safety system.
• Work with venue teams in ensuring hygiene standards are met in terms of back of house operations, using safe food handling and storage practises and set cleaning schedules and procedures.
• Ensuring adherence to the food safety program/HACCP requirements.
• Active involvement with Venue and Operations teams on all seasonal menus changes to ensure they are market driven, competitively priced and sufficiently diverse within the portfolio.
• Work with the Operations Team to develop peak trading day menu.
• Develop and implement, in conjunction with the Operations team, a state based calendar of food activities (footy specials, etc) with menu suggestions.
• Verify accuracy in allergen mapping and dietary balance of menus.

Skills

Chef experience

Multi-site experience

Food safety certification

HACCP principles

Cert IV training

Cooking techniques

Food trends

Food presentation

Basic IT skills

Business acumen

Food development

Leadership

Driver licence

Education

Cert IV Workplace training and assessment

Trade cooking qualifications

Job description

Calling all experience creators! Let’s go to the pub! Chances are, it’s one of ours. The cornerstone of over 350 Australian communities, ALH owns and operates more pubs than anyone. In every community, the pub is where stories are made and retold. A place to escape, and feel at home. With passion on tap, our team adds to every pub’s story. A great local is made up of great people. And together, both sides of the bar create something special.

About Us

Calling all experience creators! Let’s go to the pub! Chances are, it’s one of ours. The cornerstone of over 350 Australian communities, ALH owns and operates more pubs than anyone. In every community, the pub is where stories are made and retold. A place to escape, and feel at home. With passion on tap, our team adds to every pub’s story. A great local is made up of great people. And together, both sides of the bar create something special.

About The Role

Executive Chef (Victoria)

• Lead the execution of Food strategy across 80+ venues
• Drive culinary excellence and commercial performance in our Victorian portfolio

As the Executive Chef for Victoria, you'll be instrumental in contributing to our National Food Strategy and executing this in your state's venues.

In addition, you'll be responsible for maintaining a high standard of food quality and driving sales growth across the state.

You'll provide essential development and support to our venue Head Chefs, ensuring the quality of their food offer and prioritising key opportunities for food innovation and overall execution within Victoria.

Sound good? Read on.

Here is a taster of what you can expect in this role:

• Active involvement in defining venues food offer relevant to market and ALH standards
• Ensure all business metrics are met including financial, safety, customer and team
• Work with the Operations Team to target and prioritise opportunities for the business
• Business case recommendations for kitchen equipment changes
• Support the Operations team in identifying and assisting in the succession planning for future leaders
• Strategic management of Apprentices and School Based Trainee programs
• Weekly auditing and continuous improvement in Food Safety processes at venue level as well as ongoing support and training in relevant food safety system
• Work with venue teams in ensuring hygiene standards are met in terms of back of house operations, using safe food handling and storage practises and set cleaning schedules and procedures
• Ensuring adherence to the food safety program/HACCP requirements
• Active involvement with Venue and Operations teams on all seasonal menus changes to ensure they are market driven, competitively priced and sufficiently diverse within the portfolio
• Work with the Operations Team to develop peak trading day menu
• Develop and implement, in conjunction with the Operations team, a state based calendar of food activities (footy specials, etc) with menu suggestions
• Verify accuracy in allergen mapping and dietary balance of menus

Now Let’s Talk About You

• Trade cooking qualifications and significant experience as a chef
• Previous multi site experience including in a range of business settings (pubs, restaurants, functions etc)
• Certification in commercial food safety and HACCP principles.
• Cert IV Workplace training and assessment (or equivalent trainer accreditation)
• Knowledge of a wide range of cooking practices, food trends and presentation methods, including beyond those that apply to the venue/s menus
• Knowledge of safe, hygienic working practices and ability to instruct others in their requirements
• Intermediate computer skills
• Strong business acumen and demonstrated ability to achieve business development targets
• Technical food development experience
• Leadership and team management skills
• Current driver licence and ability to travel across Victoria as required

The benefits are good too!

• An exclusive discount card for our ALH Hotels pubs & accommodation, BWS, Dan Murphy’s and other Endeavour Group brands. Through our partnership with Woolworths, you'll also enjoy discounts at Woolies supermarkets and BIG W
• As a valued member of the team, your health and wellbeing is our top priority. You will have access to a range of free services to help you live well and support your physical, mental and financial wellbeing
• Endeavour Group is full of opportunities - use our dedicated learning and development options to grow an idea, yourself, and your career. This is just the start, so dream big
• Find out more about our range of benefits and discounts here

At Endeavour, we value being a workplace where everyone’s welcome - if you meet a number of the requirements (and not all), we encourage you to apply.

What's in it for you?

We are together creators

We’re big, but part of something much bigger. ALH is in good company, sitting alongside the likes of Dan Murphy’s, BWS, Pinnacle Drinks within the Endeavour Group. Together we create the moments that bring millions of people together. And together we have more fun, create more opportunities, and score a lot more goals. We’re serious about having a good time - creating a safe, inclusive and fun place to rock up to. We’re all about creating a more sociable future, together - for our customers and each other.

#WeAreTogetherCreators #ComeAsYouAre #DreamBig #FeelTheEnergy #LeaveYourMark #ALH #EndeavourGroup

You can learn more about working with us on LinkedIn or at endeavourgroupcareers.com.au

Our Talent Team and Hiring Leaders kindly request no unsolicited resumes or approaches from Recruitment Agencies. Endeavour Group is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.