Head Chef

Delia Group; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Maha Restaurant in Melbourne is seeking a Head Chef to oversee daily kitchen operations, manage staff, and drive growth while maintaining high standards of quality and safety. You will lead the team, mentor chefs, and ensure consistent, creative dishes that reflect the venue’s style.

You will also manage food costs, supplier relationships, and collaboration with front-of-house to deliver exceptional dining experiences for guests.

Responsibilities

• Oversee and direct all day-to-day operations of the kitchen
• Lead the training, development, and growth of all staff in all areas of the kitchen
• Educate and pass on knowledge to staff on the fundamentals of cooking
• Empower kitchen team to make decisions, develop, take on responsibility and meet clearly defined goals and objectives
• Ensure all preparation is done according to well defined recipes demonstrating consistency and meeting quality standards
• Constantly look for ways to improve all aspects of kitchen operations
• Constantly strive to improve plating and quality of dishes produced
• Provide and maintain a positive work environment and professional management approach
• Recruit and develop kitchen staff to cover roles and ensure smooth operations
• Maintain food safety, hygiene, and sanitation standards and record-keeping
• Manage purchasing, costing, and supplier relationships to meet budget targets
• Collaborate with front-of-house to ensure guest satisfaction and strong service levels
• Review staffing, rostering, stock levels, and wastage to control costs
• Drive menu development and costed menu items aligned with brand and venue style
• Foster teamwork between back and front of house for an optimal dining experience
• Address guest feedback and solve problems promptly as they arise
• Monitor compliance with safety procedures and health department requirements
• Lead by example with consistent presentation and professional conduct
• Contribute to recruitment and onboarding of new kitchen staff
• Assist management with annual budgeting targets and performance reviews

Job description

Job Type: Permanent position | Full time position

Job Description
POSITION DESCRIPTION JOB TITLE: Head Chef JOB TYPE: Full Time REPORTS TO: Director/Group Head Chef LOCATION: Maha Restaurant, 21 Bond Street, Melbourne, 3000 ROLE: The Head Chef will oversee and manage the daily operations of the kitchen. They will effectively manage all staff under their supervision ensuring each level has clear guidance and instruction on what is expected of them and understands how to achieve these targets. As part of this the Head Chef will guide, oversee, and actively train all staff in their team to perform their roles and drive growth and development. The Head Chef will be ultimately responsible for all ordering procedures ensuring that produce is of suitable quality, price, and quantity to fit the needs of the venue and adhere to the budget. The Head Chef will achieve the food cost targets of the venue and where possible negotiate the best prices for products from suppliers. The Head Chef will monitor and manage staff costs through effective rostering, adhering to break times and maximising productivity. Minimising wastage will be a key part of the Head Chef’s role. They will ensure that all sections of the kitchen are using produce efficiently and install practices and systems to achieve this and control costs. The hygiene, food safety, and sanitisation of the kitchen will be correctly managed by the Head Chef to always ensure compliance and the highest standards. All relevant paperwork must be managed by the Head Chef making sure that those responsible within in the team are completing required documents in good time and correctly. The Head Chef will liaise with and communicate effectively with the front of house team to ensure that guests are receiving exceptional experiences that exceed expectation. The Head Chef will create innovative and creative dishes that match the style and food culture of the venue.

MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Oversee and direct all day-to-day operations of the kitchen
• Lead the training, development, and growth of all staff in all areas of the kitchen setting targets and monitoring performance
• Educate and pass on knowledge to staff on the fundamentals of cooking and excellent plate presentation
• Empower kitchen team to make decisions, develop, take on responsibility and meet clearly defined goals and objectives
• Ensure all preparation is done according to well defined recipes demonstrating consistency and meeting quality standards
• Constantly looks for ways to improve all aspects of kitchen operations
• Constantly strives to improve and refine plating and the quality of dishes produced in the kitchen
• Display exceptional leadership by providing a positive work environment, counselling employees as appropriate and demonstrating a dedicated and professional approach to management
• Have detailed understanding of every role within the kitchen to cover sections or select appropriate replacements in the absence of staff and delegate effectively
• Utilizes interpersonal and communication skills to guide, lead, and influence kitchen staff
• Make sound financial and business decisions to achieve budget targets and ensure kitchen team are doing the same
• Provide and support service behaviours that are above and beyond for customer satisfaction and retention
• Improves service by communicating and assisting individuals to understand guest needs, providing guidance, feedback, and individual coaching when needed
• Continuously review staffing levels and rostering to ensure guest service, operational needs and financial objectives are met
• Actively involved in menu development and maintaining updated and accurate costing of all dishes prepared and sold in the Food and Beverage operation
• Recognise and source superior quality produce considering flavour, provenance, sustainability, and cost by maintaining strong relationships with suppliers
• Ensure compliance with food handling, hygiene, and sanitation standards
• Maintain accurate records in accordance with all food safety requirements
• Ensure all equipment in the kitchen is properly maintained and in working order in accordance with local Health department
• Ensure kitchen team demonstrate exemplary standards of grooming, hygiene, and sanitation and ensure employees maintain all food handling and sanitation certifications
• Develop and maintain a high standard of procedure of purchasing, receiving, preparation, production and presentation of food
• Maintain food storage standards in the kitchen
• Interact with front of house to obtain feedback on food quality, presentation, and service levels,
• Maintain a good relationship between back and front of house to ensure a healthy working environment and the best dining experience for guests
• Actively responds to and handles guest problems and complaints
• Follows and enforces all applicable safety procedures specified for all kitchen staff
• Analyse, understand, and discuss all daily, weekly, and monthly food cost reports with key F&B team members to find ways of improving results
• Able to perform additional duties as requested by management when required.
• Ensure disciplinary procedures and documentation are completed according to management guidelines set by the restaurant
• Play a lead role in the recruitment of new employees in the kitchen

PERFORMANCE GOALS:

• Continuously action and uphold the employers mission statement and core values
• Adhere to and uphold all company policies and procedures
• Integrate with team members and work collaboratively to achieve restaurant goals
• Communicate effectively and appropriately with all colleagues
• Maintain high levels of personal presentation, hygiene, and grooming
• Observe high levels of punctuality
• Demonstrate a consistent attitude and look to encourage and motivate colleagues
• Achieve the budgeted food cost targets set by the Group Head Chef
• Achieve the budgeted wage cost targets set by the Group Head Chef
• Install and drive a culture of learning, training, growth, and development in the kitchen
• Monitor stock levels, orders, pricing, and wastage to effectively control costsDemonstrate honesty, integrity, and lead by example
• Create and develop new menu items in accordance with timeframes set by the Director/Group Head Chef