Head Chef | Babylon Brisbane

Queensland Venue Co. PTY LTD; Brisbane; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Staff discounts across 240+ venues in澳

Annual bonus up to $20K

Job summary

Babylon Brisbane is seeking an experienced Head Chef with a strong Middle Eastern background to lead a premium dining kitchen along the Brisbane River. The role requires hands-on leadership, high standards, and a passion for flavour, quality and creativity across mezze, wood-fired meats and seafood.

You’ll drive menu development, oversee operations, manage costs, and mentor a high-performing team in a busy, upscale setting. AVC culture and deadlines demand excellence.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Head Chef in quality restaurants.
• A strong Middle Eastern culinary background is essential.
• Experience in premium dining or hatted restaurants desirable.
• Extensive knowledge of Levantine cuisine and charcoal/wood-fired techniques.
• Creative approach to food with ability to execute at high standard.
• Strong leadership and team development skills.
• Commercial awareness: food costing, labour management and budgets.
• Organised, hands-on, able to lead during busy services.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor and develop the kitchen team, creating a positive and accountable kitchen culture
• Oversee daily kitchen operations across preparation, service, stock control and ordering
• Maintain exceptional food quality, presentation and consistency across every service
• Bring a strong understanding of Middle Eastern flavours, ingredients, traditional techniques and contemporary interpretations
• Work collaboratively on menu development, seasonal specials and new culinary ideas
• Manage food costs, labour, wastage and kitchen budgets while maintaining quality
• Uphold food safety, hygiene and workplace safety standards.
• Deliver smooth, organised service in a busy, high-volume dining environment.

Skills

Head Chef

Middle Eastern cuisine

Team leadership

Menu development

Food costing

Kitchen operations

Food safety

Quality control

Job description

Lead the kitchen. Celebrate Middle Eastern cuisine. Create something exceptional. Babylon Brisbane is looking for an experienced Head Chef with a strong Middle Eastern culinary background and a passion for delivering exceptional food in a premium dining environment. Located on the Brisbane River, Babylon brings the flavours of the Levant to life through bold spices, generous mezze, wood-fired meats, charcoal-grilled seafood and vibrant shared plates. With multiple dining spaces, terraces and a distinctive food offering, this is an opportunity to lead a kitchen where flavour, quality and creativity are at the heart of everything we do.

The Role

We’re looking for a confident, hands-on Head Chef who understands Middle Eastern cuisine and has the experience to lead a high-performing kitchen. Ideally, you’ll have worked in hatted restaurants or other high-end dining environments, bringing strong technical skills, attention to detail and a genuine passion for food. You’ll take ownership of kitchen operations, lead and develop your team, maintain exceptional standards and continue to deliver a menu that showcases the depth and character of Middle Eastern cooking.

• Lead, mentor and develop the kitchen team, creating a positive and accountable kitchen culture
• Oversee daily kitchen operations across preparation, service, stock control and ordering
• Maintain exceptional food quality, presentation and consistency across every service
• Bring a strong understanding of Middle Eastern flavours, ingredients, traditional techniques and contemporary interpretations
• Work collaboratively on menu development, seasonal specials and new culinary ideas
• Manage food costs, labour, wastage and kitchen budgets while maintaining quality
• Uphold food safety, hygiene and workplace safety standards.
• Deliver smooth, organised service in a busy, high-volume dining environment.

About You

• Proven experience as a Head Chef or senior kitchen leader in a quality restaurant
• A strong Middle Eastern culinary background is essential
• Experience in hatted restaurants or premium dining establishments is highly desirable
• Extensive knowledge of Middle Eastern and Levantine cuisine, including mezze, charcoal cooking, wood-fired techniques and bold, layered flavours
• A creative approach to food with the technical ability to execute consistently at a high standard
• Strong leadership, communication and team development skills
• Commercially minded, with a solid understanding of food costing, labour management and kitchen performance
• Organised, hands-on and comfortable leading a busy kitchen through demanding services
• A genuine passion for quality ingredients, great food and delivering memorable dining experiences

Why Join Babylon Brisbane?

Competitive salary + annual bonus of up to $20K paid quarterly Staff discounts across 240+ venues in Australia & NZ Lead the kitchen of a distinctive riverside dining destination in the heart of Brisbane Take ownership of kitchen operations and make a real impact on food quality, team culture and commercial performance Enjoy opportunities to grow your career within a broader hospitality group

If you’re a passionate culinary leader with a strong Middle Eastern background and the experience to deliver at a high level, we’d love to hear from you.

Australian Venue Co. promotes a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion through programs like AVC Pride for LGBTQIA+ support, Her Hospo for empowering women, and a First Nations Committee for reconciliation. We are committed to growing our understanding and engagement in diversity, equity and inclusion to build a more inclusive industry.