Head Chef - Jetty Road Brewery

Riverland Group; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary package

Career development opportunities

Access to experienced hospitality Ment

Staff discounts across venues

Job summary

Jetty Road Brewery in Dromana is seeking an experienced Head Chef to lead our kitchen and drive exceptional guest experiences. You’ll build a high-performing team, set standards, and own cost control in a dynamic hospitality setting.

You’ll have support from an Executive Chef and senior leadership, while taking ownership of the kitchen, leading your brigade and making a real impact on our venues and events.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading and developing kitchen teams.
• Strong commercial acumen and cost-control ability.
• Solid labour management and rostering experience.
• Excellent communication and people leadership skills.
• Experience delivering both à la carte service and large-scale functions.
• A strong understanding of kitchen systems, processes and compliance.
• A solutions-focused mindset and commitment to continuous improvement.
• The ability to stay calm, organised and decisive during busy periods.

Responsibilities

• Leading and developing a high-performing kitchen team.
• Creating a positive, accountable and engaged culture.
• Delivering consistent food quality across service, functions and events.
• Managing food cost, labour cost and kitchen profitability.
• Driving recruitment, training and succession planning.
• Maintaining food safety and compliance standards.
• Contributing to venue planning, events and seasonal trading strategies.
• Identifying opportunities to improve systems, efficiency and performance.

Skills

Team leadership

Cost control

Labour management

Communication

A la carte service

Kitchen systems

Continuous improvement

Stay composed

Job description

Lead a Great Team of Good People to deliver Great Experiences.

Jetty Road Brewery is looking for an exceptional Head Chef to lead our kitchen and play a key role in the next chapter of our growth.

Located in the heart of Dromana on Victoria's stunning Mornington Peninsula, Jetty Road Brewery is a destination loved by locals and visitors alike. With award-winning craft beer, a busy year-round events calendar, live music and a vibrant hospitality offering, we're proud to be one of the region's most recognisable venues.

This is an opportunity to join a business with ambitious plans, strong leadership and a genuine commitment to investing in its people.

Why This Role Is Different

We're not looking for a Chef who's constantly chasing the next food trend.

We're looking for a leader.

Someone who can build and develop great people, create accountability, drive standards, control costs and run a high-performing kitchen that consistently delivers exceptional guest experiences.

You'll have the support of an experienced Executive Chef and senior leadership team, but you'll be empowered to take ownership of the kitchen, lead your brigade and make a real impact.

The Opportunity

As Head Chef, you'll be responsible for:

• Leading and developing a high-performing kitchen team
• Creating a positive, accountable and engaged culture
• Delivering consistent food quality across service, functions and events
• Managing food cost, labour cost and kitchen profitability
• Driving recruitment, training and succession planning
• Maintaining food safety and compliance standards
• Contributing to venue planning, events and seasonal trading strategies
• Identifying opportunities to improve systems, efficiency and performance

This is a hands‑on leadership role where your success will be measured by the strength of your team, operational performance and guest experience.

About You

You’ll be an experienced Head Chef or strong Sous Chef ready to step into a larger leadership role with experience in high-volume hospitality environments.

You’ll bring:

• Proven experience leading and developing kitchen teams
• Strong commercial acumen and cost-control ability
• Solid labour management and rostering experience
• Excellent communication and people leadership skills
• Experience delivering both à la carte service and large-scale functions
• A strong understanding of kitchen systems, processes and compliance
• A solutions-focused mindset and commitment to continuous improvement
• The ability to stay calm, organised and decisive during busy periods

Why Join Riverland Group?

At Riverland Group, we believe great venues are built by great people.

Our portfolio includes some of Victoria and South Australia's most recognised hospitality destinations, including Riverland Bar, The Boatbuilders Yard, Hotel Railway, Naked For Satan and Lot 100.

When you join us, you'll benefit from:

• Competitive salary package
• Significant career development opportunities
• Access to experienced hospitality leaders and mentors
• Generous staff discounts across our venues
• Strong systems, structure and operational support
• A collaborative culture that values teamwork, accountability and growth

Most importantly, you'll join a business where your contribution is recognised and where talented leaders have genuine opportunities to progress.

Ready for Your Next Challenge?

If you're a people-first hospitality leader who thrives on building teams, improving performance and creating memorable guest experiences, we'd love to hear from you.