Head Chef: Lead, Innovate & Optimize a Busy Hotel Kitchen

EVT - Entertainment | Ventures | Travel; Canberra; On-site; AUD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Dining discount

Movie discounts

Seasonal perks

Career growth

Parental leave

Job summary

QT Canberra, part of EVT, is seeking a driven Head Chef to lead our kitchen and shape the next chapter of our food offering. This pivotal role owns kitchen operations, culture, rostering, food quality, cost discipline and supplier relationships, with scope to leave a lasting impact daily.

You’ll drive performance, coach your team, and partner with hotel leadership to run a high-volume, guest-focused kitchen across outlets.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading a high-volume commercial kitchen, ideally in hotels or hospitality.
• Track record of managing labour costs, food cost percentage and supplier negotiations.
• Strong people leadership with ability to coach and set standards.
• Comfort with budgets, KPIs and monthly reporting.
• Creativity balanced with commercial discipline.
• Stamina and resilience for a fast-paced kitchen.

Responsibilities

• Build a well-run, well-led kitchen team with strong day-to-day leadership.
• Drive food cost performance through purchasing, portion control and waste reduction.
• Strengthen supplier relationships for better purchasing outcomes.
• Ensure consistent food quality, presentation and menu execution across outlets.
• Embed KPIs (food cost %, waste, labour cost, productivity) into daily operations.
• Mentor and develop the team, fostering a positive kitchen culture.
• Partner with hotel leadership and run the kitchen with autonomy.

Skills

Kitchen leadership

Labour cost mgmt

Team coaching

Budgets & KPIs

Creativity

Stamina

Fast-paced kitchen

Job description

QT Canberra, part of EVT, is seeking a driven Head Chef to lead our kitchen and shape the next chapter of our food offering. This pivotal role owns kitchen operations, culture, rostering, food quality, cost discipline and supplier relationships, with scope to leave a lasting impact daily.

You’ll drive performance, coach your team, and partner with hotel leadership to run a high-volume, guest-focused kitchen across outlets.