Head Chef | Leichhardt Hotel

Queensland Venue Co. PTY LTD; Rockhampton Regional; On-site; AUD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Up to $20,000 KPI bonus

Relocation assistance

Staff discounts across AVC venues

Training and development opportunities

Employee Assistance Program & wellness

Job summary

Australian Venue Co. in Rockhampton is seeking a Head Chef to lead the Leichhardt Hotel kitchen, delivering a profitable, high-quality food offer across all areas of the business.

You will manage a brigade, drive food standards and ensure cost controls while working closely with the Venue Manager and Area Chef. The role requires hands-on leadership, strong hospitality passion and a track record of developing teams in fast-paced environments.

Qualifications

• Experience as Head Chef or Senior Sous Chef
• Experience in high-volume pubs, hotels or casual dining venues
• Strong knowledge of labour management, food costing and kitchen financials
• Proven ability to lead, coach and develop teams
• Excellent organisational and communication skills
• Passion for hospitality and delivering memorable guest experiences
• Proactive and solutions-focused approach to leadership

Responsibilities

• Leading, mentoring and developing the kitchen team
• Managing labour costs, rosters and productivity targets
• Controlling food costs, stock management and ordering
• Maintaining high food quality, consistency and presentation standards
• Ensuring compliance with food safety and workplace health requirements
• Recruiting, training and retaining talented kitchen staff
• Driving a positive, accountable and high-performing kitchen culture
• Collaborating with venue leadership to achieve operational and financial goals

Skills

Leadership

Labour management

Food costing

Kitchen financials

Team development

Organisational skills

Communication skills

Hospitality passion

Job description

Ready to take the reins of one of Rockhampton's most exciting pub kitchens? Following a major redevelopment, the Leichhardt Hotel has cemented itself as a premier hospitality destination in Central Queensland. Boasting a large bistro, sports bar, function spaces and vibrant entertainment offering, we're seeking an experienced Head Chef to lead the kitchen team and drive exceptional food experiences for our guests.

About the Role

As Head Chef, you'll take ownership of all kitchen operations, leading a passionate brigade while ensuring strong financial performance, food quality and team engagement. Working closely with the Venue Manager and Area Chef, you'll be responsible for delivering a consistent and profitable food offering across all areas of the business.

• Leading, mentoring and developing the kitchen team
• Managing labour costs, rosters and productivity targets
• Controlling food costs, stock management and ordering
• Maintaining high food quality, consistency and presentation standards
• Ensuring compliance with food safety and workplace health requirements
• Recruiting, training and retaining talented kitchen staff
• Driving a positive, accountable and high-performing kitchen culture
• Collaborating with venue leadership to achieve operational and financial goals

About You

We're looking for a hands-on leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment and knows how to balance people, product and profit. You'll have:

• Previous experience as a Head Chef or a strong Senior Sous Chef ready to step up
• Experience in high-volume pubs, hotels or casual dining venues
• Strong knowledge of labour management, food costing and kitchen financials
• Proven ability to lead, coach and develop teams
• Excellent organisational and communication skills
• A passion for hospitality and delivering memorable guest experiences
• A proactive and solutions-focused approach to leadership

What's on Offer

• Competitive salary + up to $20,000 annual KPI bonus structure
• Relocation assistance available for the right candidate
• Support from an experienced Area Chef and Operations team
• Career progression opportunities across Australian Venue Co's network of 250+ venues
• Staff discounts across all AVC venues
• Training and development opportunities to support your career growth
• Access to our Employee Assistance Program and wellbeing initiatives

If you're looking for an opportunity to lead a thriving kitchen, build a strong team and make a real impact at one of Rockhampton's most recognised venues, 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.

Turn your hospo job into a rewarding career. Whether you’re already in a hospitality management role or you’re ready for career progression into management, you can take the next step with Australian Venue Co. We're passionate about training & developing our team members and providing internal career advancement opportunities. At AVC, we turn hospo jobs into careers! Join our team & get access to our AdVanCe Career Pathways program, our in-house development program that is tailored to the hospitality industry. If your next step is to become a Duty Manager, Assistant Venue Manager or Venue Manager, we can support you on your career journey. Have a question regarding a career at Australian Venue Co? Read some of our commonly asked questions here.