Head chef - Republica St Kilda beach

Work Initiatives; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual performance bonuses

Beachfront workplace

Superannuation support

Job summary

Republica on St Kilda Beach seeks an experienced Head Chef to lead our busy kitchen within Melbourne Hospitality Group. You will own daily operations, drive consistency, cost control and a positive kitchen culture, working closely with venue management.

You will recruit and develop chefs, manage rosters and purchasing, and collaborate with front-of-house to deliver a standout guest experience. This role rewards performance with annual bonuses and a beachfront workplace.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading a high-volume kitchen as a Head Chef.
• Hands-on cooking skills and active participation in service.
• Confidence managing food costs, kitchen labour and purchasing.
• Calm, organized leadership with clear communication.
• Commitment to training your team and building a respectful workplace.
• Ability balance menu creativity with consistency and profitability.

Responsibilities

• Leading preparation and service, maintaining quality and consistency during busy periods.
• Recruiting, training and developing chefs and kitchen hands.
• Managing kitchen rosters, labour budgets and team performance.
• Overseeing purchasing, stock control, food costing and waste reduction.
• Developing and costing menus that suit Republica's customers and style.
• Maintaining clear recipes, portion controls and presentation standards.
• Ensuring excellent food safety, cleanliness and kitchen organization.
• Working closely with front-of-house to deliver a great guest experience.
• Using our software systems to support efficient kitchen operations and monitor performance.

Skills

High-volume kitchen leadership

Hands-on cooking

Food cost management

Team training

Clear communication

Tools

Restoke

Deputy

Tevalis

SevenRooms

Tripleseat

Job description

Full-time base salary + super + annual performance bonus

Lead an iconic beachfront kitchen. Develop your team. Be rewarded for results.

Republica is seeking an experienced, hands‑on Head Chef to lead our busy kitchen on St Kilda Beach.

Part of Melbourne Hospitality Group, Republica brings together relaxed beachfront dining, a lively courtyard and high-volume service. We're looking for a confident kitchen leader who takes pride in great food, builds a strong team and understands the commercial side of running a successful kitchen.

About the role

You'll take ownership of daily kitchen operations, working closely with venue management to deliver consistent food, efficient service and a positive kitchen culture.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading preparation and service, maintaining quality and consistency during busy periods.
• Recruiting, training and developing chefs and kitchen hands.
• Managing kitchen rosters, labour budgets and team performance.
• Overseeing purchasing, stock control, food costing and waste reduction.
• Developing and costing menus that suit Republica's customers and style.
• Maintaining clear recipes, portion controls and presentation standards.
• Ensuring excellent food safety, cleanliness and kitchen organization.
• Working closely with front-of-house to deliver a great guest experience.
• Using our software systems to support efficient kitchen operations and monitor performance.

Our systems

We use Restoke for inventory and kitchen management, Deputy for rostering and workforce management, and Tevalis as our POS system. SevenRooms supports reservations and guest management, while Tripleseat manages event bookings.

Experience with these platforms is advantageous, along with confidence learning and using digital hospitality systems.

About you

Proven experience leading a high-volume kitchen as a Head Chef.

Strong cooking skills and a hands‑on approach to service.

Confidence managing food costs, kitchen labour and purchasing.

A calm, organized leadership style with clear communication.

A commitment to training your team and building a respectful workplace.

The ability to balance menu creativity with consistency and profitability.

Availability to work evenings, weekends and public holidays.

The package

Great base salary plus super

Annual performance bonuses, comprising quarterly kitchen and revenue bonuses, plus additional full-year achievement bonuses.

Clear performance targets covering food costs, kitchen labour and food revenue.

Ownership of menu development and kitchen operations.

A beachfront workplace within an established Melbourne hospitality group.