Head Chef / Senior Sous Chef

Cinque Terre Chadstone; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 95,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Leadership path

Staff meals and discounts

Job summary

Amalfi Fresh Pasta is a Chadstone-based fresh pasta restaurant and deli seeking a hands-on Head Chef or Senior Sous Chef to lead the kitchen. You will oversee service, pasta production, and deli operations while collaborating with Cinque Terre on shared production and staff.

The role requires proven leadership in a busy kitchen, a strong Italian cuisine background, and hands-on pasta experience; you will drive production plans and maintain high food safety standards across both venues.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Head Chef or senior Sous Chef in a high-volume kitchen.
• Strong understanding of Italian cuisine and hands-on pasta production experience.
• Commercial awareness with recipes, SOPs and production plans.

Responsibilities

• Lead the kitchen through all services including Hot Bar / Grab & Go and salad displays.
• Deliver menu to recipe, portion and presentation standards.
• Plan and run daily fresh pasta, sauce and prep production.
• Produce shared items for Cinque Terre on schedule and to spec.
• Keep deli stocked with fresh pasta and sauces, correctly labelled and rotated.
• Meet with Cinque Terre Head Chef to align shared production and rosters.
• Train and develop juniors, including rotation between kitchens.
• Build rosters for 7-day trading within wage budget.
• Manage ordering, stocktakes and waste.
• Meet KPIs weekly: food cost %, kitchen wages % of sales, waste, deli availability.

Skills

Head Chef

Senior Sous Chef

Italian cuisine

Fresh pasta production

Food safety

Team leadership

Production planning

Staff development

Education

Cert III/IV Commercial Cookery

Job description

Amalfi Fresh Pasta is a fresh pasta restaurant and deli at Chadstone. We are looking for a hands‑on Head Chef / Senior Sous Chef to lead the kitchen: run service, run production for the restaurant and deli, and work closely with the Head Chef of our sister restaurant, Cinque Terre, on shared production and shared staff.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the kitchen through all services, including Hot Bar / Grab & Go and salad displays
• Deliver the menu consistently to recipe, portion and presentation standards
• Plan and run daily fresh pasta, sauce and prep production
• Produce agreed shared items for Cinque Terre, on schedule and to spec
• Keep the deli fully stocked with fresh pasta and sauces, correctly labelled and rotated
• Meet regularly with the Cinque Terre Head Chef to agree shared production, rosters and staff movements
• Train and develop juniors, including rotation between both kitchens to build their skills
• Build rosters for 7-day trading within the wage budget
• Manage ordering, stocktakes and waste
• Meet agreed KPIs, reported weekly: food cost %, kitchen wages % of sales, waste, and deli availability

About you

Proven experience as a Head Chef or senior Sous Chef in a busy, high-volume kitchen, with a trade qualification (Cert III/IV Commercial Cookery or equivalent)

A strong understanding of Italian cuisine, a passion for produce and flavour, and hands‑on experience producing fresh pasta and sauces at volume

Commercial awareness and strong systems: creativity that works within the numbers, plus recipes, SOPs and production plans others can follow

The ability to inspire a team, hold it accountable and develop junior chefs, while working collaboratively with another Head Chef

A calm, solutions-focused approach under pressure, with high food safety and allergen standards (Food Safety Supervisor certificate or willing to obtain)

A desire and capability to take on multiple venues, and availability across 7-day trading, including nights and weekends

About us

Amalfi Fresh Pasta is a fresh pasta restaurant and deli at Chadstone Shopping Centre, operated by Cinque Terre Chadstone Pty Ltd. Amalfi is expanding to multiple sites in 2027. This role is a chance to be part of that growth story from the start. The right person will help shape the recipes, production systems and kitchen standards that new sites are built on, with the opportunity to grow into a senior culinary role as the brand expands.

• Competitive salary, based on experience
• A leadership role with a clear path as Amalfi expands in 2027
• Staff meals and discounts across TAG Hospitality Group venues