Sous Chef - Third Wave BBQ / 2 locations

Optura; Gold Coast City; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Third Wave BBQ Gold Coast in Surfers Paradise is seeking ambitious Sous Chefs to join our growing team. Two full-time positions offer progression toward Head Chef, with immediate start and a competitive salary in the AUD range.

You'll work alongside Head Chefs, lead busy services, and help shape menus across our brand. The role emphasizes leadership, cost control, and a hands-on approach in a high-energy kitchen.

Qualifications

• Experience in busy, high-volume kitchens.
• Ability to train, motivate and lead by example.
• Solid understanding of food costs, ordering and stock control.
• Pride in quality, consistency and presentation.
• Hands-on attitude and willingness to support the team.
• Genuine enthusiasm for BBQ, bold flavours and menu development.
• Full-time availability, including nights and weekends.

Responsibilities

• Lead busy services with clear communication and a calm head.
• Coordinating prep, ordering and stock so the team is ready to deliver.
• Coaching our chefs de partie and helping them build their skills.
• Maintaining recipes, portions, presentation and service standards.
• Helping control food costs and reduce waste.
• Keeping food safety, cleanliness and organisation at a high standard.
• Contributing ideas for new dishes, better systems and smoother service.

Skills

Leadership

Team training

Food cost control

High-volume kitchen

BBQ/smoker knowledge

Nights & weekends availability

Job description

Third Wave BBQ Gold Coast, Surfers Paradise

$90,000–$100,000 + super | Full-time | Immediate start available
Two positions. A growing brand. Genuine opportunities to progress to Head Chef.

Cook food people travel for. Create dishes the world watches.

Third Wave BBQ is more than a restaurant group. We’re one of the most-followed restaurant brands on the planet, with our social content reaching up to 200 million views a month.

Slow-smoked meats. Loaded burgers. Outrageous specials. Food that stops people scrolling and brings them through the doors.

But behind every headline dish is a kitchen team that delivers: great preparation, consistent execution and chefs who take pride in their craft.

We’re growing, and we’re looking for ambitious Sous Chefs who want to grow with us.

We have opportunities at our Surfers Paradise location, working alongside our Head Chefs to lead strong teams, deliver busy services and help shape what comes next.

A Sous Chef role with somewhere to go

If you’re hungry to become a Head Chef, this is a role worth looking at seriously.

As Third Wave expands, we need people who can step up, lead kitchens and develop the next generation of chefs. Head Chef progression is a serious opportunity for the right person, not an afterthought in the job description.

Show us you can lead a team, deliver consistently and take ownership, and you’ll be building a strong case for that next step.

Beyond Head Chef, growth across the group may open pathways into:

• Menu development: Creating dishes and specials across multiple venues.
• Kitchen training: Developing chefs and helping new teams get opening-ready.
• Multi-venue leadership: Supporting standards and performance across the group.

We want people who see this as the beginning of a bigger career with us.

Why join Third Wave?

• Your ideas have a platform. Have a bold dish concept? Bring it to the table. You’ll contribute to the creative specials we’re known for, with the opportunity for your work to reach an enormous audience.
• Develop your BBQ craft. Learn across the group and deepen your understanding of smoking, preparation and the techniques behind our food.
• Work directly with owners and management. Contribute ideas, get feedback and be part of moving the business forward.
• Join an established brand with momentum. Help build the next chapter of a business people already know, follow and seek out.
• Discuss a roster that works. Nights and weekends are part of the role, but we’re open to conversations about shift flexibility.

What you’ll do

You’ll be the Head Chef’s right hand, supporting the day-to-day running of the kitchen and taking charge in their absence.

That means:

• Leading busy services with clear communication and a calm head.
• Coordinating prep, ordering and stock so the team is ready to deliver.
• Coaching our chefs de partie and helping them build their skills.
• Maintaining recipes, portions, presentation and service standards.
• Helping control food costs and reduce waste.
• Keeping food safety, cleanliness and organisation at a high standard.
• Contributing ideas for new dishes, better systems and smoother service.

We value creativity and discipline equally. A brilliant dish needs to be brilliant every time it leaves the pass.

Who we’re looking for

You’re an experienced Sous Chef or senior kitchen leader who’s ready for more responsibility.

You Bring:

• Experience in busy, high-volume kitchens.
• The ability to train, motivate and lead by example.
• A solid understanding of food costs, ordering and stock control.
• Pride in quality, consistency and presentation.
• A hands-on attitude and willingness to support the team wherever needed.
• Genuine enthusiasm for BBQ, bold flavours and menu development.
• Full-time availability, including nights and weekends.

BBQ and smoker experience is a bonus. Strong chef fundamentals and a genuine desire to learn matter more.

Big social presence. No pressure to be on camera.

Love presenting food or sharing what happens behind the scenes? There may be opportunities to get involved.

Prefer to let your cooking do the talking? Equally welcome. Appearing in content is entirely optional and has no bearing on hiring or progression.

The details

• Salary: $90,000–$100,000 + super, negotiable for the right person.
• Locations: One role at Albert Park and one at Moorabbin.
• Employment: Full-time, including nights and weekends.
• Start: Immediate start available.
• Sponsorship: May be considered for the right candidate already based in Melbourne, subject to eligibility.

Ready for a bigger next step?