Chef

Oceania; Havelock North; On-site; NZD 24,000 - 32,000; Part time

Job summary

Oceania is seeking a passionate part-time Chef/Cook to support our Hawke's Bay sites. You will prepare nutritious meals, work across villages, and help with cover during busy periods while ensuring high standards of food safety.

You will join a team that values creativity, service, and learning, with travel across sites and varied rosters. This role offers flexibility and the chance to contribute to residents' dining experiences.

Qualifications

• Experience as a Chef or Cook with a culinary qualification or equivalent.
• Safe Food NZQA certificates or willingness to obtain them.
• Excellent communication and customer service skills.
• Flexible, team-oriented and able to work across Hawke's Bay sites.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and serve nutritious, high-quality meals for residents.
• Bring creativity and pride to every dish.
• Provide excellent dining experiences and customer service.
• Support kitchen operations while maintaining food safety standards.
• Collaborate with kitchen teams across Oceania sites.
• Adapt to different environments and shifts across the Hawke's Bay region.
• Continue to learn and grow in culinary skills.

Skills

Culinary skills

Food safety

Communication

Teamwork

Education

Safe Food NZQA certificates (167, 168, 20666 or 27955)

Job description

The Role

We're looking for a passionate part-time Chef / Cook to join our team, supporting our four Oceania sites across Hawke's Bay. This is a flexible role that offers variety, where you'll work across one or more of our villages to provide cover and support when needed.

Whether you're stepping in for planned leave, helping during busy periods, or supporting different kitchen teams across the region, you'll play an important role in creating enjoyable dining experiences for our residents. Every day is different, giving you the opportunity to work alongside a range of experienced teams while making a real difference.

What You'll Be Doing

• Preparing and serving nutritious, high-quality meals that residents look forward to.
• Bringing creativity and pride to every dish you prepare.
• Providing excellent customer service and creating positive dining experiences.
• Supporting kitchen operations while maintaining high food safety and hygiene standards.
• Working collaboratively with kitchen teams across multiple Oceania sites.
• Adapting to different environments and supporting wherever you're needed across the Hawke's Bay region.
• Continuing to learn, grow and develop your culinary skills.

What You'll Bring

• A passion for creating meals that both look great and taste amazing.
• Previous experience as a Chef or Cook, with a culinary qualification or equivalent experience preferred.
• Safe Food NZQA certificates (167, 168, 20666 or 27955), or a willingness to obtain them.
• Excellent communication and customer service skills.
• A positive, can-do attitude and a willingness to jump in where needed.
• A team-first approach with strong time management and organisational skills.
• The flexibility to travel between our Hawke's Bay sites and work a mix of rostered shifts across weekends, mornings and evenings.
• Respect for resident dignity, privacy and confidentiality.
• Full New Zealand working rights.

Why join Oceania?

At Oceania, we're proud to be one of New Zealand's leading providers of retirement living and aged care. Across more than 30 villages, we support over 4,000 residents by creating communities where people feel at home, connected, and well cared for.

Our purpose is simple: to make a difference in every task, every challenge, every day. It's a purpose that's brought to life through the way we work:

• We're one team - We collaborate across teams and functions because together we're stronger than any individual effort.
• We're finding better ways - We challenge ourselves to think differently, find creative solutions, and continuously improve.
• We're committed to care - We put safety and care at the centre of everything we do, creating environments where everyone feels supported.
• We're proud to deliver - We follow through on our commitments because every task matters, and our residents and families count on us to get it right.

When you join Oceania, you'll become part of a supportive team where you'll be encouraged to learn, grow, and make a meaningful contribution every day. In return, we offer competitive pay, ongoing learning and development opportunities, free and confidential wellbeing support, and the chance to build a rewarding career with an organisation that's making real difference.