ECE Centre Cook | Busy Bees Putaruru

Busybees; Putaruru; On-site; NZD 32,000 - 48,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Discounted childcare fees for your own

First aid training funded

Food safety certification

Annual flu vaccination

Wellbeing support

Job summary

Busy Bees Putaruru is seeking a Centre Cook to prepare Nutritious Nourish meals daily for our tamariki, helping them learn and thrive in a wholesome kitchen setting.

The role is part-time (28 hours per week), with regular daytime hours Monday to Friday, no late nights, and fully funded first aid training and food safety certification. Applicants must have NZ residency or a valid work visa.

Qualifications

• NZ residency or valid work visa required.
• Experience cooking in a childcare setting preferred.

Responsibilities

• Preparing nutritious meals and snacks.
• Involving older children in kai preparation to support learning.
• Managing weekly grocery shopping and tracking kitchen expenses.
• Ensuring all nutrition and safety regulations are consistently met.
• Maintaining hygiene standards through daily food records and cleaning schedules.
• Supporting the wider centre team as needed.

Skills

Wholesome kai passion

Organisational skills

Menu planning

Food safety hygiene

Team collaboration

Job description

Join Busy Bees Putaruru as our Centre Cook and prepare nutritious Nourish meals each day, helping our tamariki learn, grow, and thrive through wholesome, delicious kai.

You’ll enjoy supportive leadership, clear processes and a team that recognises the important role you play in our centre community.

This is a part-time role - 28 hours per week.

Regular daytime hours working Monday to Friday with no late nights

Discounted childcare fees for your own tamariki

Fully funded first aid training, food safety certification, and annual flu vaccination

Ongoing guidance and wellbeing support from the wider Busy Bees Aotearoa network

The rewarding feeling of knowing the wholesome kai you prepare makes a genuine impact every day

The Opportunity | Te Aheinga

You’ll prepare daily kai for our tamariki, following menu guidelines while maintaining high kitchen hygiene standards and supporting food-related routines within the centre. You’ll be a friendly, familiar presence for children and an active part of the team. Your role will include:

Preparing nutritious meals and snacks

Involving the older children in kai preparation to support learning and independence

Managing weekly grocery shopping and tracking kitchen expenses

Ensuring all nutrition and safety regulations are consistently met

Maintaining hygiene standards through daily food records and cleaning schedules

Supporting the wider centre team as needed

About You | Mou

Have a genuine passion for creating wholesome kai

Be warm and approachable

Have excellent organisational skills to manage a busy kitchen

Confident in menu planning

Have a proactive mindset ensuring food safety and hygiene are always top priority

Have previous experience cooking in an ECE centre or for large groups

Applicants must have NZ residency or a valid work visa.

Why Work for Busy Bees?
If you’re passionate about early learning, Busy Bees is the place to be. Although we are part of a global organisation, our company was founded by three families looking for better, more enriching childcare. Three decades later, we still keep the same values at heart.

We know that we couldn’t do what we do without the important people in our teams. We invest in our people and work with them to build career pathways that inspire.