Head Chef

Accor; Queenstown; On-site; NZD 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Staff meals provided

Uniforms washed daily

Parental Leave Scheme

Job summary

Novotel Queenstown Lakeside is seeking an experienced Head Chef to lead the kitchen team across breakfast, lunch, dinner, lounge, room service and events, delivering high quality meals while showcasing Queenstown’s local produce.

You will develop seasonal menus that reflect Central Otago and the wider South Island, build strong relationships with local suppliers, manage costs and staffing, and inspire a hands-on, visible leadership style in a high-volume hotel setting.

Qualifications

• Proven senior leadership experience in a kitchen.
• Strong connections to Queenstown food community.
• Experience in high-volume hotel or restaurant operations.
• Excellent menu development and costing skills.
• Able to lead, recruit, and develop kitchen teams.
• Strong knowledge of food safety systems and audits.

Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire the kitchen team across all service periods.
• Set and maintain high standards of food quality, consistency, and presentation.
• Develop seasonal menus featuring Queenstown and Central Otago produce.
• Build relationships with local producers and suppliers.
• Ensure efficient, cost-controlled kitchen operations.
• Manage menu costing, recipe development and food margins.
• Roster planning, recruitment, training and development.
• Ensure compliance with food safety and regulatory requirements.
• Collaborate with hotel leadership and F&B to deliver guest experiences.
• Participate in meetings on safety, revenue, cost control, and performance.
• Champion sustainability and responsible sourcing.
• Evolve Novotel Queenstown’s culinary identity.

Skills

Head Chef experience

Menu development

Food cost management

Food safety systems

Leadership

Queenstown connections

Team leadership

Tools

FCP & audits

Job description

• Compensation: NZD 80,000 - NZD 90,000 - yearly

Company Description

Novotel Queenstown Lakeside is looking for an experienced and inspiring Head Chef to lead the kitchen team at Elements Restaurant & Lounge.

Located in the heart of Queenstown on Lake Whakatipu, Elements Restaurant & Lounge is Novotel’s principal dining operation, offering breakfast, lunch, dinner, lounge, functions and events, with a focus on contemporary seasonal cuisine showcasing produce from Central Otago and the wider South Island.

This is an opportunity for a proven hands – on senior chef to lead the culinary direction of Novotel Queenstown bringing fresh ideas, strong local connections and a genuine sense of Queenstown to the food offering. We’re particularly interested in candidates established in Queenstown or with strong regional connections and knowledge of local producers, suppliers and the seasonal opportunities across Queenstown and Central Otago.

Job Description

Lead and inspire the kitchen team across breakfast, lunch, dinner, lounge, room service and events.

Set and maintain high standards of food quality, consistency and presentation.

Develop seasonal menus that showcase the best of Queenstown, Central Otago and the wider South Island.

Build and maintain strong relationships with local producers, growers, farmers, fishermen and suppliers.

Bring a strong understanding of what Queenstown as a region can offer from a culinary perspective.

Ensure the kitchen operates efficiently and commercially, with strong control of food costs, labour, purchasing, stock and waste.

Lead menu costing, recipe development and food margin management.

Manage kitchen rostering, recruitment, training, performance and development.

Ensure the operation remains fully compliant with food safety, hygiene and regulatory requirements.

Maintain a high level of preparedness for food safety inspections, audits and compliance requirements.

Work closely with the hotel's leadership, Food & Beverage and Events teams to deliver a seamless guest experience.

Attend and actively participate in meetings, contributing proactively to health & safety, revenue management, cost control, and operational performance.

Champion sustainability, seasonality and responsible sourcing wherever possible.

Continue to evolve Novotel Queenstown’s culinary identity and position it as a genuine expression of the Queenstown region.

Qualifications

We are particularly interested in hearing from candidates who bring proven senior leadership experience and strong connections to the Queenstown food community.

You will ideally have:

Proven experience as a Head Chef, Executive Chef or senior kitchen leader.

A demonstrated history of leading, developing and inspiring high-performing kitchen teams.

Strong commercial understanding, including food and labour cost management.

Excellent knowledge of food safety systems, FCP and audit/inspection requirements.

Experience operating in a hotel, high-volume restaurant or multi-outlet environment.

Strong menu development and costing capability.

Established knowledge of Queenstown and the surrounding region, including its food scene, producers and suppliers.

An understanding of the exceptional produce available across Central Otago and the wider South Island.

Existing relationships with local suppliers, or the credibility and network to build those relationships quickly.

A genuine passion for seasonal, locally sourced produce.

Poses strong communication and organisation skills

A hands-on, visible leadership style.

The ability to balance culinary creativity with operational and commercial discipline.

Availability to work rostered shifts, including weekends and public holidays, as required by the business.

Additional Information

Why work for Novotel, Queenstown?

Staff meals provided while on shift

Uniforms, washed and laundered daily.

Accor's Parental Leave Scheme

Full Time 40 hours per week

Place of Employment will be Novotel Queenstown Lakeside 6 Earl Street

Our commitment to Diversity & Inclusion:We are an inclusive company, and our ambition is to attract, recruit and promote diverse talent. We offer reasonable adjustments to support you. If you require an adjustment to be made during the recruitment process, you're welcome to let us know.