Head Chef

RGIT Australia; Wellington; On-site; NZD 80,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discounted stays across Drifter venues

Online learning & development

Birthday leave for permanent staff

Volunteer day annually

Enhanced parental leave

Employee Assistance Program

Visa support for exceptional people

Career growth opportunities

Job summary

Drifter is opening a new Wellington property in December 2026 and seeks a Head Chef to lead the kitchen from day one. You’ll build the team, shape the culture, and set standards for food quality and guest experience.

This is a rare opportunity to influence operations before launch and work with the Director of Hospitality to refine the menu. You’ll oversee food preparation, quality, stock management, costs and safety while collaborating with leadership to deliver memorable experiences for

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading a kitchen operation in hospitality venues.
• Ability to build a high-performing kitchen culture with standards.
• Experience managing food costs, labour and stock control.

Responsibilities

• Lead the kitchen operation and oversee food quality, service and stock.
• Build and develop a pre-opening kitchen team for Wellington venue.
• Collaborate with leadership to implement menu offerings and standards.
• Ensure safety, hygiene and compliance across kitchen operations.
• Partner with front-of-house to deliver a seamless guest experience.

Skills

Kitchen leadership

Team management

Recruitment & coaching

Food cost control

Menu execution

Food safety & compliance

Operational excellence

Staff development

Job description

Wellington 6011, New Zealand • NZ$80,000 - NZ$85,000

Full-time Permanent Mid-level Senior

Posted 24 Aug 2026

Description

Drifter is built for curious travellers, free spirits, and people who care about great spaces and great experiences. We run hostels and hybrid stays across Australia and New Zealand, alongside food and beverage venues that bring people together and give our properties their edge. The kind of places people remember, not just pass through.

We're opening our newest property in Wellington in December 2026, and we're building the entire leadership team from the ground up.

We're looking for a Head Chef to join that team and help bring the property to life. This is a rare chance to join before opening, shape how the kitchen operation comes together, build your own team, and help create the culture, standards and ways of working from day one.

The opportunity

Great food has a way of bringing people together. Whether it's guests staying with us, locals dropping in for dinner, or travellers swapping stories over a long lunch, the kitchen will play a huge role in creating the atmosphere and experience that makes this place memorable.

You’ll lead the kitchen operation, overseeing food quality, service, team performance, stock management and day-to-day operations. You’ll be responsible for creating a high-performing kitchen culture, maintaining standards, and delivering a food offering that people come back for.

You’ll also be a key member of the leadership team, working closely with the General Manager and other Heads of Department to make sure the whole operation runs smoothly.

Starting in early November 2026, you’ll have the opportunity to come in before opening, build your team, and work alongside the Director of Hospitality to bring our menu offering to life ahead of launch. The foundations are already being developed, but you’ll play a key role in refining, implementing and delivering the final guest experience.

What it looks like day to day:

• Leading, coaching and supporting the kitchen team
• Creating a positive, high-performing kitchen culture
• Overseeing all food preparation, service and kitchen operations
• Working alongside the Director of Hospitality to implement and refine the menu offering
• Maintaining exceptional food quality, presentation and consistency
• Managing stock, ordering, supplier relationships and inventory
• Monitoring food costs, labour and kitchen performance
• Training and developing team members
• Driving food safety, hygiene and compliance standards
• Collaborating closely with front-of-house teams to deliver a seamless guest experience
• Looking for ways to improve quality, efficiency and operational performance
• Helping establish kitchen systems, standards and ways of working as part of the pre-opening journey

You’ll be a good fit if…

You're a strong kitchen leader who cares as much about building a great team as you do about delivering great food.

You know how to create a positive kitchen culture while maintaining high standards. You're calm under pressure, commercially minded, and understand how to balance creativity, consistency and operational realities.

Whether you're already leading a kitchen or you're a strong Sous Chef ready for your first Head Chef opportunity, you'll have the support and autonomy to make the role your own.

You’ll likely bring:

• Experience leading a kitchen operation within a restaurant, hotel, hospitality venue or similar fast-paced environment
• Strong leadership skills, including recruitment, coaching and performance management
• Experience managing food costs, labour and stock control
• A strong understanding of menu execution, kitchen operations and service delivery
• Experience maintaining food safety and compliance standards
• A practical, hands-on leadership style
• The ability to build a positive kitchen culture while maintaining accountability and high standards
• A genuine passion for food, hospitality and creating memorable guest experiences

What you can expect at Drifter

You’ll be part of a team that cares about doing good work without overcomplicating things. We back our people, give you space to lead, and make sure there's support where it counts.

Alongside that, you’ll have:

• Discounted stays across Drifter properties for you, your family and your travel crew
• Discounts on brands you actually use, including JB Hi-Fi, Uber Eats and more
• Access to online learning and development opportunities
• Paid birthday leave for permanent team members
• A paid volunteering day each year to support a cause that matters to you
• Enhanced parental leave
• Free counselling and wellbeing support through our Employee Assistance Program
• Visa support available for exceptional people looking to build a long-term career with Drifter
• Opportunities to grow with the business as we continue to expand across Australia and New Zealand

Drifter is collaborative, practical and values-led. Professional but not stuffy, we're a welcoming and inclusive workplace and proudly welcome team members from all races, places, gender expressions and beliefs.

If the idea of opening a brand new venue, building your own kitchen team and helping shape a food offering from day one sounds like your kind of challenge, we'd love to hear from you.

Any questions? Email us directly at [e-mail]