Purchasing & Stock Control Manager

Tauhara North No.2 Trust; Rotorua; Hybrid; NZD 72,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Predominantly Monday to Friday hours

Fixed-term through December 2027

Leadership pathway in operations

Community impact and wellbeing

Job summary

Tauhara North No2 Trust is seeking a Purchasing & Stock Control Manager to lead our food procurement, stock management, menu development, and recipe costing for a multi-site kitchen network. The role emphasises a Monday–Friday schedule with potential progression into strategic leadership and a strong community focus.

You will work with kitchen managers, suppliers, and operations to ensure nutritionally balanced meals for tamariki, while monitoring costs and ensuring timely deliveries across

Qualifications

• Significant experience as a Chef, Head Chef, Catering Manager or similar.
• Proven experience creating and costing recipes.
• Strong understanding of nutrition and balanced meal planning.
• Experience ordering food at scale and managing stock levels.
• Knowledge of kitchen operations and food production environments.
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent communication and relationship management skills.
• Ability to work across multiple priorities and deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Lead food procurement and supplier relationships.
• Forecast food requirements and manage purchasing schedules.
• Coordinate stock control across multiple sites.
• Develop and refine recipes and menus.
• Cost dishes and monitor food costs.
• Ensure recipes are nutritionally balanced and align with MoE requirements.
• Manage supplier performance and delivery schedules.
• Analyse purchasing and inventory data using Excel.
• Support continuous improvement and supply chain efficiencies.
• Maintain strong relationships with operational teams across the business.

Skills

Chef experience

Catering management

Stock control

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Tools

Excel

Job description

Bring Your Culinary Expertise Beyond the Kitchen

Are you an experienced chef, catering manager, or food service professional looking for a role that offers greater work-life balance while still allowing you to make a meaningful impact?

Ka Pai Kai Aotearoa is seeking a Purchasing & Stock Control Manager to lead our food procurement, stock management, menu development, and recipe costing functions. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who understands large-scale food production and wants to use their expertise in a predominantly Monday to Friday role.

At Ka Pai Kai Aotearoa, our mission is to nourish the minds of our future generation by providing healthy, nutritious, and affordable meals to tamariki throughout Aotearoa.

About the Role

Reporting into the Operations team, you will be responsible for ensuring the seamless supply of ingredients and products across our kitchen network while supporting menu development, recipe creation, nutritional compliance, and cost management. The role works closely with kitchen managers, suppliers, and operational leaders to ensure our food programmes continue to deliver quality outcomes for tamariki.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading food procurement and supplier relationships
• Forecasting food requirements and managing purchasing schedules
• Coordinating stock control across multiple sites
• Developing and refining recipes and menus
• Costing dishes and monitoring food costs
• Ensuring recipes are nutritionally balanced and align with Ministry of Education requirements
• Managing supplier performance and delivery schedules
• Analysing purchasing and inventory data using Excel
• Supporting continuous improvement and supply chain efficiencies
• Maintaining strong relationships with operational teams across the business

About You

This role would suit someone with a strong cheffing or large-scale catering background who understands both food production and commercial realities.

You’ll ideally bring:

• Significant experience as a Chef, Head Chef, Catering Manager, Production Catering Manager or similar
• Proven experience creating and costing recipes
• Strong understanding of nutrition and balanced meal planning
• Experience ordering food at scale and managing stock levels
• Knowledge of kitchen operations and food production environments
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail
• Excellent communication and relationship management skills
• The ability to work across multiple priorities and deadlines
• A commitment to community wellbeing and values-based ways of working

Why Join Ka Pai Kai Aotearoa?

• Fixed-term role through to December 2027
• Predominantly Monday to Friday hours
• An opportunity to transition from kitchen operations into a strategic leadership role
• Work for an organisation making a genuine difference for tamariki and whānau

Please note that all applicants must have NZ residency or a valid work visa. Preferred candidates will be required to undergo pre-employment checks, including Ministry of Justice and Drug and Alcohol testing.

Applications for this position close Sunday, 1 November 2026.

About Ka Pai Kai Aotearoa

Tauhara North No2 Trust is a successful Māori owned organisation, delivering awide range of services to our owners and their whanau living throughout NewZealand.

Ka Pai Kai Aotearoa’s mission is to nourish the minds of ourfuture generation. We do this by making healthy and delicious school lunches, freshto order each day.