Sous Chef

Employer Sponsored Jobs; Queenstown; On-site; NZD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Employer Sponsored Jobs seeks a Sous Chef in Queenstown to share command of a kitchen supplying multiple dining rooms and bars. The role requires strong technical cooking, multi-outlet experience and leadership to train and develop a brigade.

The position is permanent, full-time (min. 40 hours/week) with AEWV sponsorship available for the right candidate. Prior NZ residency or eligibility is required for applications.

Qualifications

• Proven track record leading kitchen teams and developing brigades.
• Experience managing across multiple outlets in premium hospitality.
• Strong technical cooking skills with high culinary standards.
• Solid grasp of food cost management, stock control, and financial targets.

Responsibilities

• Take charge of production in each hotel kitchen outlet, signing off on all food served.
• Audit and adjust mise en place and rotations to keep sections service-ready.
• Manage staffing end to end: rosters, training and development of team; cover when needed.
• Drive food cost results through rotation discipline, orders and par levels; minimize waste.
• Maintain hygiene and safety per WHS, liaise with F&B Manager and front-of-house.

Skills

Team leadership

Multi-outlet experience

Technical cooking

Food cost management

Hygiene & safety

Education

Certificate in Cookery Level 4

3+ years sous chef experience

Job description

A premium hotel in Queenstown, New Zealand, now in the middle of a transformation, needs a Sous Chef who can share command of a kitchen supplying a number of dining rooms and bars. The employer is after someone with strong technical cooking, proven multi-outlet experience and the confidence to lead, train and develop a brigade.

This is permanent, full-time employment with a minimum of 40 hours per week. For anyone exploring visa sponsorship jobs in New Zealand, the hotel states that an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) is available for the right candidate, and applications are accepted from New Zealand residents and from international candidates who meet the requirements.

Employers hiring at this level read a CV for proof, so yours should show the kitchens you have run, the cooks you have trained and how you held food cost targets, alongside your trade qualification. You can prepare an employer-ready CV with Build AI CV and send it in English.

• Take charge of production in each hotel kitchen outlet, giving the final sign-off on all food served and setting an exceptional culinary bar.
• Audit and adjust preparation, rotation and mise en place on all sections, so everyone is service-ready ahead of the initial cover.
• Handle staffing end to end: review rosters, hand work to lower-grade chefs, cook and serve on sections when needed, and hire, train and develop people for a productive, harmonious team.
• Drive food cost results through rotation discipline, precise orders and par levels, limiting spoilage and waste in storage.
• Maintain hygiene, cleanliness and safety in line with WHS guidelines, food safety standards and hotel grooming expectations, and liaise with the F&B Manager, outlet supervisors and front-of-house teams to coordinate every venue.

• A relevant trade qualification must be held, such as a Certificate in Cookery Level 4 or equivalent; alternatively, a minimum of three years of relevant work experience as a Sous Chef or senior chef within a comparable kitchen.
• Proven management of kitchen operations spanning multiple outlets at a premium hotel or restaurant, backed by strong technical cooking skills and consistently high culinary standards.
• Demonstrated experience in leading, training and developing kitchen teams and in confidently overseeing day-to-day kitchen operations.
• A solid grasp of food cost management, stock control and financial targets for the kitchen.
• A current Food Safety certificate, full working knowledge of WHS requirements for commercial kitchens, and flexibility to cover a rotating roster with public holidays, evenings and weekends.