Sous Chef | St Johns Bar & Eatery

New Zealand Venue Co.; Wellington; On-site; NZD 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Staff discounts across our venues

Training and development opportunities

Career development across NZ Venue Co.

Be part of a fun, energetic team

Job summary

New Zealand Venue Co. is seeking an experienced Sous Chef to join our kitchen team at a premier Wellington waterfront venue. You will work closely with the Head Chef to deliver exceptional dining experiences, lead the team during service, and uphold high standards of quality and presentation.

You’ll contribute to menu development, seasonal specials, and cost control while mentoring junior chefs. A hands-on leader with strong organisation will thrive in our dynamic, supportive environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years’ experience in a Sous Chef or senior Chef role.
• Busy commercial kitchen experience.
• Strong leadership and communication skills.
• Passion for quality food and contemporary cuisine.
• Excellent organisation and time-management.
• Solid knowledge of food safety and kitchen compliance.
• Experience with stock control and food costs.

Responsibilities

• Supporting the Head Chef with the overall kitchen operation.
• Leading the kitchen team during service.
• Maintaining high standards of food quality, consistency and presentation.
• Assisting with menu development and seasonal specials.
• Supporting functions and event service.
• Managing kitchen sections and ensuring smooth service flow.
• Training, mentoring and developing junior chefs.
• Maintaining food safety and health & safety standards.
• Stepping into Head Chef role when required.

Skills

Sous Chef

Leadership

Stock control

Food safety

Tools

Kitchen management software

Job description

St Johns Bar & Eatery is looking for an experienced and passionate Sous Chef to join our kitchen team and work alongside the Head Chef to deliver an exceptional food offering at this much-loved Wellington venue. Located on the Wellington Waterfront in a stunning Art Deco building, St Johns brings together contemporary New Zealand cuisine, quality local and international produce, a vibrant bar and a busy events and functions operation.

What’s in it for you?

• Join a well-established Wellington waterfront venue
• Work alongside an experienced Head Chef and kitchen team
• Opportunity to develop your leadership and culinary skills
• Varied service across à la carte dining, functions and events
• Career development opportunities across NZ Venue Co.
• Staff discounts across our venues
• Training and development opportunities
• Be part of a fun, energetic and supportive team

About the role

As Sous Chef, you’ll play a key role in the day-to-day running of the kitchen, supporting the Head Chef and leading the team through busy services.

You’ll be responsible for:

• Supporting the Head Chef with the overall kitchen operation
• Leading the kitchen team during service
• Maintaining high standards of food quality, consistency and presentation
• Assisting with menu development and seasonal specials
• Supporting functions and event service
• Managing kitchen sections and ensuring smooth service flow
• Assisting with stock control, ordering and food costs
• Training, mentoring and developing junior chefs
• Maintaining food safety, hygiene and health & safety standards
• Stepping into the Head Chef’s role when required
• Helping create a positive, professional and high-performing kitchen culture

About you

We’re looking for a hands-on Sous Chef who thrives in a busy environment and enjoys leading a team.

You’ll ideally have:

• Minimum 2 years’ experience in a Sous Chef or senior Chef role
• Strong experience working in a busy commercial kitchen
• Strong leadership and communication skills
• A passion for quality food and contemporary cuisine
• Excellent organisation and time-management skills
• A strong understanding of food safety and kitchen compliance
• Experience with stock control and food costs
• The ability to stay calm and organised during busy services
• A genuine passion for developing and supporting your team

If you're ready to take the next step in your career and want to be part of a dynamic kitchen team in one of Wellington's best waterfront venues, we'd love to hear from you! The work you do will directly impact everyone of our customers and our aim is to ensure our employees are provided with the support and knowledge to exceed our customers’ expectations.

Australian Venue Co. promotes a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion through programs like AVC Pride for LGBTQIA+ support, Her Hospo for empowering women, and a First Nations Committee for reconciliation.

We are committed to growing our understanding and engagement in diversity, equity and inclusion to build a more inclusive industry.

Turn your hospo job into a rewarding career Whether you’re already in a hospitality management role or you’re ready for career progression into management, you can take the next step with Australian Venue Co.

We’re passionate about training & developing our team members and providing internal career advancement opportunities.

At AVC, we turn hospo jobs into careers! Join our team & get access to our AdVanCe Career Pathways program, our in-house development program that is tailored to the hospitality industry.

If your next step is to become a Duty Manager, Assistant Venue Manager or Venue Manager, we can support you on your career journey.