Strategic Purchasing & Stock Lead – Healthy School Meals

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

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