Work for a specialty coffee roaster, serious about great coffee, food and service
Head Chef – North Melbourne
North Melbourne | Full-Time
We’re looking for a strong, hands-on Kitchen Manager/Chef to lead the kitchen at our North Melbourne venue and take ownership of our day-to-day food offering.
This role is primarily focused on running a high-performing kitchen, delivering consistent, high-quality food, and building a great team culture — with the added opportunity to contribute to the development of a simple, scalable grab-and-go range for our city store.
If you’re a natural leader who thrives in service, cares about quality, and understands the numbers behind a successful kitchen, we’d love to hear from you.
You’ll be responsible for leading all aspects of the kitchen, including:
Running daily kitchen operations and leading service
Managing and developing your team
Maintaining high standards of food quality and consistency
Controlling food costs and labour performance
Contributing to menu updates and seasonal changes
Assisting in developing a small range of grab-and-go items for our city location
This is a hands-on role, working closely with your team on the tools while also managing the overall performance of the kitchen.
Kitchen Operations
Lead service and prep to ensure smooth, efficient operations
Manage ordering, stock control, and kitchen systems
Maintain consistency in food quality, presentation, and execution
Team Leadership
Train, mentor, and develop kitchen staff
Build a positive, accountable kitchen culture
Manage rostering in line with business needs
Menu & Food Development
Work with management on seasonal menu updates
Help develop a streamlined grab-and-go offering suitable for high-volume service
Ensure all recipes are well-documented and costed
Financial Performance
Maintain food COGS and labour within agreed targets
Monitor kitchen performance and identify improvements
Minimise waste and improve efficiency
Experience as a Head Chef or Senior Sous Chef ready to step up
Strong leadership and team development skills
Solid understanding of food cost and labour management
Ability to run a clean, organised, and high-performing kitchen
A practical, solutions-focused approach
Interest in simple, scalable food concepts (grab-and-go experience a bonus)
Stable, well-supported role with real ownership of the kitchen
Opportunity to contribute to new food initiatives without losing focus on core operations
Work with an engaged team focused on quality and consistency
We’re focused on building a strong, sustainable kitchen operation with great people, solid systems, and food we’re proud of.
This is a great opportunity for a Head Chef who wants to run a tight kitchen, build a team, and still have some creative input — without the pressure of a fully corporate or overly complex structure.
If you’re ready to lead from the front and take ownership of a busy North Melbourne kitchen, we’d love to hear from you.
Apply with your resume and a short note about your experience and what you’re looking for in your next role.
