Group Development chef - Trader House
Trader House is a collection of Melbourne and Brisbane’s most distinctive restaurants, bars and specialty food stores, led by chef, author and columnist Andrew McConnell and photographer Jo McGann. Our Melbourne venues include Gimlet, Côte Basque, Apollo Inn, Cutler, Supernormal, Cumulus Inc., Marion, Builders Arms Hotel, Meatsmith and Morning Market—with Stokehouse, St Kilda joining the group in October 2026. In Brisbane, you’ll find Supernormal and Bar Miette.
Join a team shaping Australia’s hospitality culture across exceptional venues, each with its own identity and a shared commitment to great food, genuine service and memorable experiences.
As our group continues to grow, we're looking for an experienced and passionate Development Chef to join our culinary leadership team. This is a hands-on role working across our venues, partnering with Head Chefs to mentor and develop kitchen teams, refine systems, support menu execution, and drive consistency and excellence throughout the group. You'll also work closely with our Marketing, People & Culture and Operations teams to deliver new initiatives, support venue openings, and help shape the future of our culinary program.
If you're an inspiring leader who thrives on coaching others, solving problems and building high-performing teams, we'd love to hear from you.
Impressive candidates will have previous experience managing kitchens, and be seeking an opportunity to lead in a creative, compassionate and decisive manner. Central to these positions is steadfast leadership – through a strategic long-term approach to recruitment, training and development – as well as the ability to design appealing menus and dishes.
‘…(Andrew) McConnell’s venues have always been Melbourne’s own hospitality university.
It’s really something, watching a big team glide through their paces.’ – The Age Positive Food.
The opportunities include
- Working alongside respected industry leaders
- Working with the best produce and suppliers
- Access to our mentorship and training programs — from service, culinary, management, finance, HR and more
- Your energy and creative input are encouraged – have a real say
- Above industry average pay and working conditions, strive and stand for best practice
- Internal promotions – achieve your career goals with us
- Job security – Trader House restaurants have been a leader in Australia for over a decade, and we’re stronger than ever
- A focus on wellbeing – with opportunities to attain a Mental Health First Aid certification, and free access to our Employee Assistance Program
Our aim is to offer meaningful hospitality through knowledge, pride, professionalism and warmth. Our menus share an ethos of quality produce prepared with finesse, showcasing our favourite local farmers and producers. Andrew McConnell and his businesses continue to challenge industry norms through exciting culinary vision and best practice across the board. We’re committed to creating sustainable careers, where you’ll thrive long-term without burnout. This is an opportunity to be part of an incredible leadership team and foster a strong culture, while upholding our values of creativity, development, inclusivity, community and sustainability.
We run restaurants driven by quality. Food and wine is our passion. If you’re a service-driven individual with an eye for detail, we’d love to hear from you and discuss which role best suits your background and ambition.
Please send your CV and cover letter to
[email protected] for a confidential discussion.
📌 Group Development chef - Trader House (Melbourne)
🏢 Trader House
📍 Melbourne