Production Manager (Hands-On Chef) role in a growing organic meal business
The Sweet Potato Kitchen is a growing organic meal business based in Alphington, producing premium frozen ready-made meals using high-quality organic ingredients. Every meal we make is gluten-free, dairy-free and designed to nourish, comfort and support wellbeing.
We're looking for an experienced chef to take ownership of our production kitchen.
This is a hands‐on leadership role for someone who enjoys cooking, leading a small team and building efficient kitchen systems. You'll be responsible for overseeing day-to-day production while continuously driving improvements in workflow, food safety, quality and efficiency.
The right person will help build the systems, processes and team that will support the next stage of the business's growth.
The Role
We're looking for an experienced Production Chef with proven leadership experience to take ownership of our production kitchen. This is a hands‐on role for someone who enjoys cooking at scale while leading a small team, improving systems and ensuring production runs efficiently every week.
Key responsibilities include:
Lead all day-to-day kitchen production
Supervise cooking of large-batch recipes independently to specification
Plan and coordinate daily production workflow
Lead, train and supervise kitchen staff
Ensure meals are portioned, labelled, frozen and stored correctly
Implement and maintain food safety systems
Improve kitchen systems, workflow and efficiency
Work with the owner to plan production and inventory requirements
Help recruit, train and develop the production team
Drive continuous improvement as production scales
Hours
2-3 days per week initially
Typical production days:
Monday
Tuesday
Every second Friday




As production expands and we move into a larger kitchen space (in the next 2-3 months) the role is expected to increase to 4 days per week.
This position suits someone looking for consistent daytime production shifts with long-term growth potential.
Skills & Experience
Minimum 3 years' experience in a production kitchen or large-batch cooking environment.
Previous experience leading, supervising or managing a kitchen team is essential.
A genuine passion for producing high-quality, nourishing food using premium ingredients, with a strong understanding of allergen management and gluten-free and dairy-free production.
Confident cooking independently in a production environment.
Solid organisational, planning and time management skills.
A proactive, systems-focused approach with the ability to identify and improve processes.
Experience implementing or maintaining food safety systems
Food Safety Supervisor Certificate
Pay
$38 - $45 per hour depending on experience and progression in the role.
The starting rate applies during the initial training period, increasing once the person is confidently running production independently.
Why Join Us
At The Sweet Potato Kitchen we believe food should nourish, comfort and support people's wellbeing. Our meals are made using premium organic produce and designed to feel like home‐cooked food made with love and intention.
This role offers the opportunity to be part of a growing food business where systems, organisation and quality matter.
You will have the chance to:
Help shape and improve a growing production kitchen
Work with high-quality organic ingredients
Contribute to refining recipes and production systems
Take ownership of kitchen production and workflow
Grow into a Kitchen Manager role as the business expands
Be part of a small, focused team building something meaningful
For More Info
Instagram – @thesweetpotatokitchen

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📌 Production Kitchen Manager (Hands-On Chef) (Melbourne)
🏢 The Sweet Potato Kitchen
📍 Melbourne