Take the lead in a kitchen that genuinely makes a difference to people's day, without giving up your weekends.

At Hillview Bunyip Aged Care, mealtimes are one of the highlights of a resident's day, and we are looking for an experienced, hands-on Chef Manager to lead the team that makes that happen. This is a genuinely rare find in hospitality and aged care: a true Monday to Friday role, with no weekends, no nights and no early starts. If you love running a tight, well-organised kitchen, backing your staff, and taking real pride in the food you put in front of people, we want to hear from you.

About us

Hillview Bunyip Aged Care is a community-owned, not-for-profit aged care home, set on a hillside overlooking the Gippsland farmland surrounding Bunyip. Founded in 1995 by local residents who saw the need for more aged care beds in the region, Hillview has grown from an original 30 beds to 58 today, and is currently in the final stages of a further expansion that will take the home beyond 70 beds. Still run by a local, elected Board of Management, our residents enjoy a genuinely home-style bistro dining room, prepared on-site by our own kitchen team, along with the Hill Centre, our community hub for social activities, and an on-site Men's Shed.

It is the kind of place where staff, residents and the wider Bunyip community all know each other by name, and it is a genuinely exciting time to join us as we grow.

About the role

Reporting to the facility's Home Services Manager, you will take full ownership of day-to-day kitchen operations, from menu planning through to service, while leading and developing a small team of cooks, food services assistants and kitchen hands. You will work standard business hours, Monday to Friday, roughly 8.30am to 5pm,



with no weekend or night shifts. You will bring the autonomy and accountability of a senior hands-on role, balanced with genuine support from the wider team, and you will play a key part in delivering outstanding food and dining experiences for our residents.

As our current expansion completes and the home grows beyond 70 beds, there's genuine scope for this role, and your kitchen team, to grow with it.

What you will be doing

- Overseeing all kitchen operations day to day, including food preparation, service standards and kitchen hygiene

- Partnering with residents, and dietitians where needed, on menu design and reviewing menus regularly to make sure meals stay appetising, varied and appropriate to residents' nutritional and cultural needs

- Making sure texture-modified meals are prepared and presented well, and that residents have access to nutritious food and drinks at any time of day

- Supervising, rostering and allocating work across the kitchen team, and coordinating their ongoing training so the team can confidently meet individual resident needs

- Managing kitchen resources, stock control and day-to-day administration with a high degree of autonomy

- Providing hands-on leadership, guidance and mentoring to the kitchen staff

- Maintaining a documented food safety program,



safe food handling practices and correct meal temperatures

- Working closely with facility management on catering, budgets, resident feedback and compliance

What you'll bring

- A trade qualification in commercial cookery, Certificate 3 or higher, or equivalent, extensive industry experience

- Proven experience supervising a kitchen team; previous experience in aged care, and experience in restaurant-quality dining, are both highly regarded

- Solid knowledge of food safety requirements and safe food handling systems, including dietary and texture-modified meal needs
- An understanding of, or willingness to work within, the Aged Care Quality Standards, including how good food and dining practices support resident wellbeing and choice

- Strong communication, organisational and problem-solving skills
- A genuine care for the residents you're cooking for, not just the food itself

What's on offer

- $80,000 to $85,000 per annum, based on skills and experience. We are willing to negotiate salary for the right person

- Salary packaging to boost your take-home pay

- Monday to Friday hours, no weekends, no nights and no early starts, a genuine rarity in hospitality and aged care kitchens

- Tool allowance for chefs and cooks
- A close-knit, supportive team who genuinely have each other's backs

- Part of a community-based aged care organisation
- The security of a registered enterprise agreement with explicit, structured pay progression
- A genuinely rewarding role where you get to make a real difference in our residents' lives, every single day

Ready to run a kitchen that matters?

Click Apply Now and tell us why you are the right person to lead our kitchen team.

📌 Chef Manager Hillview Bunyip Aged Care | Full-Time, Monday to Friday
🏢 Hillview Bunyip Aged Care
📍 Bunyip