Lead Our Kitchen Through an Exciting New Chapter

We are an established, high-volume Brisbane café entering a major stage of growth.

We are looking for an exceptional Head Chef to take full ownership of our kitchen operations, lead and develop our team, and work directly with ownership to shape the future of our menu and venue.

This is not a role for someone who only wants to create dishes or supervise from the sidelines. We need a highly experienced, hands-on culinary leader who can combine creativity with discipline, organisation, cost control and strong team management.

What We Offer

- $95,000–$120,000 salary package, depending on experience and demonstrated capability
- Genuine creative influence over menu development and food direction
- Direct collaboration with ownership on new ideas and business improvements
- Real authority to develop the team, strengthen systems and improve kitchen operations
- Long-term career stability within an established and highly regarded café
- Significant growth opportunities for the right person

About the Role As Head Chef, you will take full responsibility for all kitchen and back-of-house operations across both day and night services.

You must maintain strong oversight of the entire kitchen team, regularly work across different service periods and ensure that the same standards are followed on every shift, whether you are physically present or not.

You will be actively involved in service, preparation, training, menu development and quality control. You will inspect the work, identify problems early, correct issues immediately and follow up until the required standard is achieved.

You will work closely with owners to research, develop, test, cost and launch creative new dishes that suit our customers, strengthen our brand and remain commercially profitable.

Every menu item must be supported by clear recipes, costings, portion controls, preparation procedures and plating standards so the team can deliver it consistently.

Key Responsibilities

- Take full operational responsibility for the kitchen across all day and night services
- Lead from the front and remain actively involved during busy services




- Work directly with owners to develop and refine the venue’s food direction
- Research food trends and create original, commercially viable menu items
- Develop, test and cost new dishes before presenting them for approval
- Create recipe cards, preparation procedures, portion controls and plating guides
- Train the entire kitchen team before introducing current menu items
- Monitor menu performance, customer feedback, food costs and profitability
- Recruit, interview, hire, onboard and retain strong kitchen employees
- Train, mentor and manage chefs, cooks and kitchen hands
- Set clear expectations and hold every team member accountable
- Address poor performance, misconduct and repeated mistakes promptly and professionally
- Build reliable senior team members who can maintain standards in your absence
- Prepare kitchen rosters and control staffing levels, productivity and labour costs
- Establish daily preparation lists, production targets and explicit shift handovers
- Ensure every section is properly prepared and ready before service begins
- Maintain food quality, flavour, portion size, consistency and presentation
- Oversee stock ordering, stock levels, rotation, storage and supplier relationships
- Reduce food waste, overproduction, unnecessary ordering and stock loss
- Maintain accurate food costings and achieve agreed gross-profit targets
- Ensure all ingredients and kitchen practices comply with the venue’s halal requirements
- Maintain strict food-safety, allergen, temperature-control and labelling procedures
- Ensure the kitchen, cool rooms, dry stores, preparation areas and wash-up areas remain exceptionally clean and organised
- Implement and inspect daily, weekly and deep-cleaning schedules
- Ensure opening, closing, cleaning and preparation checklists are completed properly




- Work with management to achieve wider operational and financial goals
- Provide ownership with clear updates about staffing, costs, menu performance and operational concerns

About You You are a highly experienced culinary professional who combines creativity with strong operational control.

You are passionate about developing exciting food, but you also understand that a successful kitchen depends on preparation, organisation, cleanliness, consistency, discipline and profitability.

You are comfortable giving clear instructions, correcting mistakes, managing underperformance and must have great problem solving skills.

You must have:

- At least five years of experience as a Head Chef or Executive Chef
- Proven experience managing a high-volume, fast-paced kitchen
- Strong menu-development and food-presentation skills
- Demonstrated experience creating, testing and costing profitable dishes
- Strong recruitment, training and performance-management experience
- Experience managing rosters, labour costs, food costs, stock and gross profit
- Excellent organisation, communication and problem-solving abilities
- Strong knowledge of food safety, allergen management and kitchen compliance
- Flexibility to work a rotating mix of days, evenings, weekends and public holidays
- Current Australian working rights

Final Note This is a demanding senior leadership position for someone who genuinely wants responsibility and takes pride in operating an exceptional kitchen.

It will not suit someone who only wants to design menus, remain in the office or leave the difficult operational work to others. We need someone who will take responsibility for the team, preparation, cleanliness, costs, service and every plate leaving the kitchen.

Please apply with your résumé and a cover letter outlining:

- The venues and kitchen teams you have previously managed
- Examples of menus or successful dishes you have developed
- Your experience managing food costs, labour and gross profit
- How you train and hold kitchen teams accountable
- Why you are suited to leading our kitchen through its next stage of growth

📌 Head Chef (Underwood)
🏢 Mi Casa Cafe
📍 Underwood