Since 1996, Sushi World has been feeding Sydney fresh, handmade sushi. We supply our own retail stores and run a busy catering operation for major sporting venues, hospitality groups, schools and corporate clients.

We're looking for an experienced Head Chef to run our overnight production kitchen in the Sydney CBD and lead the team that makes it all happen.

The role

You'll run the kitchen from midnight to 10am, making sure every order is prepped, packed and dispatched on time and to spec. The work is high-volume and rapid-paced, and you finish your day when most people are just getting started.

What you'll do

Leadership

- Manage and motivate a team of 4 cooks, including rosters, task allocation and shift handovers

- Recruit, onboard and train new staff to our standards for quality, speed and safety

- Build a positive, disciplined kitchen culture where people want to stay

Production

- Plan and run daily production for catering and retail orders, including large event orders with fixed delivery windows

- Manage stock, ordering, rotation and waste to keep food costs on target

- Make sure equipment is maintained and faults are reported promptly

Food quality and safety

- Maintain consistent quality, presentation and portioning on every order

- Own food safety in the kitchen, including temperature logs, cleaning schedules, HACCP records and allergen controls

- Keep the kitchen ready for NSW Food Authority, council and client audits at all times

Menu development

- Create and test new menu items and seasonal specials

- Cost recipes and write standard recipes and specs





- Help prepare nutritional and allergen information for clients

Stakeholder liaison

- Work with suppliers on ordering, quality and pricing

- Coordinate with delivery drivers on dispatch timing and order accuracy

- Report to senior management on production, costs, staffing and issues

- Handle client requests, special dietary orders and feedback

About you

- 3+ years' experience as a Head Chef or Sous Chef in high-volume catering, production or commercial kitchens

- Experience with sushi or Japanese cuisine is highly regarded, but we'll train the right person

- Current NSW Food Safety Supervisor certificate, or willingness to obtain one

- Strong working knowledge of HACCP and allergen management

- Proven team leadership, including recruiting and training staff

- Highly organised, calm under time pressure, with strong attention to detail

- Comfortable with ordering, costing and basic admin (Excel or similar)

- Reliable and able to consistently work the midnight to 10am shift

- Cert III/IV in Commercial Cookery preferred

- Full Australian working rights

What we offer

- Competitive salary plus super, with overtime and penalty rates as applicable

- A stable, ongoing role with an established, family-run Sydney business

- Real input into the menu and how the kitchen runs

- Afternoons free and no late-night restaurant service

- Staff meals and discounts

- Room to grow as our catering division expands

How to apply

Click Apply and attach your CV and a short cover letter about your kitchen leadership experience. We review applications as they arrive, so please apply soon.

📌 Head Chef – Catering Production (Overnight) (Sydney)
🏢 Sushi World
📍 Sydney