At Havilah, meals are much more than meals. They shape our residents’ wellbeing, dignity and connection every day. We’re looking for an experienced Head Chef to lead our kitchens across three sites and make dining one of the best parts of life at Havilah.

About Us

Havilah Aged Care has supported the Maryborough and Central Goldfields community since 1995. We provide residential aged care, respite and independent retirement living at Havilah on Harkness, Havilah on Palmerston and Havilah at The Terrace. Our care is built around dignity, independence, choice and community.

About The Role

Reporting to the Services Manager, you’ll lead the Sous Chef, cooks, kitchen hands and food service assistants across all three sites. You’ll design menus with residents, families, clinical staff and an Accredited Practising Dietitian, and make sure every meal is nutritious, appetising and safe. Your work will include:

- Leading menu design, recipe development and a rotating seasonal menu with real choice and culturally appropriate options
- Producing high-quality meals for every diet, including texture-modified meals plated with care under the IDDSI Framework
- Running the Food Safety Program, HACCP and allergen management, and acting as Food Safety Supervisor




- Meeting the Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards, especially Standard 6: Food and Nutrition
- Rostering, recruiting, mentoring and developing a multi-site kitchen team
- Spending time in our dining rooms, hosting food forums and tastings, and acting on resident feedback
- Managing the food budget, suppliers and waste
- About you

Essential

- Certificate III in Commercial Cookery (Certificate IV or Diploma preferred)
- Current Food Safety Supervisor certificate (Victoria)
- Experience as a Head Chef, Executive Chef or senior chef in aged care, healthcare, a hospital or high-volume catering
- Knowledge of the Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards, the Aged Care Code of Conduct and the Aged Care Act 2024
- Working knowledge of IDDSI, HACCP, Food Safety Standard 3.2.2A and allergen management
- Strong leadership skills, including rostering and performance management
- Explicit, warm communication with residents, families, clinical teams and suppliers
- Confidence with menu software, ordering systems, rostering and Microsoft Office
- Current Australian driver’s licence to travel between our Maryborough sites
- Availability for rotational shifts, including weekends and public holidays

📌 Head Chef (Maryborough)
🏢 Havilah Aged Care
📍 Maryborough