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 secure. 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
Solid 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