Head Chef

22 hours ago

Airlie Beach QLD, Australia La Tabella Italian Full time $110,000 per year

Head Chef – Italian Restaurant (Airlie Beach)

Free accommodation provided for 6 6-month period

About Us

We're a vibrant Italian restaurant in the heart of Airlie Beach, celebrated for authentic flavours, fresh ingredients, and a lively atmosphere. Our menu is inspired by traditional Italian cuisine and delivered with warm, professional service.

The Role

We're seeking a full-time Head Chef who is loyal, passionate, and experienced to lead our kitchen team and drive excellence across food, people, and operations.

ResponsibilitiesLeadership & Culture

  • Lead by example to foster a respectful, inclusive, professional kitchen.
  • Mentor and train chefs to become motivated, skilled, and reliable team members.
  • Proactively surface cultural challenges to ownership and collaborate on solutions.
  • Demonstrate an open-minded, growth-oriented attitude—listen, learn, and evolve.

Menu & Culinary Standards

  • Design seasonal menus aligned to our vision, balancing creativity with cost.
  • Elevate dishes with new techniques, ingredients, and presentation.
  • Own taste, presentation, and portion consistency for every plate.

Kitchen Operations

  • Build rosters, assign sections, and optimise prep and service workflows.
  • Maintain smooth service during peak periods through strong pass management.
  • Implement continuous improvements to systems and processes.

Food Safety & Hygiene

  • Enforce strict food safety, hygiene, and sanitation standards.
  • Train staff regularly; keep the kitchen clean, organised, and audit-ready.
  • Ensure full compliance with all health regulations.

Supplier, Inventory & Cost Control

  • Build strong supplier relationships to secure top-quality ingredients.
  • Oversee ordering, stock rotation, and waste minimisation.
  • Monitor food and labour costs to meet targets while maintaining quality.
  • Analyse menu pricing and GP to support a healthy P&L.

Collaboration & Communication

  • Work closely with owners/management to execute the restaurant vision.
  • Align menu, operations, and service with business goals and guest feedback.
  • Partner with front-of-house for a seamless guest experience.

Brand, Media & Innovation

  • Be comfortable on camera showcasing dishes for social media.
  • Produce visually compelling plates for photo/video.
  • Propose creative concepts (specials, events, features) that differentiate us.

About You

  • Open-minded, professional leader who supports and grows the owner's vision.
  • Welcomes constructive feedback; committed to learning and improvement.
  • Proven experience as a Head Chef or Senior Chef in a fast-paced venue.
  • Exceptional culinary skills with a passion for Italian cuisine.
  • Minimum 3 years as a Head Chef (Italian experience preferred).
  • Australian citizen or permanent resident (required to apply).
  • Strong people leadership, organisation, and team development skills.
  • Rigorous approach to quality, cost control, cleanliness, and safety.
  • Positive, resilient, and solutions-oriented.

Job Types: Full-time, Casual

Pay: From $110,000.00 per year

Work Authorisation:

  • Australia (Preferred)

Work Location: In person

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