Junior Sous Chef

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a passionate and dedicated Chef to join the Warrior Restaurant team as a ‘Junior Sous Chef’! 

Australia Zoo is an equal opportunity employer, where we recognise the diversity of our workforce and community – be it on the basis of gender, age, race, sexual orientation, or religious belief.  We provide specific workplace programs to support diversity and equal employment opportunities for women, people with disabilities and all cultural backgrounds.

The Crocodile Hunter Lodge and the Warrior Restaurant have been designed to reconnect guests with nature, and is home to beautiful native wildlife, with black cockatoos and kangaroos visiting most days. The Warrior restaurant overlooks a beautiful home for our resident emus, kangaroos and koalas. 

The Junior Sous Chef is responsible for overseeing the preparation of food at the Warrior Restaurant, alongside the other senior members of the team.  They will act as the driving force behind exceptional standards, and will deliver high quality food, focused on fresh, seasonal and local produce. 

We are looking for a reliable, energetic and passionate chef, with the ability to coordinate a team of dedicated kitchen professionals! 

Objective of this role:

• Enable a high- quality kitchen through excellent leadership.

• Ensure all kitchen staff perform their duties beyond expectations.

• Expedite Guest’s orders while upholding the restaurant’s Quality standards.

• Communicate relevant, Up-to-date business information to kitchen staff.

 Duties:

• Assists Executive Chef with menu creation, work alongside Executive chef to manage daily kitchen activities, including overseeing Staff, Aiding with menu preparation, ensuring food quality and freshness.

• Leads kitchen team in chef’s absence

• Provides guidance to junior kitchen staff members, including, but not limited, to line cooking, food preparation, and dish plating

• Oversees and organises kitchen stock and ingredients

• Ensures a first-in, first-out food rotation system and verifies all food products are properly dated and organised for quality assurance

• Keeps cooking stations stocked, especially before and during prime operation hours

• Hires and trains new kitchen employees to restaurant and kitchen standards

• Manages food and product ordering by keeping detailed records and minimises waste, plus works with existing systems to improve waste reduction and manage budgetary concerns

• Supervises all food preparation and presentation to ensure quality and restaurant standards

• Works with Executive chef to maintain kitchen organisation, staff ability, and training opportunities

• Verifies that food storage units all meet standards and are consistently well-managed

• Assists head chef with menu creation

• Coordinates with restaurant management team on supply ordering, budget, and kitchen efficiency and staffing

Essential Criteria: 

• Chef Qualification (e.g. Cert III in Commercial Cookery). 

• Experience in a similar role.  

• Experience in all facets of kitchen operations, including stock control, labour analysis, roster creation, staff management and an extensive understanding of HACCP management.

• Ability to work in high pressure and fast paced situations.

• Food Safety Supervisor Certificate.

• Full availability, including weekends, evenings, public holidays and school holidays. 

Preferred Criteria: 

• Experience in a 4 or 5 star hotel establishment.

• Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA).