Meals with Impact (MWI) is not your typical commercial kitchen. We are a rapidly growing, work integrated social enterprise dedicated to creating meaningful employment and training pathways for individuals from refugee, migrant, and culturally diverse backgrounds.

Driven by our product motto, 'Every Meal Tells a Story', our commercial production kitchen acts as the engine room where we manufacture premium food while designing inclusive, safe, and dignified workplaces.

If you are looking to combine your elite commercial culinary skills with a deep, tangible purpose, this is the career defining move you’ve been waiting for.

We are looking for a unique Head Chef who completely redefines traditional kitchen leadership. You will serve as the cultural anchor of our Docklands facility, steering the day-to-day operational heart of our bulk production lines.

This role is structured with a distinct, rewarding, two-phase career progression:

• Phase 1 (Months 1–6): A uniquely hands-on role dedicating 80% of your focus to high-volume commercial execution. You will cook side-by-side on the floor with our pathway trainees, turning the production line into a patient, nurturing learning environment.
• Phase 2 (Post-6-Month Review): As we onboard a junior kitchen resource, your focus will intentionally evolve. You will step back from heavy production to lead high-level operational growth, including procurement, recipe scaling, and driving our transition toward HACCP compliance certifications.

What We're Looking For:

To succeed in this role, you must pair professional culinary precision with a deeply empathetic heart. We are looking for:

• A Nurturing Leader: You possess a deep capacity for patience and empathy. You excel at keeping a kitchen non-toxic, structurally calm, and turning mistakes on the line into gentle, positive teaching moments.
• High-Volume Production Experience: Substantial experience functioning as a Head Chef, Production Manager, or Senior Sous Chef within central production units, high-volume banqueting, commercial catering, or hotel hubs.
• A Systems Mindset: Meticulous attention to detail with an absolute dedication for following standardized recipes, portion boundaries, and rigorous compliance tracking.
• Reliability: A rock-solid, trustworthy team anchor that vulnerable trainees can confidently look up to every day.

Prerequisites & Qualifications:

• Current Certificate III or IV in Commercial Cookery (or verified equivalent experience).
• Valid, current Safe Food Handling Supervisor Certificate.
• National Police Check & Working with Children Check (WWCC) (required prior to commencement).
• The role involves standing for extended periods, repetitive movements, manual handling and lifting tasks. Reasonable workplace adjustments will be considered where appropriate.
• A genuine alignment with MWI values: Work honestly, be respectful to all, lift people up, and always be learning.

If you are ready to use your culinary expertise to change lives, click "Apply Now"