Sous Chef | The Albie | Wānaka

Head Chef | THE ALBIE

Albert Town, Wānaka  |  Full-time  |  Kitchen leadership role

About the role

We're after an experienced, hands-on Sous Chef to take ownership of our kitchen — great food, high standards, effective ordering and a tight knit team. You'll work closely with our owners and front-of-house leaders to keep the kitchen consistent, well-run, and a great place to work.

This is a role for someone who genuinely loves running a kitchen — you cook well, lead well, and treat a full house on a Saturday night as a chance to show what a well-run pass looks like, all while having a good laugh with the team.

What you'll be doing

• Cooking and overseeing dishes to recipe and presentation standard, with regular checks to keep portions and plating consistent
• Planning menus across our Sports Bar, Restaurant and Takeaway offerings that balance great food with sensible food costs
• Reviewing customer feedback and acting on it to keep standards moving forward
• Managing food safety and hygiene in line with our Food Safety Plan
• Monitoring stock levels and managing ordering, inventory, and supplier relationships
• Keeping the kitchen clean, organised, and safe
• Leading, training, and rostering the kitchen team, and setting the tone for how we work under pressure
• Minimising food waste through smart portion control and stock management
• Working hands-on alongside the team during service, especially at peak times
• What we're looking for

• Proven experience as a Sous Chef ready to grow
• Solid food safety and hygiene knowledge, with relevant certification
• Confidence with stock control, ordering, and managing suppliers
• A natural leader who can train, motivate, and get the best out of a kitchen team
• Strong organisational skills — able to run prep, ordering, rostering, and service without dropping the ball
• A genuine cook who cares about quality, presentation, and consistency
• A calm head under pressure, and a team player at heart
• What's on offer

A competitive salary, based on experience. Between $30 and $40 per hour

A genuine leadership role in a busy, community-loved local

The chance to shape the menu and kitchen culture at The Albie

A supportive ownership team and a close-knit crew

* Living and working in Albert Town, right on Wānaka's doorstep — trails, lake, and mountains at your back door

About us

The Albie is Albert Town's local pub. A proper local, where tradies and adventurers alike debrief at the end of a long day, families grab a decent feed without driving into Wānaka, where our community gathers for games and events, and where visitors get a genuine taste of what makes this part of the world magic.

Under one roof we run three spaces — Sports Bar, Restaurant Bar, and Takeaway Shop — all fed from the one big kitchen. We’re open seven days. 2pm - 10pm Monday to Thursday and midday - 10pm Friday - Sunday. It's a busy, honest pub kitchen: burgers, pizza, steak, schnitzel, salads and locally sourced specials. All done well and priced fairly. We're not trying to be everything to everyone — we're trying to be exactly the right thing for the people who live here and love it here, and our kitchen is a big part of that.

How to apply

Click apply now and send us your CV, along with a short note about why you're the right fit for The Albie kitchen. We'd love to hear from you.