Executive Chef
Venues Ōtautahi
Create extraordinary events in one of the New Zealand's greatest food regions.
There are very few executive chef roles like this one. It's an opportunity to lead the culinary delivery of some of New Zealand's most iconic events across Christchurch's premier venues.
From premium hospitality at international sporting events at One New Zealand Stadium and Hagley Oval, to world-class performances at the Christchurch Town Hall, gala dinners, corporate events, cocktail events, festivals and city celebrations, you'll be responsible for delivering exceptional food experiences at the heart of the country's biggest moments.
Working across Venues Ōtautahi's portfolio, you'll collaborate with some of Canterbury's finest growers, producers and restaurants to be part of the region's food story. With 80% of our produce sourced from Canterbury, we're uniquely positioned to create menus that are genuinely local and world-class.
It's about developing systems that allow great food to be delivered consistently, whether that's for 20 guests or 2,000. It's about building teams that love coming to work, developing young chefs, and creating an environment where people perform because they feel supported.
Venues Ōtautahi attract and host a wide range of events in Christchurch and manage a diverse and iconic portfolio of community venues, including the Christchurch Town Hall, Wolfbrook Arena, Hagley Oval, the Air Force Museum of New Zealand, and One New Zealand Stadium.
The events held across the Venues Ōtautahi portfolio deliver significant social, cultural, and economic benefits to the region, and ultimately, these iconic city venues play a valued role to the Christchurch way of life and the economic prosperity and social wellbeing of the region.
What You'll Do
This is a role for someone who believes exceptional events deserve exceptional food.
- Lead the culinary delivery of major events across Christchurch's premier venues.
- Design and deliver world-class event experiences
- Collaborate with local restaurants, chefs and producers to create unique experiences.
- Curate premium food concepts ranging from intimate VIP dining through to large-scale hospitality.
- Lead, inspire and develop a diverse kitchen brigade and casual workforce.
- Deliver seamless service across multiple venues and event formats.
- Drive consistency, innovation and exceptional presentation in every service.
- Manage costs, labour, purchasing and operational performance.
About You
You're an energetic and inspiring culinary leader who genuinely enjoys service.
You have an exceptional eye for detail and understand that great hospitality is equal parts food, design and execution. You enjoy crafting experiences
You'll Bring
- Proven Executive Chef or senior leadership experience in multisite operations, premium events or large-scale hospitality.
- Creativity balanced with commercial discipline.
- Outstanding food design, presentation and menu development skills.
- The ability to curate calm, highly organised and seamless services.
- Experience leading and rostering teams of 50+ chefs and kitchen professionals.
- Strong financial acumen with excellent cost and labour management.
- A collaborative leadership style that develops people and builds great culture.
- Authenticity, kindness and humility.
- High standards, positive energy and a genuine passion for hospitality.
Why join us?
Few culinary roles offer this combination of scale, creativity and opportunity.
You'll help shape the food experiences delivered across Christchurch's most significant venues, working alongside outstanding chefs, producers and hospitality partners while showcasing one of the world's most remarkable food regions.
If you're excited by major events and want to lead high-performing teams to deliver exceptional event experiences, get in touch.
How To Apply
Click "apply" to be directed to our careers page, where you can view the position description and submit your application.
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