Production Head Chef (Culinary Operations Lead)
A Life Plus
location_pin Botany, NSW
money_bag A$100,000-$150,000 p/a
home_work In office
Posted 1 day ago
Food Manufacturing / Ready Meals | Full Time | Growth Role
About Us
A Life Plus (ALP) is one of Sydney’s fastest-growing fresh-meal companies, producing premium ready meals for health-focused customers across Australia. We specialise in high-protein, low-carb, and keto meals, including NDIS-compliant options. Everything is cooked in-house at our Botany facility with full control of quality and nutrition.
We’re expanding fast — new lines, new processes, and more scale. This is a production-leadership role for someone who wants to run a real manufacturing kitchen, not a restaurant service line.
The Opportunity
You’ll lead the heart of our production — overseeing prep, cook, and pack operations to achieve perfect consistency, yield control, and food-safety excellence.
This is a hands‑on, high‑impact role that directly influences quality, cost, and team growth. The right person will treat the kitchen like their own business unit.
Your day‑to‑day will include:
- Running and improving all food production and prep to target yields, taste, and presentation.
- Managing batch sheets, recipe data, and documentation.
- Monitoring yields, waste, and QA checkpoints daily.
- Leading, training, and scheduling a multi‑national team (10–20 staff).
- Ensuring full compliance with food‑safety and temperature logs.
- Working with leadership to launch new SKUs and cost‑saving improvements.
What You’ll Bring
Must‑Have
- Proven experience in large‑batch or central‑kitchen production (airline, meal‑prep, hospital, or contract catering).
- Hands‑on leadership — confident running a team on the line.
- Understanding of yield control, cost management, and scaling systems.
- Strong organisation and documentation discipline.
Nice‑to‑Have
- Experience with macro‑controlled or special‑diet meals (keto, GF, NDIS).
- Lean or continuous‑improvement mindset.
- Familiarity with cook‑chill, sous‑vide, or high‑volume batching equipment.
- Comfortable improving or creating SOPs and recipe documentation.
What We Offer
- KPI Bonus: $20k–$50k OTE — based on yield, QA, and cost‑efficiency metrics.
- Clear progression: path to Head of Culinary Operations as we scale.
- Stable schedule: predictable prep and production days (Tue–Sun rotation).
- Benefits: daily staff meals, free parking, uniforms, employee discounts.
- Paid trials: 4‑hour simulation + 7‑day pilot — we pay you properly for both.
Why Join A Life Plus
We’re building Australia’s most efficient, consistent, and health‑driven meal‑production kitchen. If you’re tired of restaurant chaos and want to lead a production system with real autonomy, measurable success, and genuine impact — this is your seat.
You control the kitchen. We back your systems.
How to Apply
Send your application to with the subject: Production Head Chef – Sydney – YOURNAME
Include:
- The largest production line you’ve run (units + crew).
- One yield or QA problem you fixed (before → after, method).
- A redacted batch or QA sheet you’ve used.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a paid 4‑hour on‑site trial, followed by a 7–10 day pilot to see your systems in action.
Work Rights
Full Australian work rights required.
Outstanding international candidates may be considered for Subclass 482 sponsorship.
About A Life Plus
home_pin Botany, NSW, Australia
This company does not have any further information provided at this time. We encourage you to research the company by searching for them to learn more about the company or role in question before applying.
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