Ronald McDonald House North Australia is a vibrant, busy organisation with a mission to provide essential services that remove barriers, strengthen families and promote healing when children need healthcare. We are an independent, not-for-profit organisation, part of a global charity with a highly collaborative federated structure in Australia. Our services operate 365 days of the year.
Our House helps keep families close during times of heightened stress and emotion, as well as providing the opportunity for families to meet with, and draw comfort from, other families in similar situations. Our dedicated and friendly staff and volunteers provide invaluable support to the families who stay with us.
Working full‐time from Monday to Friday, 12:00pm–8:00pm at our Townsville House, you will play a central role in coordinating and delivering our food services and meal programs. As the Food Services Coordinator, you will bring strong organisational skills, excellent customer service, and clear communication to a role that directly supports families through nutritious, welcoming meal experiences. You will thrive in a dynamic, collaborative environment where exceptional service is a shared priority, while also demonstrating confidence and independence in managing kitchen operations, volunteer coordination, and daily food service activities.
Key responsibilities:
* Lead the preparation of high‐quality meals.
* Maintain cleanliness and compliance within all kitchen spaces.
* Develop menus, recipes and ordering plans for meal programs, ensuring safe, nutritious and cost‐effective food production.
* Manage all food procurement, including ordering, receiving, storing and rotating stock in line with food safety standards.
* Oversee the chapter's food safety program, ensuring full compliance with Australian Food Safety Standards and Ronald McDonald House North Australia policies.
* Coordinate the collection and receipt of donated and catered food and address any quality concerns with suppliers.
* Build and maintain strong relationships with local food suppliers to support meal program needs.
* Prepare meals for families five nights per week and ensure healthy snacks are consistently available.
* Oversee all food storage areas across the House, Family Kitchens to ensure correct labelling, allergen management and safe storage practices.
* Plan and deliver special‐event meals for significant occasions such as Christmas, Easter and NAIDOC Week.
* Prepare and coordinate catering for internal meetings and events held at the House.
* Produce clear, engaging communications for families about upcoming meal events.
* Maintain accurate records and monthly reporting of meal numbers, participants, temperature logs, cleanliness checks and all other food safety documentation.
* Provide leadership, guidance and support to meal program volunteers.
* Lead community and corporate groups to facilitate meal program events.
* Coordinate volunteer rosters for all meal programs, ensuring clear communication of shifts, expectations and responsibilities.
Key Selection Criteria:
* Proven ability to plan, prepare and deliver meals in a commercial or community kitchen environment.
* Strong understanding of menu planning, portion control, stock usage and efficient food production processes.
* Experience leading and supporting groups in structured cooking or meal‐based programs, including providing clear instructions, safety briefings and hands‐on guidance.
* Ability to create a positive, inclusive and engaging environment for volunteers, families, and corporate/community groups.
* Sound understanding of Australian Food Safety Standards, safe food handling practices, allergen management and stock rotation procedures.
* Demonstrated experience supervising, training and supporting volunteers or staff in a fast‐paced environment.
* Strong attention to detail in documentation, reporting and food safety record‐keeping.
* Strong organisational and time management skills, with the ability to balance multiple priorities while maintaining attention to detail and a calm, solution-focused approach.
* Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills, including the ability to liaise effectively with hospitals, volunteers, community partners, and internal stakeholders.
* Posession of or ability to obtain a Food Safety Supervisor Certificate.
Why Join Ronald McDonald House North Australia?
* Make a real impact on the lives of children and families in North Australia.
* Be part of a supportive, inclusive, and passionate team.
* Opportunities for professional development and growth within a global charity.
Benefits
* Professional development and training opportunities
* Access to Fitness Passport and employee wellbeing platform
* Competitive remuneration
* Salary packaging up to $15,900 p.a.
How to Apply
If you're a motivated, compassionate individual with a drive for supporting others and contributing to organisational success, we invite you to apply. To do so, please submit your resume and covering letter addressing the role's key selection criteria above to be considered, Monday 6th April 2026 through Seek online.
This position will be filled as soon as a suitable candidate is sourced, which may be before the advertised closing date, so please don't delay in applying for the position
The safety of the children and families we support is paramount. Our recruitment and selection processes include National Criminal Checks and Working with Children Checks, to assess applicants' suitability to work with children and families.
We are committed to keeping children and young people safe in our spaces and do not tolerate any kind of abuse. We implement prevention strategies to reduce the risk of abuse and actively seek to listen, empower, and protect children. Our team, including employees and volunteers, must meet high standards to ensure they prevent and report abuse. All roles are subject to compliance and reference checks and are subject to relevant state/territory legislation.
RMHC values and promotes an inclusive workplace where everyone, from any background, can feel valued, be appreciated and do their best work. Everyone regardless of gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, age, neurodiversity, disability status, or any other aspect that makes them unique can contribute to improving the health and wellbeing of children and their families. We encourage all suitable candidates to apply including First Nations Australians.
For further information, please do not hesitate to call the Townsville House for a confidential discussion with the Operations & Facilities Manager on 07 4775 5***.