Chef / Kitchen Lead

Triple Eight Race Engineering (Red Bull Ampol Racing) is seeking an experienced, motivated Chef / Kitchen Lead to head our on-site kitchen in a high-performance, fast-paced team environment in Banyo QLD. This is a unique role for someone who takes pride in quality, understands nutrition, and wants to play a key role in fuelling an elite racing team to perform at their best.

As our on-site Chef, you will be responsible for delivering high-quality, nutritionally balanced meals to our team each day. Your focus will be on consistency, efficiency, and scalability, ensuring every meal supports energy, recovery, and overall performance.

The role centres around:

• Morning tea (cooked offering): Prepare fresh, nutritious options to start the day on a high note.
• Daily lunch service: Deliver wholesome, high-quality meals that fuel the team for peak performance.
• Take-home meal preparation for staff: Plan, cook, and package meals that staff can enjoy at home, maintaining the same nutritional and quality standards as on-site service.

All service is delivered via bain-marie style, prioritizing efficiency, portion control, and consistency across large volumes, rather than individual plating. This allows you to maintain exceptional quality while supporting a high-performance, fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare and deliver daily morning tea and lunch service
  Plan, cook, and serve meals efficiently to meet daily schedules, ensuring high quality, freshness, and adherence to dietary requirements. Adapt service to team numbers and specific performance-focused needs.
• Develop nutritionally balanced, high-quality meals
  Design menus that support health, energy, and recovery, incorporating dietary guidelines, seasonal produce, and performance nutrition principles. Ensure meals are both appealing and functional.
• Maintain consistency, cleanliness, and presentation standards
  Uphold strict hygiene, food safety, and presentation standards at all times. Monitor quality control across all dishes, ensuring meals consistently meet professional standards.
• Manage kitchen operations including stock, ordering, and cost control
  Oversee inventory, monitor stock levels, forecast requirements, and manage supplier relationships. Implement cost-efficient practices while maintaining quality, minimizing waste, and ensuring operational efficiency.
• Introduce and manage a staff take-home meal program
  Develop and execute a structured take-home meal initiative, ensuring meals are nutritious, well-packaged, and delivered efficiently. Coordinate program logistics and feedback to enhance satisfaction.
• Work closely with management on the design and layout of a newly renovated kitchen
  Collaborate on kitchen planning, workflow optimization, and equipment selection to maximize efficiency, safety, and productivity in the new space.
• Continuously improve menu offerings and service efficiency
  Regularly review menus, service processes, and feedback to identify opportunities for innovation, efficiency, and nutritional enhancement. Implement improvements that align with team needs and operational goals.

 About You

• Proven chef experience in high-pressure, high-volume kitchens — thrives in fast-paced environments delivering consistent, high-quality food at scale.
• Performance-focused mindset — strong interest in nutrition, creating meals that fuel energy, recovery, and results.
• Bulk prep expert — highly skilled in large-scale production and bain-marie service without compromising quality or food safety.
• Systems-driven and organised — plans ahead, streamlines workflows, and keeps kitchens running efficiently under pressure.
• Driven by performance — passionate about food and motivated by helping elite teams perform at their best.

Qualifications

Certificate III in Commercial Cookery (SIT30821) or equivalent

What Makes This Role Different

• Work within a professional, high-performance environment
• No late nights or traditional hospitality hours
• Opportunity to shape a brand-new kitchen and food offering
• Ability to make a genuine impact on team wellbeing and performance

This is not a standard hospitality role. We are looking for someone who takes pride in quality, understands nutrition, and wants to play a key role in supporting a professional team, only candidates who meet the above criteria will be contacted.

Employer questions

Your application will include the following questions:

• Which of the following statements best describes your right to work in Australia?
• How many years' experience do you have as a Head of Kitchen?
• What's your expected annual base salary?
• Are you available to travel for this role when required?
• How many years' experience do you have as a Nutrition Specialist?