Company Description
At Novotel & ibis Auckland Ellerslie, food is at the heart of the guest experience. From restaurant dining and room service to conferences, meetings and corporate events, our culinary team plays a vital role in delivering memorable experiences for every guest.
We are seeking an experienced Executive Chef to lead the culinary operation across our 247-room dual-branded hotel complex. Reporting to the General Manager, you will provide strong leadership across all kitchen operations, building team capability, fostering a positive culture, and delivering consistently high standards across Acacia Restaurant & Garden Bar, conferencing and events.
This is an opportunity for a hands-on leader to make a lasting impact. You will bring structure, coaching, and a passion for developing people, while driving continuous improvement and delivering exceptional food experiences that reflect the quality, hospitality, and values of the Novotel and ibis brands.
Job Description
- Provide strong leadership to the kitchen team, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous learning, and professional development.
- Lead, coach, and develop team members to build capability, performance, and engagement.
- Oversee culinary operations across Acacia Restaurant & Garden Bar, conferencing, events, and room service, ensuring quality, consistency, and guest satisfaction.
- Drive menu development and culinary innovation while balancing commercial performance and operational efficiency.
- Manage food and labour costs, inventory, purchasing, and waste control to achieve financial targets.
- Ensure compliance with all food safety, hygiene, HACCP, and Health & Safety requirements.
- Partner closely with Food & Beverage, Conference & Events, and hotel leadership teams to deliver exceptional guest experiences.
- Identify and implement continuous improvement opportunities across people, processes, and service delivery.
Qualifications
- Proven experience as an Executive Chef, or senior culinary leader within a hotel, conference and events, or high-volume hospitality environment.
- A strong people leader with a demonstrated ability to coach, mentor, and develop high-performing teams.
- Experience fostering a positive, accountable, and collaborative team culture.
- Strong commercial acumen, including food cost control, labour management, budgeting, and forecasting.
- Proven ability to manage diverse culinary operations, including restaurant dining, conferencing, events, and banqueting.
- Sound knowledge of Food Safety, HACCP, and Health & Safety requirements.
- Exceptional organisational, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
- A hands-on, solutions-focused approach with a passion for delivering memorable guest experiences.
- Flexibility to work across a rotating 7‑day roster, including evenings, weekends, and public holidays.
Additional Information
Why join Novotel & ibis Auckland Ellerslie with Accor?
Accor isn't just about developing your career; it's also about helping you enjoy it too. We believe in rewarding your achievements with a range of exciting employee benefits and programs.
Just to name a few:
- Learn your Way & Typsy - Access to our Accor Academy so you can Earn while you Learn!
- Incredible Accor Heartist Benefits - including discounted Food & Beverage + Accommodation Worldwide
- Dry Cleaning of Uniform
- Diverse and inclusive work culture
- Accor's Parental Leave Scheme
- Access to our Employee Assistance Program
