Executive Chef

Executive Chef

Region

MEA SPAC

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

• Diversity & Inclusion for Accor means welcoming each and everyone and respecting their differences by giving priority only to qualities and skills in extending employment and development opportunities. Our ambition is to provide meaningful employment, a warm and welcoming culture, excellent working conditions and to promote the development of all people, including those with disabilities.

• When applying, do not hesitate to let us know of any specific needs you may have so that we can take them into consideration.

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