Job Description

The Role

We're looking for a passionate Casual Chef / Cook to join our team, supporting our four Oceania sites across Hawke's Bay. This is a flexible role that offers variety, where you'll work across one or more of our villages to provide cover and support when needed.

Whether you're stepping in for planned leave, helping during busy periods, or supporting different kitchen teams across the region, you'll play an important role in creating enjoyable dining experiences for our residents. Every day is different, giving you the opportunity to work alongside a range of experienced teams while making a real difference.

What You'll Be Doing

• Preparing and serving nutritious, high-quality meals that residents look forward to.

• Bringing creativity and pride to every dish you prepare.

• Providing excellent customer service and creating positive dining experiences.

• Supporting kitchen operations while maintaining high food safety and hygiene standards.

• Working collaboratively with kitchen teams across multiple Oceania sites.

• Adapting to different environments and supporting wherever you're needed across the Hawke's Bay region.

• Continuing to learn, grow and develop your culinary skills.

What You'll Bring

• A passion for creating meals that both look great and taste amazing.

• Previous experience as a Chef or Cook, with a culinary qualification or equivalent experience preferred.

• Safe Food NZQA certificates (167, 168, 20666 or 27955), or a willingness to obtain them.

• Excellent communication and customer service skills.

• A positive, can-do attitude and a willingness to jump in where needed.

• A team-first approach with strong time management and organisational skills.

• The flexibility to travel between our Hawke's Bay sites and work rostered casual shifts.

• Respect for resident dignity, privacy and confidentiality.

• Full New Zealand working rights.

Why Join Oceania?

At Oceania, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We believe every meal is an opportunity to bring comfort, connection and joy to our residents, and we're looking for people who share that passion.

As one of New Zealand's leading providers of retirement and aged care living, we operate more than 35 villages and support over 4,000 residents nationwide. We're committed to creating communities where people can continue living the life they love, and that starts with having great people on our team.

If you enjoy variety, flexibility and working alongside supportive teams while making a genuine difference, we'd love to hear from you.

What We Offer

• Competitive hourly rates.

• Casual flexibility with the opportunity to work across multiple Hawke's Bay locations.

• A supportive team environment and the chance to work alongside experienced hospitality professionals.

• Ongoing learning and development opportunities.

• A safe and healthy workplace, including access to a free confidential Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).

At Oceania, we're united by one purpose - delivering exceptional experiences for the people who once cared for us. If you're ready to bring your passion for food to a role where it truly matters, we'd love to hear from you.

**Oceania does not accept any unsolicited resume referrals from recruitment agencies, or take responsibility for any fees related to unsolicited CVs**