Kitchen Manager / Head Chef

Vitalé Café Bar is located within the Aqua Sana Forest Spa and offers our Spa guests delicious fresh food and a soothing, relaxed atmosphere. Guests can expect a selection of Mediterranean inspired salads, tapas and pasta dishes as well as breakfast or something sweet complimented by our specialty tea, indulgent hot chocolate or bubbles for special occasions.

KITCHEN MANAGER / HEAD CHEF | Circa €49,500 per annum plus 12% management bonus plus tips

All colleagues working in our restaurants, cafés and bars will benefit from the discretionary service charge we add to bills. The majority of our guests are happy to reward our colleagues for their excellent service.

We are now looking to appoint a Kitchen Manager / Head Chef to lead a team dedicated to providing a first-class service and excellent food quality to our guests.

Responsibilities will include:

• Effectively control, coordinate and plan the activities of your kitchen to outlined standards of procedure.
• Maintain high guest satisfaction levels through culinary leadership ensuring quality of service, quality of food & drink, value for money and that budgeted financial targets including cost of sales are met and exceeded.
• Be responsible for the daily management of your kitchen and your team ensuring cleanliness and hygiene standards are achieved as per Company and legal requirements.
• Report directly to the Restaurant Manager and work together to ensure the continued growth and success of the business.
• You will support with facilitating and developing a culture that promotes and encourages the general wellbeing, motivation, and morale of your team, whilst ensuring effective performance management strategies are in place and your team are actively contributing towards this.

Please note that to apply for a role with us, you must be able to reliably commute to Center Parcs Longford Forest, as it is not easily accessible by public transport. If you plan to use public transport, please follow this link for a realistic overview of your commute: Plan Your Journey

HOURS OF WORK

Working straight shifts, you will be contracted to work 160 hours per 4-week period on a flexible basis. This means that your days and hours of work could vary each week, but you will always receive at least your contracted hours each period.

As our village is open 365 days of the year, your working hours will include public / bank holidays and during Christmas and / or New Year on a rota basis with a premium rate of pay for hours worked on a Sunday.

EXPERIENCE, SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS

Essential requirements:

• Ability to lead a team in a busy kitchen environment
• Strong financial awareness – stocktaking / working schedules / wastage analysis and controls
• Previous experience in a large organisation with full management responsibility for the kitchen team
• Experience in training and developing a kitchen team
• Have a motivational approach towards colleagues and work
• Empathetic and supportive approach to leading a team
• Able to coach individuals to be accountable for their own performance

Desirable requirements:

• Experience of back of house systems for stock management and ordering

ABOUT THE BENEFITS

Center Parcs is a fantastic place to work and the benefits are as impressive as they are unique. Here are just a few:

• Management Bonus Scheme
• Pension Scheme with Life Assurance
• Colleague Recognition and Reward Scheme – offering a choice of Center Parcs and High Street vouchers
• Free use of our leisure facilities
• Discounted Center Parcs breaks
• 20% discount in our restaurant and retail outlets
• Access to Perks at Work Portal - offering a wide range of retail and leisure discounts
• An Employee Assistance Program - providing support on financial, health and legal matters
• Excellent opportunities for career development and progression with the opportunity to gain externally recognised qualifications

If this sounds like your ideal job, then we’d love to see your application.

Closing date: 17th June 2025 at 12 Noon

Interviews to be held: Week commencing 16th June 2025

Please note this vacancy may close at any time once sufficient applications have been received. Early submission of your application is therefore encouraged.

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At Center Parcs, everyone’s welcome. 

We recognise that we’re all at our best when we’re being ourselves. We are committed to building a culture that champions diversity, equity and inclusion, where everyone is treated fairly and with respect. We welcome people from all backgrounds and want them to feel valued for their individuality, thrive in our business and share a sense of belonging. We place a lot of value on recruiting based on behaviours rather than prioritising qualifications or experience. Please let us know if you require any support or reasonable adjustments during the application or interview process.