Executive Chef

About the Property

Rosewood Hotels is known worldwide for its contemporary, distinctive brands, its emphasis on design and innovation, and its highly personalized approach to hospitality.

Set far to the east of Hawke’s Bay wine country, Rosewood Cape Kidnappers overlooks dramatic hills and cliffs with sweeping ocean views and a horizon that seems to go on forever. Along with a lodge and spa, the property includes one of the world’s leading golf courses, a sanctuary supporting some of New Zealand’s most important native flora and fauna, and a working farm. The suites are warm and welcoming, combining rich comfort with impressive views.

This is an opportunity to build your career at Rosewood Cape Kidnappers and take your next step in a unique luxury environment.

Role Overview

The property is seeking a new Executive Chef to lead its culinary operations. Reporting to the Cluster Director of Culinary, the role is central to shaping seasonal menus built around local produce, improving team productivity, maintaining a profitable operation, delivering the brand experience, and ensuring the highest levels of safety and cleanliness. This is a practical, hands-on leadership position.

Key Responsibilities

The Executive Chef will be responsible for leading the kitchen team, including the Clubhouse kitchen, while building a respectful and collaborative working culture. The role requires maintaining and improving operating standards, ensuring efficient service delivery, and planning staffing and food offerings with both financial performance and guest satisfaction in mind.

Other core duties include sourcing fresh local ingredients for seasonal menus, managing budgets, placing orders, completing stock takes accurately, and controlling food, labour, and overhead costs. The chef will also review recipes and pricing, supervise kitchen staff to ensure timely and cost-effective food production, coordinate daily with other hotel departments, coach senior chefs, and maintain focus on associate dining. The position also requires consistently reflecting Rosewood’s values and culture.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will be a calm, guest-visible leader who is confident with modern cooking styles, values local ingredients, and believes in simplicity, sustainability, and waste reduction. Strong awareness of dietary needs, the ability to build solid relationships internally and externally, attention to detail, and a strong commitment to mentoring and training others are essential.

The role also calls for a leader who can inspire and support teams both in person and remotely, while bringing professionalism, passion, and a strong service mindset.

Requirements

• Proven background as a Head Chef or Executive Chef in a luxury or 5-star hotel environment
• Strong experience in leading, training, motivating, and developing a team
• Creative approach to delivering high-quality dishes
• Business-minded and strategic way of working
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to create productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Strong planning and organisational ability
• Clear commitment to service excellence and hospitality
• Relevant culinary and management qualifications
• High standards for food quality, hygiene, and workplace safety
• Administrative leadership experience and solid financial awareness
• Ability to guide and influence teams both directly and remotely
• Strong sense of professionalism and dedication to the role

Additional Information

The successful candidate should align with Rosewood Hotels’ core values: Ownership, Passionate, Transparent, Innovative, and Collaborative.

The company supports learning and career development. Benefits include a daily travel allowance, access to the Staff Perks Programme with discounts and partner offers, and the Rosewood Complimentary Room benefit scheme, which provides 12 nights globally per year.

This role is based in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand.