Casual Kitchen Team Members - Rotorua

Casual cooks needed in our Youth Justice Residence kitchen! Join our residential kitchen support team on a casual basis at a beautiful Rotorua location.

Mo m tou | About us

Oranga Tamariki-Ministry for Children has a commitment to putting tamariki and rangatahi at the heart of what we do. In our work, we aim to demonstrate these values:

We put Tamariki first
We believe Aroha is vital
We respect the Mana of people
We are Tika and Pono
We value Whakapapa
We recognise that Oranga is a journey
Our vision is to ensure New Zealand is the best place in the world to be a child. We are also committed to ensuring Oranga Tamariki partners with hapu, iwi and M ori organisations to find appropriate solutions for tamariki in need.

Te Maioha o Parekarangi Youth Justice Residence is located just 10 minutes from the city centre on the Parekarangi Trust farmland. Our secured facility has up to 30 rangatahi in residence, ranging in age from 13 to 17 years old, who are involved with the Youth Justice system.

Mo te tunga | About the role

We have an opportunity for a motivated cook to join the residential support team to provide cover, when required, in our commercial kitchen. This is a casual role that requires flexibility to be available for 10-hour shifts across a 7-day week, which may include weekends and statutory holidays.

This is a busy and varied role and you will assist the Residence Chef in meal planning and preparation for the rangatahi in our care. Your organisational skills will see you prepare quality meals on time, manage delivery arrangements, prepare for special events, supporting the operations of our secure residence. You will enjoy dealing with people, take pride in providing excellent customer service, and positively manage internal and external business relationships with ease.


Ng pumanawatanga ou | What you will bring

Proven experience as a cook for large groups
Understanding of health and safety, including food hygiene
A level of competence in using a computer and data entry
Strong relationship building skills
Well-developed written and verbal communication skills
Effective organisation, planning and time management skills
Ability to work well as part of a team
Ability to work unsupervised at times, able to use your initiative
Full clean valid New Zealand driver's licence without conditions
New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency at time of application
Nou te rourou | What's in it for you

The casual pay rate is $26.00 per hour + 8% holiday pay. Depending on hours worked, there may be additional allowances.

We offer a great supportive team that have a genuine commitment to wellbeing. We offer significant training and professional development so that you can thrive and grow. To see all the benefits of working for Oranga Tamariki - Ministry for Children, please visit our website at https://mahi.orangatamariki.govt.nz/working-with-us/employee-benefits.

Me pehea te tuku tono | How to Apply

Apply online with your CV and Covering Letter. Your cover letter will be a key part of our assessment process, so please highlight how your experience relates to the competencies listed in the position description.

If you are an Oranga Tamariki employee already, please ensure you apply with a log in using your Oranga Tamariki email address. Should you have any questions about this role, please contact Info_recruit@ot.govt.nz

Applications for this role close at midnight Friday 6 March 2026. Please note that we will be reviewing applications and may invite candidates to interview prior to this date, so apply now!

If you are interested in any of our vacancies, please ensure that you make yourself familiar with our code of conduct as it sets out our expectations for our kaimahi and requires you to present at work free from the influences of both drugs and alcohol.