Purchasing & Stock Control Manager

Purchasing & Stock Control Manager

Ka Pai Kai Aotearoa | Whakatāne or Rotorua Fixed Term to December 2027

Bring Your Culinary Expertise Beyond the Kitchen

Are you an experienced chef, catering manager, or food service professional looking for a role that offers greater work-life balance while still allowing you to make a meaningful impact?

Ka Pai Kai Aotearoa is seeking a Purchasing & Stock Control Manager to lead our food procurement, stock management, menu development, and recipe costing functions. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who understands large-scale food production and wants to use their expertise in a predominantly Monday to Friday role.

At Ka Pai Kai Aotearoa, our mission is to nourish the minds of our future generation by providing healthy, nutritious, and affordable meals to tamariki throughout Aotearoa.

About the Role

Reporting into the Operations team, you will be responsible for ensuring the seamless supply of ingredients and products across our kitchen network while supporting menu development, recipe creation, nutritional compliance, and cost management. The role works closely with kitchen managers, suppliers, and operational leaders to ensure our food programmes continue to deliver quality outcomes for tamariki.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading food procurement and supplier relationships
• Forecasting food requirements and managing purchasing schedules
• Coordinating stock control across multiple sites
• Developing and refining recipes and menus
• Costing dishes and monitoring food costs
• Ensuring recipes are nutritionally balanced and align with Ministry of Education requirements
• Managing supplier performance and delivery schedules
• Analysing purchasing and inventory data using Excel
• Supporting continuous improvement and supply chain efficiencies
• Maintaining strong relationships with operational teams across the business

About You

This role would suit someone with a strong cheffing or large-scale catering background who understands both food production and commercial realities.

You'll ideally bring:

• Significant experience as a Chef, Head Chef, Catering Manager, Production Catering Manager or similar
• Proven experience creating and costing recipes
• Strong understanding of nutrition and balanced meal planning
• Experience ordering food at scale and managing stock levels
• Knowledge of kitchen operations and food production environments
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail
• Above-average Microsoft Excel capability
• Excellent communication and relationship management skills
• The ability to work across multiple priorities and deadlines
• A commitment to community wellbeing and values-based ways of working

Why Join Ka Pai Kai Aotearoa?

• Fixed-term role through to December 2027
• Predominantly Monday to Friday hours
• An opportunity to transition from kitchen operations into a strategic leadership role
• Work for an organisation making a genuine difference for tamariki and whānau
• Join a values-driven team grounded in manaakitanga and whanaungatanga

Apply Now

If you're ready to use your culinary expertise to support one of Aotearoa's most impactful food programmes, we'd love to hear from you.

Please note that all applicants must have NZ residency or a valid work visa. Preferred candidates will be required to undergo pre-employment checks, including Ministry of Justice and Drug and Alcohol testing.

For further information about the position or to request a position description, feel free to contact our HR Team by emailing [email protected].

Applications for this position close Sunday, 1 November 2026.