Lead hospitality. Inspire people. Create futures.
This is not your standard hospitality leadership role.
At The Little Social, every coffee served, every catering event delivered and every customer interaction contributes to something bigger – creating real opportunities for young people to build confidence, develop skills and create brighter futures.
We’re looking for a dynamic, commercially savvy and people-focused Head of Hospitality to lead our growing café and catering social enterprise across Melbourne. Someone who thrives in fast-paced environments, builds strong teams, drives operational excellence and wants their leadership to genuinely matter.
This is your opportunity to combine hospitality excellence with social impact – leading a business that changes lives every single day.
What Makes You a Great Fit
You’re an experienced hospitality leader who knows how to bring people together, create strong culture and deliver exceptional operational outcomes.
You’re commercially minded, calm under pressure and passionate about building environments where both people and business can thrive.
You’ll bring:
- Proven leadership experience across multi-site hospitality or catering operations
- Strong operational, financial and commercial management capability
- A genuine passion for people leadership and team development
- Experience driving customer service excellence and operational performance
- Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship-building skills
- The ability to balance commercial outcomes with social impact and purpose-driven work
Experience within social enterprise, community or purpose-led environments is highly regarded – but your leadership style, mindset and passion for impact are what matter most.
Why You’ll Love This Role
- Lead a growing multi-site café and catering operation with purpose at its core across Melbourne
- Shape the future of a hospitality social enterprise with genuine community impact
- Build and lead passionate, high-performing and values-led teams
- Create safe and empowering opportunities for young people to thrive
- Drive innovation, customer experience and operational excellence across multiple sites
- Be part of an organisation committed to inclusion, empowerment and social justice
About the Role
As Head of Hospitality, you’ll lead all café and catering operations across The Little Social, overseeing the business from both an operational and strategic perspective.
You’ll drive:
- Operational performance and consistency across all sites
- Financial sustainability and commercial growth
- Team leadership, coaching and culture
- Customer experience and brand reputation
- Innovation, systems improvement and service delivery
- Youth-focused social impact outcomes
This role is equal parts hospitality leader, people leader and change maker.
What Success Looks Like (First 12 Months)
✅ Seamless Operations
Our cafés and catering services run smoothly, safely and consistently across all locations. Customers experience warm, reliable service every time, with food safety and compliance standards consistently met or exceeded.
💰 Financial Sustainability
Operations are effectively managed within budget, with clear visibility of performance. You’ll strengthen cost control, improve purchasing efficiency and reduce waste – supporting our not-for-profit mission and long-term sustainability.
👥 Empowered People
Teams feel supported, engaged and proud of the work they do. Capability is strong, leaders are confident and proactive, and a positive, high-performing culture is embedded across all sites.
🌱 Youth Impact
Young people feel safe, included and empowered through meaningful hospitality experiences. They build real-world skills, confidence and pathways into employment and future opportunities.
❤️ Values-Led Culture
Our hospitality environments reflect who we are – inclusive, respectful and development-focused. Every interaction with customers, staff and young people reflects the values and purpose that drive
our work every day.
Why You’ll Love Working With Us
At Youth Projects, we’re lucky to have a passionate, energetic and values-driven team who genuinely care about the work we do and the people we support.
We work hard, support each other and celebrate the impact we create every day. While the work can be challenging, it’s also incredibly meaningful – and you’ll be surrounded by people who are committed, collaborative and driven by purpose.
We’re committed to creating a flexible and supportive workplace where you can thrive professionally and personally. From ongoing learning opportunities to wellbeing initiatives and genuine work-life balance, we invest in our people every step of the way.
Most importantly, the work you do here directly changes lives in the community. Great people deserve great perks, you’ll also enjoy:
- Free locally roasted coffee at the office every day
- Generous salary packaging benefits to increase your take-home pay
- 17.5% annual leave loading to help you make the most of your holidays
- Employee wellbeing initiatives, including access to our Employee Assistance Program
- 15 days of personal/carer’s leave each year, with up to 5 days able to be used for wellbeing or to meet other personal needs.
Ready to Lead Something Bigger?
If you’re still reading, there’s a strong chance you might be exactly who we’re looking for.
We’re searching for someone who brings energy, leadership, commercial thinking and heart – someone ready to lead hospitality differently and create meaningful impact every single day.
👉 Send through your resume and cover letter by clicking “Apply for the Job.” 👈
In your cover letter, tell us about your experience within the hospitality industry, your leadership approach, and the impact you would like to create in this role – both operationally and for the young people and communities we support.
Recruitment for this position will be undertaken as applications are received, and only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
Please note the successful applicant will be required to: Hold or obtain a valid Working with Children Check, National Police Check Current and valid Driver’s Licence as part of the onboarding and recruitment process.
Our commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging: At Youth Projects, we value the unique experiences, perspectives and contributions that a diverse workforce brings. We are committed to creating a safe, inclusive and welcoming workplace for all and actively encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disability, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and people of all genders, sexualities and identities, including members of the LGBTIQA+ community
Safety screening: Youth Projects is committed to being a child-safe organisation, providing an environment where children who come into contact with the organisation feel safe. Youth Projects has zero tolerance
