Join the Team

At ILT we are in the business of people, this is who we are and this is what we do.

With 23 businesses including restaurants, bars and New Zealand’s newest hotel, there’s loads of variety and opportunities for you. From hospo to head office, restaurants to retail (and everything in between) career opportunities abound.

We are focused on building the capabilities of our 650 strong team through on-the-job training support, internship opportunities and educational assistance.

The best part is that the profits generated from all of our diverse parts are returned to the community of Invercargill. That means this is more than just a job; it’s a unique form of social enterprise where everyone plays their part in creating a vibrant Invercargill.

We have a role for you

Start your career with ILT

  • Be part of a supportive and inspiring organisation
  • Training and development pathways forged to create a career
  • Your mahi directly contributes to the wellbeing of our community
  • Work with like-minded, passionate team mates
  • Explore our current vacancies here:

Staff Profiles

Jaskarn (Jass) Singh

Sous Chef, Invercargill Speight's Ale House

Meet Jaskarn (Jass) Singh, a dedicated sous chef at Speights Ale House, whose journey began with an intriguing conversation with a friend about the exciting world of food. His passion for the culinary arts has been a driving force in his career.

Jass, an Indian national shifted to Invercargill to pursue his love of food. At SIT (now Te Pūkenga) he undertook study towards a Level 5 qualification.  After completing his studies, he joined ILT and quickly became an integral member of the Foundry kitchen team.

Today, Jass is part of the iconic Speights Ale House, where he thrives in a fast-paced environment. He enjoys the variety across the different kitchen stations, whether it’s crafting salads, preparing the popular chicken parcels, or mastering the grill.

Jass acknowledges his workmates help make it a fun place to work.  

“My Manager, the Head Chef and colleagues are all really friendly and help each other out”.

He relishes the challenge of the kitchen and says, “I especially like the daily targets and working to tight deadlines during service”.

 

Having called Invercargill home for the past seven years, Jass has developed a deep appreciation for the city’s relaxed lifestyle and its affordability. His enthusiasm in the kitchen makes Jass a vibrant and integral part of ILT and Invercargill’s culinary scene.  

Vandeilson Santi (Santi)

Executive Chef, The Langlands Hotel

Santi’s passion for food began at a young age, following in his mother’s footsteps and forging a career in the kitchen. The Brazilian national has travelled the world, and he brings both local and international flavours to the food story of The Langlands Hotel. 

The award winning chef has experience across high end dining offerings like Arbour Restaurant and Cable Bay Vineyards based in New Zealand.  More recently he has developed strong hotel operations experience through his role as Corporate Executive Chef for Pontes Hotels and Resorts group where he oversaw the food delivery across three hotels.

Santi has an innovative approach to creating memorable menus, which showcase premium produce from around the region, partnering with local suppliers where possible.

He is excited to lead the kitchen team at The Langlands, where a strong focus will be placed on training and refining techniques in a modern, fast paced kitchen with multiple outlets.

Zhicheng (Hank) Huang

Chef, The Foundry Restaurant

You could say a love of hospitality runs in Hank’s blood, he grew up helping his parents at the family restaurant in his home country of China. He loved watching his Dad in the kitchen, although was never allowed to try his hand at it.  

“My parents are the reason I got into restaurants, I was basically born into the hospitality industry in China,” said Hank.

In 2016, Hank arrived in Invercargill to study at SIT to become a qualified chef. After three years of culinary training, he graduated top of the class with a Diploma in Cookery. Throughout his studies, he also worked part time in the kitchen at the Foundry restaurant.

Hank credits Colin, The Foundry’s head chef, for much of his success.

“I have a great Head Chef, Colin, he is amazing. I have learnt so much and I’ve grown in confidence, not only with my culinary skills but also my English.”

“In a kitchen, it’s far more challenging than in a classroom, there is added pressure to have a smooth service, but I love it!”

During his time at SIT Hank got more than an education, he also meet his Korean-born wife Angela, a fellow international student. The couple headed back to Korea to get married however, the global pandemic put a stop to them returning to their adopted home.

Luckily for them, there was another family connection to hospitality and Hank joined his wife’s family business helping to run their restaurant in Korea. This was an eye opening experience for him and gave him a new appreciation for the working environment at the Foundry.

Finally, in late 2022, ILT and Invercargill welcomed the family back.

“We always planned to come back to Invercargill. We want to raise our daughter Crystal here because of the clean living and great lifestyle.”

“Invercargill is such a family friendly place, there’s so much space and plenty to do. My Daughter is happy here and so are we,” said Hank.

Hank is excited to be back in the kitchen at the Foundry but is even more excited to welcome the newest addition to his family later this year.

Mary Ellen Vercoe

Manager, South City Liquorland

Mary Ellen is known for her lively chat on Facebook, but even she was surprised when one of her posts made national headlines. Her fond farewell to Bernadino a long-standing product, went viral when her followers expressed their sadness about it being discontinued. But it wasn’t just South City customers who were upset about this, it was their friends and their friends’ friends.

Mary Ellen is the manager of South City Liquorland, she’s a familiar face to many as she has been part of the team for over 20 years. Starting out as a casual she worked her way to Assistant Manager and finally taking over as Manager 6 years ago.

Learn more about Mary Ellen here

Jo-anne Harris

Executive Manager, The Kelvin Hotel

Jo has devoted over half of her life to the hospitality industry.  It is not just a job for her, it is a lifestyle and a passion that continues to drive her in her role as Executive Manager.

Jo first dipped her toes into the hospitality sector working part time at Lasers, one of ILT’s first night clubs, while she continued her day job at the local newspaper.

“I thought I’d give it a try and I loved it, I’ve never looked back,” she said.

Read more about Jo here

Candice Scarlett

Guest Service Agent, The Langlands

Candice is part of the next generation of hospitality superstars coming through the ranks of ILT. She has recently graduated from SIT with a Bachelor of Hotel Management. Candice wasn’t always set to enter the world of hospitality, she was originally enrolled in a completely different field but soon realised that wasn’t for her and switched to Hotel Management. She hasn’t looked back since!

Candice worked throughout her three year course gaining important hands-on experience, initially at the Kelvin Hotel before joining The Langlands team in late 2022.  

Candice has relished the opportunity to work across a variety of areas during her training at The Langlands.

“I really enjoyed experiencing the different areas of the hotel. It has made me realise why we studied a broad array of papers during my course. It’s helped me to get a broader understanding of the whole operation.”

“The training and the knowledge I learnt in my internship also helped me to identify new areas of the hotel that I would like to work in.  And as a result, I get to work in reception as a Guest Service Agent, which is my favourite position,” said Candice.

Candice loves the variety that her role offers her. She is grateful to be part of The Langlands team that has a strong focus on training and development to ensure exceptional customer service.

“I have a very supportive front office team and a fantastic manager, who encourages the best from each one of us so we can reach our full potential.”