Hospitality Specialist Nuclear Submariner
As a Hospitality Specialist Nuclear Submariner, you’ll help write a new chapter in Navy history, making a meaningful contribution to the deployment of Australia’s first conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarines. You’ll operate and manage Navy messes and dining facilities, providing hospitality and meal services to entire Navy bases and submarines.
What you'll do
You’ll play an important role keeping your team fuelled and morale high, planning, preparing, cooking and serving meals onboard submarines and ashore. Primarily you’ll work in the kitchen/dining area, or as it is known in the Navy, the galley, which is the heart of every ship. This is where the crew gathers to eat, socialise and relax. As a Hospitality Specialist Nuclear Submariner, you’re not just a chef, you’ll also provide quality hospitality services to the submarine's crew, serve VIPs, manage canteens, and host events and functions.
Your duties may include:
- preparing menus for meal service
- operating shipboard kitchen and dining facilities
- managing inventories, food orders and financial records
- ordering necessary supplies
- serving as a personal food service specialist for Commanding Officers
- operating and managing living quarters aboard submarines
- ensuring food safety programs and regulations are followed.
As a submariner, you'll also perform additional general duties that support the whole submarine, including:
- emergency response (damage control)
- submarine security, firefighting and replenishment at sea
- first aid and flood repair
- assisting with medical, ammunitioning or ceremonial duties
- shift work, or on-call duties as required.
Opportunities for progression and upskilling continue throughout your career. As you progress, the Navy will provide you with development opportunities to assist you with your increasing leadership responsibility, as well as further education and specialised training for future roles. This training will broaden your skillset and enable you to face any challenge, either at sea or ashore.
Your initial military and employment training will take place in Australia and then you’ll move to the United States to complete Basic Enlisted Submarine School in Groton, Connecticut and then ‘A’ School in Virginia. Sea postings may be on submarines operating out of Western Australia, Hawaii, Guam, Groton, Connecticut and San Diego, California, and shore postings will be in both Australia and the United States.
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As soon as I heard we were getting new submarines I wanted to be part of that program and be part of something new and challenging.
Requirements and training
You must be an Australian citizen to serve in the ADF. However, Australian permanent residents may be eligible. For more details, visit the "Citizenship" tab on the Eligibility Requirements page.
You can apply for a role in the ADF from 16.5 years of age and must be at least 17 to join. The maximum age to join is 57 years.
You must be at least 18 years of age on commencement of overseas training.
You don’t need a driver’s licence for this role but if you have one, it can’t be suspended or cancelled.
All ADF members require a security clearance. As an ADF member, you’ll need to obtain the appropriate level of security clearance for your role. You’ll need a collection of relevant information including background checks and/or interviews so the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) can make an informed assessment to ensure the protection of Government resources and information. Your Careers Coach will explain what level of clearance is required for the career you are considering.
For more information or to learn about how security clearance will apply to you, view the eligibility requirements page.
You’ll need to have completed Year 12 (no ATAR required) with a pass in Year 10 Maths.
To join the Navy, it's important that you meet the necessary medical and physical requirements. Regular exercise prior to joining will set you up for success as it is an important part of training and service life.
Once you join, Navy will support your physical conditioning to ensure you're prepared to serve. You'll also have access to chef-made meals, gyms, sports and fitness sessions run by physical training instructors. Throughout your Navy career, you’ll be expected to conduct an annual fitness test which includes a plank as well as either a beep test or run/walk or swim.
During the application process, you’ll be assessed through questionnaire about your medical history and a physical examination.
During Navy Military Training, whether heading to the New Entry Sailor Course (Recruit School) or the New Entry Officer Course, you'll need to pass a swim test wearing your uniform to graduate. This includes:
- safety jump off a 3m tower
- 10m underwater swim
- 50m swim using survival strokes
- treading water or floating for 15 minutes.
For further details on medical and physical fitness standards, refer to physical fitness standards for entry into the ADF and medical process for entry into the ADF.
You’ll be enlisted for an Initial Minimum Period of Service (IMPS) of 3 years. Subsequent periods of service may be offered subject to the requirements of the ADF and your suitability for further service. You’ll have a Careers Coach who can advise on how IMPS will relate to your chosen occupation and personal situation.
You may request discharge at any time provided you do not have an outstanding IMPS obligation.
Hospitality Services Operator Nuclear Submariner trainees must hold Negative Vetting (NV1) clearance before commencing overseas training, and will subsequently require a Negative Vetting (NV2) clearance on completion of overseas training.
Note: This position will require you to comply with the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR Compliant), which is an additional set of compliance checks.
Selection to overseas nuclear-powered submarine training is not guaranteed, and you’ll need to successfully pass United States Navy testing to be selected. If you are unsuccessful during selection or are unable to complete the overseas portions of the training, you may be given the opportunity to transfer to another role in the Navy, including but not limited to Collins Class submarine service.
Australian Submarine Agency Screening
Due to the security settings of the Nuclear-Powered Submarine Program, members will be subject to additional eligibility and suitability screening by the Australian Submarine Agency (ASA). This screening also considers foreign partner security requirements. Please speak directly with an ADF Careers member for more information.
Course: New Entry Sailor Course (NESC)
Duration: 10 weeks
Location: Recruit School at HMAS Cerberus, Vic
You’ll conduct your initial sailor training at the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Recruit School prior to commencing specific category training. The NESC course is designed to prepare you to conduct basic duties as a sailor.
NESC Course
- Physical fitness: General fitness and the Navy swim test.
- Military life: General service knowledge including drill and ceremonial procedures.
- Specialty skills: Weapons training, workplace safety, first aid and sailing.
- Navy skills: Seamanship, corrosion control, survival at sea and fire and flood control.
After successfully completing all components of the course, you’ll participate in a Graduation Parade to mark the occasion. You’ll have the opportunity to invite family and friends to view the parade.
On completion of your NESC course, you’ll proceed to your respective employment training.
Course: Initial Hospitality Specialist Course
Duration: 33 weeks
Location: ADF School of Catering (ADFSC), HMAS Cerberus, Vic
This course is separated into 2 main components: Chef training and Hospitality training.
The Chef component consists of 24 weeks of chef training delivered by TAFE. You’ll then go on to complete an additional 3 weeks working in the HMAS Cerberus Galley Simulator to consolidate the skills learnt at TAFE and develop bulk cookery skills using modern cooking technologies. You’ll also develop catering skills applicable across the ADF, learning to work on land or at sea. This component of the course provides both practical and theoretical instruction in all aspects of cookery and kitchen activities.
Topics include:
- equipment safety
- nutrition
- customer service
- working in a small team.
The Hospitality training component consists of an additional 4 weeks of TAFE training. You’ll then complete an additional 2 weeks working in a hospitality simulator to consolidate TAFE training and to learn Non-Relevant Funds Accounting.
On successful completion of the training at HMAS Cerberus, you’ll be awarded a Certificate III in Commercial Cookery.
Then subject to completion of 3 years' service in the trade and all training, including successful completion of the ADF Chefs’ Competency Logbook, you’ll be awarded Chef Trade papers, which are industry recognised.
Course: Basic Enlisted Submarine School
Duration: 10 weeks
Location: Groton, Connecticut (USA)
This course is applicable to all Australian Navy Virginia Class SSN non-nuclear enlisted personnel. It provides the USN Basic Enlisted Submarine School (BESS) training. You’ll learn the basic skills required for both general submariner and role-specific duties, including damage control and security operations, escape procedures, use of hull structure and closures, and understanding ballast and air systems.
Course: Class ‘A’ Technical School Culinary Specialist
Duration: 5 weeks
Location: Virginia (USA)
This course provides basic knowledge in food preparation, nutrition and dining service, with the major emphasis on the Armed Forces Recipe Service.
Topics include:
- recipe conversion
- food service organisation
- safety
- sanitation
- cooking
- baking
- customer service skills.
On completion of your employment training ashore you’ll post to your submarine and progress your role-specific and broader submariner qualifications which culminate in the award of your Dolphins (the badge of all qualified submariners).
There are opportunities for a wide range of personal and professional development training and education, and leadership training continues throughout your career.