Sous Chef - Pastry

About the role

We are seeking an experienced, hands‑on Sous Chef – Pastry to lead the day‑to‑day operations of our multi‑section pastry production kitchen. The role covers cake artistry, decorating, baking, chocolate work and stewarding, ensuring every order meets quality, safety and timing standards.

Key responsibilities

• Oversee daily operations of all kitchen sections (cake artistry, decorating, baking, chocolate, stewarding).
• Manage production plans and ensure orders are completed accurately and on time.
• Monitor recipe adherence and product quality, resolving issues before dispatch.
• Coordinate inventory with Procurement to minimize stockouts and waste.
• Build and adjust staff schedules based on order volumes.
• Allocate workloads, lead and coach section heads and their teams.
• Conduct daily production briefings to communicate priorities and special requests.
• Identify training needs and collaborate with HR on onboarding and development.
• Enforce food‑safety, hygiene, sanitation and HACCP standards.
• Work with QC to maintain consistent quality and safety.
• Own escalations related to design, product quality, rework and delivery timelines.
• Decide on rework, hold or release of products.
• Report kitchen performance metrics such as output, quality and on‑time completion.
• Manage cost drivers (labour, ingredients, wastage) against the facility budget.
• Develop capacity plans for peak periods and ensure readiness.
• Identify and implement improvements to workflows, layouts and processes.
• Act as senior decision‑maker on equipment and operational changes.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally on new launches, seasonal collections and production planning.
• Maintain a clean, organized, safe kitchen environment.

Required profile

• 7‑10 years of professional kitchen, bakery or food‑production experience.
• Proven experience managing a multi‑section kitchen or bakery.
• Strong leadership and people‑development abilities.
• Ability to plan and prioritize production against fluctuating order volumes.
• Excellent knowledge of food‑safety, hygiene and HACCP regulations.
• Analytical mindset for monitoring quality, performance and cost.
• Effective communication for daily briefings and cross‑functional collaboration.
• Capability to make quick decisions on product release, rework or hold.

Required skills

• HACCP compliance
• Food safety and hygiene standards