Executive Pastry Chef

JOB OVERVIEW

Accountable for overall success of the daily pastry operations. Exhibits creative baking and decorating talents by personally performing tasks while leading the staff in preparing quality and consistent pastries for all areas. Works to continually improve guest and employee satisfaction while maintaining the operating budget. Supervises all pastry areas to ensure a consistent, high quality product is produced. Responsible for guiding and developing staff including direct reports. Must ensure sanitation and food standards are achieved. Areas of responsibility comprise overseeing all pastry food preparation areas.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Education and Experience

• High school diploma or GED; 4 years experience in culinary, food and beverage, or related professional area.

OR

• 2-year degree from an accredited university in Culinary Arts, Hotel and Restaurant Management, or related major; 2 years experience in culinary, food and beverage, or related professional area.

CORE WORK ACTIVITIES

Leading the Discipline Teams

• Supervises and manages employees; understands employee positions well enough to perform duties in employees' absence.
• Supervises and coordinates activities of cooks and workers engaged in pastry preparation.
• Utilizes interpersonal and communication skills to lead, influence, and encourage others; advocates sound financial/business decision making; demonstrates honesty/integrity; leads by example.
• Encourages and builds mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
• Serves as a role model to demonstrate appropriate behaviors.
• Ensures and maintains the productivity level of employees.
• Supervises pastry preparation shift operations.
• Communicates performance expectations in accordance with job descriptions for each position.
• Establishes and maintains open, collaborative relationships with employees and ensures employees do the same within the team.
• Ensures that regular on-going communication occurs with employees to create awareness of business objectives and communicate expectations, recognize performance and produce desired results.
• Leads shifts while personally preparing food items and executing requests based on required specifications.
• Represents the property in media events as needed.
• Facilitates pastry classes for customers and the community.

Ensuring Culinary Standards and Responsibilities are Met

• Develops, designs, or creates new ideas and items for pastry kitchen.
• Follows proper handling and right temperature of all food products.
• Maintains food preparation handling and correct storage standards.
• Recognizes superior quality products, presentations and flavor.
• Ensures employees maintain required food handling and sanitation certifications.
• Ensures compliance with all applicable laws and regulations regulations.
• Assists the Executive Chef with menu development associated with pastry.
• Operates and maintains all department equipment and reports malfunctions.
• Prepares and cooks foods of all types, either on a regular basis or for special guests or functions.
• Assists in determining how food should be presented and creates decorative food displays.

Ensuring Exceptional Customer Service 

• Monitors and provides service behaviors that are above and beyond for customer satisfaction.
• Manages day-to-day operations, ensuring the quality, standards and meeting the expectations of the customers on a daily basis.
• Supports service by communicating and assisting employees to understand guest needs, providing guidance, feedback, and individual coaching when needed.
• Sets a positive example for guest relations.
• Empowers employees to provide excellent customer service.
• Responds to and handles guest problems and complaints.
• Interacts with guests to obtain feedback on product quality and service levels.
• Emphasizes guest satisfaction during all departmental meetings and focuses on continuous improvement.

Maintaining Culinary Goals

• Sets and supports achievement of culinary goals associated with pastry products including performance goals, budget goals, team goals, etc.
• Provides specific guidance to prioritize, organize, and accomplish daily pastry operations work.
• Supports procedures for food and beverage portion and waste controls.
• Purchases appropriate supplies and manage inventories according to budget.
• Trains employees in safety procedures.

Managing and Conducting Human Resource Activities 

• Identifies the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
• Participates in training staff on menu items including ingredients, preparation methods and unique tastes.
• Ensures property policies are administered fairly and consistently.
• Ensures disciplinary procedures and documentation are completed according to Standard and Local Operating Procedures (SOPs and LSOPs) and support the Peer Review Process.
• Reviews staffing levels to ensure that guest service, operational needs and financial objectives are met.
• Uses all available on the job training tools for employees.
• Solicits employee feedback, utilizes an "open door" policy and reviews employee satisfaction results to identify and address employee problems or concerns.

Additional Responsibilities 

• Provides information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Analyzes information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Attends and participates in all pertinent meetings.