Sous Chef - Pastry

We are looking for an experienced and hands-on Sous Chef to join the production team of a fast-growing company operating across multiple markets. You will play a key role in overseeing the day-to-day operations of the kitchen, ensuring every order is produced on time, to the required quality standards, and in line with food safety and operational requirements.In this role, you will have end-to-end responsibility for the kitchen floor, overseeing multiple production sections including cake artistry, decorating, baking, chocolate, and stewarding. You will lead and develop the kitchen team, manage daily production against order volumes, maintain quality and food-safety standards, and drive efficient use of people, ingredients, and resources.ResponsibilitiesOversee the day-to-day operations of all kitchen and production sections, including cake artistry, decorating, baking, chocolate, and stewardingManage daily production plans and ensure orders are completed accurately and on timeMonitor recipe adherence and finished-product quality against required standardsIdentify and resolve quality issues before products reach dispatchManage kitchen inventory levels in coordination with Procurement and Inventory teams, minimizing stockouts and unnecessary wasteBuild and adjust staff schedules based on daily order volumes and production requirementsAllocate workloads across sections to ensure efficient use of the kitchen teamLead, coach, and hold section heads and their teams accountable for performance, quality, and productivityConduct daily production briefings to communicate order volumes, priorities, special requests, and operational requirementsIdentify training and development needs across the kitchen team and work with HR on onboarding and employee developmentEnforce food safety, hygiene, sanitation, and HACCP standards across the facilityWork closely with the QC team to maintain consistent food-safety and quality standardsOwn escalations related to design, product quality, rework, and delivery timelinesMake decisions on whether products require rework, should be held, or are ready for releaseMonitor and report kitchen performance, including production output, quality, and on-time completionManage key kitchen cost drivers including labor, ingredients, and wastage against the facility budgetDevelop capacity plans for peak periods and ensure all sections are prepared for increased production volumesIdentify opportunities to improve kitchen workflows, layouts, processes, and overall productivityAct as the senior decision-maker on kitchen equipment, workflow, and operational changes affecting productionWork cross-functionally with Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing, and other teams on new launches, seasonal collections, and production planningMaintain a clean, organized, safe, and efficient kitchen environmentRequirements7-10 years of professional kitchen, bakery, or food production experiencePrevious experience managing a multi-section kitchen, bakery, or high-volume production facilityStrong knowledge of cake production and decoration, including expert-level fondant and cake-craft skillsExcellent eye for detail with a strong understanding of product quality and presentationProven experience managing and developing a multi-person kitchen teamStrong experience with staff scheduling, coaching, performance management, and team developmentWorking knowledge of inventory management, food cost, wastage, and production planningStrong understanding of food safety, hygiene, sanitation, and HACCP principlesAbility to manage production efficiently against changing order volumes and tight deadlinesStrong problem-solving and decision-making skills, with the ability to remain calm under pressureStrong leadership and communication skillsCommercially aware with an understanding of kitchen budgets and cost controlHighly organized with strong attention to detail and operational follow-throughComfortable working in a fast-paced, high-volume production environmentHands-on leadership style with a willingness to be involved in day-to-day kitchen operations