Pastry Sous Chef at Bakery

Job Description

Job Description

The Bakery Sous Chef is a hands-on leadership role responsible for overseeing all bakery operations and management of the bakery team and shift leads alongside our Bakery Pastry Chef. This position ensures that all doughs, breads, and baked goods are produced accurately, efficiently, and to Colossus quality standards for daily service.

In addition to executing production, the Bakery Sous Chef provides guidance, direction, and support to bakers, helping maintain consistency, workflow, food safety, and a smooth transition to daytime operations. This role requires strong baking skills, sound judgment, and the ability to lead calmly and effectively during a variety of shifts.

The Bakery Sous Chef works closely with the Bakery Pastry Chef and Ownership team and serves as a primary point of contact for our bakers. This is a salaried exempt position. You will have a schedule but will also be expected to respond to call-outs and fill in where necessary to support our Pastry Chef and bakery team. Hours may vary depending on bakery needs and holiday production.

What you’ll do

As the Bakery Sous Chef, you will both lead and produce, ensuring production and bake-off runs smoothly, safely, and on schedule.

Production Leadership & Oversight

• Lead baking operations and set the pace for our bakers and leaders
• Assign tasks, prioritize workflow, and adjust production as needed to meet service demands
• Evaluate quality, procedures and uphold standards with our Pastry Chef and Ownership team
• Ensure recipes, timelines, and production standards are consistently followed
• Act as the main point of communication between night and daytime bakery teams
• Hold bakers accountable for job requirements. Provide feedback and enforce company policies

Doughs, Batters & Mixing

• Scale and mix bread doughs, enriched doughs, and batters according to standardized recipes
• Monitor mixing times, dough temperatures, and fermentation for consistency and quality
• Set up, operate, and break down mixers safely and efficiently
• Train bakers on proper procedures and techniques
• Quality control

Bread Production

• Divide, shape, proof, and bake breads using deck or rack ovens
• Manage fermentation schedules and oven loads throughout the shift
• Evaluate bake quality, including structure, color, and doneness, and make adjustments as needed
• Train staff on fermentation, recipes, and proper dough procedures

Pastries, Cookies & Other Baked Goods

• Portion, shape, and bake cookies and other baked goods as required
• Prepare and bake enriched or laminated products when assigned
• Ensure all finished products meet established visual and quality standards

Slicing, Finishing & Staging

• Oversee slicing, cooling, labeling, packaging, and staging of products
• Organize racks and storage areas to support an efficient morning handoff
• Verify counts and completeness of staged products
• Work with Pastry Chef and Wholesale Manager to ensure proper production and create clear expectations and procedures for staff to fulfill

Quality, Safety & Sanitation

• Uphold food safety, sanitation, and allergen-handling standards at all times
• Lead by example in cleanliness and organization throughout the shift
• Inspect products for quality, accuracy, and consistency
• Address issues immediately and communicate concerns to leadership
• Clearly communicate facilities issues promptly with follow-up

Equipment & Operations

• Safely operate and clean commercial bakery equipment
• Perform basic equipment checks and report maintenance or safety concerns
• Ensure overnight operations comply with all safety and operational procedures
• Train on safety and best practices. Lead by example.

Training & Team Support

• Support onboarding and training of new Night Bakers
• Provide clear direction, feedback, and support to team members
• Foster a respectful, focused, and team-oriented overnight work environment

*The duties listed above are representative of the work performed in this role and are not intended to be an exhaustive list.

How You Qualify

We are looking for candidates who can successfully perform the essential functions of the Lead Night Baker role, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Experience & Skills

• 4+ years of commercial bakery or bread production experience required
• At least 1 year in a similar role, including managing a team
• Strong understanding of bread fermentation, mixing, proofing, and baking
• Ability to read, follow, and execute detailed recipes and production schedules
• Expert knowledge of food safety and sanitation practices

Work Style & Abilities

• Ability to lead by example while remaining hands-on in production
• Strong time management and decision-making skills during overnight shifts
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Clear, calm communication skills, especially during fast-paced production
• Ability to manage staff of varying experience levels
• Experience with enforcing company policies and formal feedback procedures

Physical & Environmental Abilities

• Ability to perform the physical demands of the role as outlined below, with or without reasonable accommodation

Professional Expectations

• Reliable, punctual, and consistent attendance
• Commitment to quality, safety, and operational standards
• Respectful leadership style that supports an inclusive work environment

Perks

• Employee discounts on food and baked goods
• Supportive, team-oriented work environment
• Additional benefits may be available for eligible employees, including health, dental, and/or vision insurance. (employer-sponsored health and dental plan for FT employees after 3 month probationary period)

*Perks and benefits are subject to change in accordance with applicable laws and company policies.

Your Work Environment & Physical Demands

This role is performed in a commercial bakery and food production environment. The working conditions and physical demands described below represent those required to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work Environment

• Work is performed indoors in a commercial bakery setting
• Regular exposure to heat from ovens and baking equipment
• Exposure to flour dust, food ingredients, and cleaning agents
• Noise levels may vary and can be moderate to loud due to equipment operation
• Work may involve working in confined or shared spaces and around moving equipment
• Overnight and early-morning hours are required, and lighting conditions may vary during shifts

Physical Demands

• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods, often for the majority of the shift
• Frequent use of hands and arms for mixing, shaping, loading, and handling dough and baked goods
• Repetitive motions involving the hands, wrists, arms, and shoulders
• Ability to bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, and reach above shoulder height as required for production tasks
• Ability to push, pull, lift, and carry materials, ingredients, or finished products
• Ability to lift and carry items weighing up to 25 pounds frequently and up to 50lbs occasionally, with or without reasonable accommodation

Sensory & Cognitive Requirements

• Ability to visually inspect dough and baked goods for quality, consistency, and doneness
• Ability to follow written and verbal instructions, recipes, and safety guidelines
• Ability to manage time effectively and complete tasks within required production schedules
• Ability to remain alert and focused during overnight shifts

Safety & Equipment Use

• Ability to safely operate commercial baking equipment, including ovens, mixers, and racks, following training and safety procedures
• Ability to work safely around hot surfaces, sharp tools, and moving machinery
• Compliance with all workplace safety, food safety, and sanitation requirements

Accommodations

• We are committed to complying with all applicable state and federal laws regarding reasonable accommodations
• Reasonable accommodations will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities to enable them to perform the essential functions of the job

Equal Opportunity & Fair Chance

• We are an equal opportunity employer. Consistent with California law and the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered in a manner consistent with legal requirements. Employment is at-will. Reasonable accommodations available.

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