Baking School Manager, Alexandria

Job Description

Job Description

Meet Us: King Arthur Baking Company has been sharing the joy of baking since 1790. Headquartered in Norwich, Vermont, we’re the ultimate baking resource – providing education, inspiration, and the highest quality products, all while fostering connections and community through baking. Our superior flours and mixes are available in supermarkets nationwide, and our direct-to-consumer business – website and retail stores – offers an even wider selection of specialty baking ingredients, mixes, gluten-free products, baking tools, and more. We bring baking education to millions of bakers through our cookbooks, podcast, recipe app, website, and baking school. We’re proud to be 100% employee-owned, which means everyone who works here has a real voice and a shared stake in what we do. This creates a strong sense of community built on trust, teamwork, and love of baking. As a benefit corporation, we’re committed to the best interests of all our stakeholders - employees, our local communities, our broader community of bakers, and our planet. Join us and help spread the joy of baking. King Arthur – where, as an employee-owner, your passion and ideas can truly make a difference.

The Position: The Baking School Manager is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the King Arthur Baking School in Alexandria, VA, location. This includes supporting new location opening efforts, managing the day-to-day operations, planning, and executing class curriculum, and instructing and assisting classes to demonstrate mastery of curriculum and presentation, ensuring a high-quality educational experience, supervising and scheduling staff, and overall promotion of the school. The Baking School Manager will work closely with instructors, students, and other cross-functional business partners to ensure a welcoming and educational environment that promotes the KAB brand.

The Benefits: Yes, we have the regular "stuff" - medical, dental, vision, company paid short- and long-term disability, life insurance, paid parental leave, paid time off to rest, paid holidays to have fun, a 401(k) with a company match. But here's what makes us different: 40 paid volunteer hours a year, profit sharing*, participation in the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)* and knowing that those working with you are dedicated and engaged co-employee owners that believe in you and your extraordinary abilities to move us all forward.

The Location: Alexandria VA; onsite daily.

The Pay: $60,400 to $81,600 annual salary; commensurate with experience.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead and supervise a team of instructors, assistant instructors, and guest instructors, including hiring, training, scheduling, and performance management. Foster a positive work environment that promotes teamwork, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Lead and supervise all aspects of Baking School operations, including purchasing and expense control. Identifies opportunities for operational efficiency.
• Maintain appropriate staffing levels based on class offering schedules. Plan for and anticipate future staffing needs. Write accurate schedules to support the business.
• Instruct and assist classes with progressive mastery of full range of curriculum
• Partner with GM, Alexandria to set annual priorities for the Alexandria team, monitor business performance, and consistently deliver performance feedback.
• Promote and ensure excellent customer service is provided by all team members. Ensure consistent execution of the Baking School curriculum. Responsible for handling complaints or issues in a timely manner and ensuring a positive experience for all visitors.
• Cultivate a welcoming and inclusive learning environment. Collaborate with teams and company to reinforce a supportive and accessible educational culture.
• Analyze and track student progress, satisfaction, and feedback. Proactively address trends to enhance the overall student experience.
• Ensure adherence to all food safety and sanitary policies, procedures and regulations. Maintain and promote a safe environment for the team and customers.
• Work cross-functionally with KAB business partners to promote, support and improve the Baking School.

Experience and Education

• 3-5 years’ experience leading and managing a team in an educational, hospitality or Bakery/Restaurant environment.
• Professional baking experience is required.
• Experience leading a team through a new business opening is a plus.
• We value those who can demonstrate capability and articulate how prior experiences will help them transition into this role.

Competencies

• Leadership: Strong leadership skills, including ability to set clear measurable goals and communicate effectively with internal business partners and staff. This involves skills such as hiring and training, delegating tasks, providing feedback, and fostering a positive work environment to build trust, collaborate, and gain buy-in. Holds self and team accountable to meeting and exceeding goals.
• Communication Skills: Clear and effective communication is essential for liaising with external business partners, coordinating with staff, and responding to customer inquiries. Ability to handle difficult situations with professionalism and tact. strong communication skills facilitate smooth coordination between different stakeholders.
• Time Management and Attention to Detail : Skill in coordinating operations, ensuring consistency and high standards. Proficiency in managing multiple tasks simultaneously, particularly during school hours.
• Operations Management and Organization: The ability to efficiently organize and coordinate various aspects of the Baking School operations, including scheduling, training, conflict resolution, daily task management, purchasing and inventory control. Maintain high standards of hygiene and safety. Efficient inventory and cost control while minimizing waste.
• Problem-solving and Decision-making Abilities : Quick thinking and resourcefulness are valuable traits for addressing unexpected challenges, such as last-minute changes, equipment malfunctions, or supply shortages. Comfort with making effective decisions under pressure.
• Customer Service: Uphold a customer-centric approach to ensure outstanding experience, respond to customer feedback, and resolve issues. Implement strategies to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty. Maintain strong professional relationships.

Success Factors

• Genuine enthusiasm for King Arthur’s mission and products and a commitment to living our values
• Approaches work with curiosity, adaptability, and a growth mindset
• Is community minded gets involved, volunteers

Physical Requirements/Work Environment

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical requirements

• Must be able to work for extended periods of time while standing
• Must be physically able to stoop, move quickly, and lift weights up to 50 lbs.
• Use hands to handle, control, feel objects, tools, and controls
• Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds
• Must be able to operate commercial kitchen equipment
• Repeat the same movements
• Ability to regularly work in a kitchen environment where allergens may be present
• Ability to regularly touch and taste food products which may contain allergens

Work environment

• Ability to work in a fast-paced classroom environment where temperatures can vary, work around knives and equipment.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate but may be loud dependent on specific work sites and/or equipment operation as well as customer traffic in adjacent areas.

Safety

• Understand that safety is the responsibility of everyone at the organization
• Responsible for providing a safe and ergonomically sound work environment, identifying unsafe conditions, and correcting these conditions immediately
• Engage in safety and compliance training programs and encourage 100% team participation.

Uniform

• Chef coat, chef pants, hat, and tee shirt (provided)
• Closed Toe Footwear (stipend provided)

Supervision

• Baking School Team: instructors, assistants, coordinators

Travel

• N/A

Other Duties

• Please note that this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

It is the responsibility of every employee to contribute to a positive and safe work environment through cooperative and professional interactions with co-workers, customers, and vendors.

There's room at our table for you! Apply today.

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other factors protected by law. King Arthur Baking provides reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities to allow them to participate in both the application process and during employment. Such individuals are encouraged to seek accommodations to allow them to apply for a position, participate in the application process, and meet the essential functions and requirements of the position.

*Amounts vary based on achievement of financial targets. Participation based on hire date and program entry date.