Bakery Chef de Cuisine

Job Description

Job Description

Hope Mission Statement

The mission of Hope the Mission is to prevent, reduce and eliminate poverty, hunger, and homelessness by offering immediate assistance and long-term solutions.

Position Purpose and Summary

Food is one of the most direct expressions of HTM's mission. A meal made with care communicates something a bed alone cannot — that the person receiving it is worth the effort. The Bakery Chef de Cuisine is responsible for making sure what comes out of HTM's production bakery reflects that standard, every day and at scale.

Reporting to the Executive Chef, the Bakery Chef de Cuisine leads the bakery production team at HQ, overseeing the scratch preparation of breads, rolls, pastries, and baked goods served to participants and used across HTM's kitchen operations. This role combines hands-on baking with supervisory responsibility. The Bakery Chef de Cuisine is expected to produce at a high level and build a team that can do the same, within a set weekly budget and in full compliance with food safety standards. Core responsibilities include daily supervision of bakery staff, coordination with the Executive Chef on production needs, inventory management, and maintaining a clean and functional work environment.

What sets this role apart from a standard production position is the leadership it requires. The Bakery Chef de Cuisine sets the tone in the bakery — for quality, for cleanliness, and for how the team performs under the pressure of high-volume work. The people this kitchen serves have often gone without. Showing up with fresh, well-made food, prepared by a team that takes pride in it, is not separate from HTM's mission. It is part of it.

Responsibilities

Production & Baking

• Bake products from scratch according to menus, special dietary or nutritional restrictions, or numbers of portions to be served, including breads, rolls, pastries, muffins, scones, cookies, and cakes.

• Plan and execute daily and weekly production schedules based on participant counts, upcoming events, and kitchen needs; adjust quantities in response to fluctuating demand, donation availability, or menu changes.

• Work closely with the Executive Chef to ensure all in-house production needs are met.

• Apportion and serve food to facility residents, employees, or patrons as needed.

Supervision & Team Development

• Provide day-to-day supervision for all staff working in the bakery.

• Train and develop bakery staff, including setting clear expectations for quality, technique, and food safety compliance.

• Conduct or contribute to performance feedback and corrective action for bakery team members in coordination with the Executive Chef.

• Direct and support volunteers and workers who assist with meal preparation and service.

Quality & Food Safety

• Establish and enforce quality standards for all baked goods leaving the bakery; conduct routine inspections of finished product, storage areas, and equipment.

• Follow strict food safety regulations to maintain a safe environment for all.

• Ensure a functional and hygienic environment; inspect and clean all equipment, kitchen appliances, and work areas.

• Prepare work areas by thoroughly cleaning tables, floors, walls, doors, glass windows, and other surfaces.

Budget, Inventory & Procurement

• Manage bakery production within an assigned weekly budget.

• Coordinate with the Executive Chef and procurement team on ingredient ordering and vendor needs.

• Compile and maintain records of food use and expenditures.

• Take inventory of equipment and supplies to ensure everything is well-stocked.

Cross-Departmental Coordination

• Communicate production needs and timelines with other kitchen departments to ensure seamless service delivery.

• Perform any other tasks assigned with a positive attitude and a willingness to help.

Requirements

• Valid food handler certification or ability to obtain within 30 days of hire.

• Ability to lift, carry, push, and pull up to 50 lbs. and regularly bend and stoop throughout the shift.

• Ability to work weekends, holidays, and early morning hours as required by production schedules.

• Legal authorization to work in the United States.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required; culinary arts degree or vocational training in baking and pastry preferred.

• Minimum 5 years of professional baking or culinary experience; high-volume production or catering environment preferred.

• Prior experience supervising or directing kitchen staff, volunteers, or production teams.

• Experience tracking inventory and maintaining records of food use and expenditures.

Skills

• Demonstrated proficiency in scratch baking techniques including breads, rolls, pastries, muffins, scones, cookies, and cakes.

• Ability to lead, train, and develop a bakery team to consistent quality standards.

• Ability to operate standard bakery equipment including ovens, mixers, bread slicers, and scales.

• Production planning and scheduling skills; ability to adjust output based on fluctuating demand or ingredient availability.

• Working knowledge of food safety regulations and sanitation standards.

• Budget awareness and ability to manage production within assigned cost parameters.

Mandatory Requirements

• Background Screening – Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.

• Drug and Alcohol Testing – Candidates must pass pre-employment and, if applicable, ongoing drug and alcohol screenings in accordance with company policy.

• Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) Check – For roles requiring driving, employment is contingent upon an acceptable driving record.

• Legal Eligibility to Work – Candidates must provide proof of legal authorization to work in the United States.

• Compliance with Company Policies – All employees must comply with company policies, including safety, confidentiality, and conduct standards.

Physical, Demands, Environmental Conditions, Equipment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions. The employee is required to: walk and climb stairs; stand, bend, squat, climb, kneel, and twist on an intermittent or sometimes continuous basis; grasp, push, pull objects such as files, file cabinet drawers, and reach overhead; handle, finger, grasp and feel objects and equipment; reach with hands and arms; be mobile by moving oneself from place to place quickly and easily; repeat various motions with the wrists, hands, and fingers; be able to perform visual activities for (including, but not limited to) administrative and clerical tasks; ability to lift up to 25 lbs.; communicate, receive and exchange ideas, information by means of the spoken and written word; drive vehicles in and around Los Angeles County; be able to enter various buildings that may require climbing stairs; be periodically subjected to outside environmental conditions. The employee may work in proximity to service animals and emotional support animals; use a desktop and/or laptop computer; copy, postage, and fax machines. Complete all required forms in personal writing.

Work Environment:

The employee may be in contact with individuals and families in crisis who may be ill, using alcohol and drugs, and who may not be attentive to basic personal hygiene, health and safety practices. The employee may experience a number of unpleasant sensory demands associated with the participants’ use of alcohol and drugs, and lack of personal hygiene. The employee must be ready to respond quickly and effectively to many types of situations, including crisis situations and potentially hostile situations. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate in an office setting. Sometimes work may become stressful when working under pressure.

EEO: HTM (Hope the Mission) provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, HTM complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, placement, promotion, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

HTM will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act. You do not need to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if HTM is concerned about a conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report. Find out more about the Fair Chance Act by visiting the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing’s Fair Chance Act webpage.

Full-time exempt position.