Pastry Chef

Pastry Chef

Description

**Position Summary**

The Pastry Chef is responsible for overseeing the daily operation of the Pastry Department. This includes: providing pastry leadership and training in the creation and production of superior pastries and designs to meet or exceed all Company goals and expectations; developing new menu items by collaborating with the Executive Chef and by being aware of and interpreting trends for successful implementation; increasing productivity and quality standards, ensuring proper food handling practices; and providing ongoing direction and supervision to all pastry kitchen staff.

**Essential Functions:**

Manage the pastry staff, to include selection, training, and supervising of daily work assignments. Act as a coach and mentor; managing performance by setting objectives, delivering performance reviews, providing ongoing performance feedback and administering corrective action when needed.

Develop a holistic understanding of the Blue Plate Vision.

Maintain labor cost associated with daily production by reviewing the weekly staffing assignments schedule identifying and adjusting staff as needed.

Oversee daily production from the pastry kitchen to ensure proper presentation and preparation to event guidelines.

Continually research new methods, recipes and products to create cutting edge ideas for implementation. Present new menu items and culinary information to all necessary parties.

Actively participate in client tastings and reviewing menus with assigned chef.

Attend events as requested, providing leadership and mentoring for pastry employees.

Participate in management and production meetings as needed to provide updates on pastry operations.

Partner with vendors to oversee performance, pricing and flexibility. In conjunction with the Purchasing Manager, negotiate prices and contracts that are optimal for the company.

Report to work in proper uniform as outlines in the Back of the House Dress Code Policy.

Perform other relevant tasks as required.

Requirements

**Education and Experience:** *The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.*

Culinary Arts degree or advanced culinary arts certification is preferred.

6 years of successful experience within the hospitality industry, preferably with catering or hotel food service.

Additional management and supervisory roles a plus.

Completion of City of Chicago Department of Public Health Certified Food Service Manager certification preferred, or ability to complete the certification within 90 days after date of hire.

**Essential Qualifications:** *To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactory. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.*

Ability to demonstrate strong affinity for Blue Plates mission: Our mission is to care more for others through food and service experiences that turn our partners vision into reality

Impeccable service standards and attention to detail.

Demonstrated ability to lead people and get results through others.

Ability to effectively solve problems and make decisions in a fast paced, high pressure environment.

Highly organized and able to handle multiple responsibilities.

**Language Skills**

Ability to read, write and speak English proficiently. Bilingual skills preferred.

**Physical Demands:** *The physical demands describe 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 function.*

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk, hear, taste and smell.

The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, sit, use hands to feel; reach with hand and arms, and stoop, kneel or crouch for 6 to 8 hours at a time.

Regularly required to lift and/or move up to 60 lbs.

Specific vision requirements include the ability to see at close range, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

**Work Environment:** *The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.*

May work in extreme heat and cold (non-weather and weather).

May work in wet conditions (non-weather and weather).

Noise level is low to moderate.

May work near toxic/caustic chemical and with fumes or airborne particles.

Will work near moving or mechanical parts.

*At Blue Plate our first responsibility is the health and safety of our employees, customers, and community. As such, we are taking all necessary precautions to safeguard the health and well-being of not only our employees but also their families, our customers, and our community from COVID-19 by implementing a COVID-19 Vaccination Policy for Employees.*

*Therefore, all employees must be fully vaccinated . We strongly believe that this is the best path forward, prioritizing the safety of our employees, customers, and community.*

*As stated in the Policy, employees unable to be vaccinated due to religious, medical or pregnancy-related reasons may submit requests for accommodations or exemptions from this Policy to the Director of Human Resources. Accommodation requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.*

Blue Plate Catering is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment with Blue Plate Catering without regard to their race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender, pregnancy, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military status, protected veteran status or other classification protected by applicable federal, state or local law.