Executive Pastry Chef

Summary: 

Manages and coordinates all activities for pastry shop/bakery staff engaged in the preparation of brads, desserts, pastries, confections, and ice cream. Oversees all pastry food service within the Club. Ensures that the quality of pastry is up to Polo Club standards and ensures all products meet or exceed the members expectations. Ensures the facilities are maintained properly ensuring the highest levels of sanitation and safety. Hires, trains, and develops the pastry shop staff.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following; 

• Plans production for pastry department according to menus and/or special requirements.
• Supplies recipes, methods and procedures to pastry cooks and supervises employee skill development.
• Develops recipe book for all standardized menu items, including costs and allergen information.
• Fashions table and pastry decorations, such as statuaries and ornaments, from sugar paste and icings.
• Monitors staff hours and production to ensure adequate staffing, controls costs and maintains production records. Provides Executive Chef with costing for all items.
• Checks daily functions and ensures that all items are ordered, accounted for, and produced on schedule. Coordinates future functions and events with the Executive Chef and other staff members.
• Maintains high levels of sanitary codes set forth by Federal, State and Local agencies as well as The Polo Club.
• Secures continuous feedback from Restaurant Managers and members as to customer satisfaction regarding bakery items.
• Seeks continual improvement to products to affect cost efficiencies without reduction in quality.
• Develops, tests, and implements new products and ensures quality control of all bakery items. Develops as many from scratch menu items as possible.
• Collaborates with Executive Chef to create desserts which comply with allergen and dietary needs.
• Responsible for the creation of specialty cakes, desserts and pies, utilizing fondant, chocolate and/or sugar work.
• Creates special desserts and recipes. May create certain desserts using alcoholic beverages as an ingredient which may require sampling (a small portion of an item) to determine if the dessert is prepared and tastes appropriately.
• May have to taste (taste is defined as sampling a small portion of an item) a member’s food item which contains alcohol as an ingredient in response to a member complaint regarding such item.
• Controls ordering and purchasing of bakery supplies through Foodtrack System.
• Manages staff responsibilities including interviewing, hiring, training, coaching and counseling.
• Communicates with members, co-workers, management and the general public in a courteous and professional manner.
• Conforms with and abides by all regulations, policies, work procedures and instructions.
• Exhibits and maintains a professional demeanor to reflect a positive image of The Polo Club.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the Executive Chef.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:    

• Requires advanced knowledge of bakeshop and kitchen equipment.
• Advanced knife skills required.
• Requires advanced knowledge and skill in cake decorating.
• Requires a solid understanding of food preparation specializing in Pastry.
• Thorough culinary knowledge both practical and theoretical.
• Ability to stand on one place for extended periods of time.
• Ability to analyze data and prepare reports.
• Ability to calculate costs and to control such costs for pastry and bakery items.
• Ability to verbally communicate well in English and in writing.
• Ability to understand and carry out verbal and written instructions in English.
• Ability to interact professionally and maintain effective working relationships with management, co-workers and members.
• Must be able to multi-task and work in a fast-paced environment.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Directly manages employees in the Pastry Shop/Bakery. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, terminating, training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving issues.

Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. 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.

Education/Experience:
Four-year college or university program certificate; or three to five years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

A minimum of five years’ experience working in an advanced level role in the pastry/bakery at a country club, resort, hotel, or high end/high volume restaurant.

Language Ability:
Ability to communicate well in English. Ability to read and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, members, and the general public.

Math Ability:
Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume.

Reasoning Ability:
Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Computer Skills:
Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, ability to learn programs utilized by the Culinary Department such as Foodtrack and employee timekeeping programs.  

Certificates and Licenses:
Serve Safe certification.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands 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.

The employee must regularly lift and /or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision and peripheral vision. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; talk or hear and taste or smell. The employee is occasionally required to sit; climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.

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.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to wet or humid conditions (non-weather); work near moving mechanical parts; extreme cold (non-weather); extreme heat (non-weather) and vibration. The employee is occasionally exposed to work in high, precarious places and fumes or airborne particles.

The noise level in the work environment is usually loud.