Head of Bakery Operations (Artisan Production Manager) for SB

Mygration Pty Ltd; Brisbane; On-site; AUD 144,000 - 176,000; Full time

Job summary

Mygration Pty Ltd in Brisbane seeks a Head of Bakery Operations to lead a 7-day artisan bakehouse. You will balance rigorous production planning with craft integrity, mentoring teams to maintain handcrafted quality while meeting financial targets.

You will drive safety, quality, and process improvements, working closely with senior leadership to scale recipes from concept to production in a premium bakery environment.

Qualifications

• Relevant management qualifications or 5+ years of senior bakery leadership.
• Proven track record in bakery operations leadership, premium production.
• Deep understanding of traditional baking: fermentation and lamination.
• Strong production planning, 7-day rostering, and labour/cost control.
• Excellent knowledge of HACCP, GMP, BRC, FSANZ standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead artisan production strategy and weekly schedules for a 7-day bakehouse.
• Direct daily operations balancing wholesale orders with retail demand.
• Allocate ingredients, equipment, and skilled labour for efficiency.
• Drive sustainable craft-process improvements and equipment trials.
• Manage supply chain and vendor relationships for quality inputs.
• Oversee quality control and sensory evaluation across products.
• Provide hands-on technical leadership and weekly QA reviews.
• Partner with GM and Commercial teams on new product launches.

Skills

Leadership

Bakery operations

Production planning

Quality systems

Food safety knowledge

Mentoring

Education

Management qualifications

Job description

Position Title: Head of Bakery Operations (Artisan Production Manager)
Location: Darra, Brisbane, Queensland
Remuneration: $160,000 + Superannuation
Reports To: General Manager / Executive Leadership Team

About the Employer

Using traditional techniques, stone-hearth ovens, and a signature slow-fermentation sourdough process, the business creates bespoke, handcrafted loaves and pastries of exceptional quality. As the business expands its footprint in Queensland, its Darra bakehouse serves as the heart of its Brisbane operations, blending time-honoured artisanal methods with innovative, sustainable production practices.

Role Overview

Our client is seeking a strategic yet hands-on Head of Bakery Operations (Artisan Product Manager) to lead their Brisbane bakehouse.
Unlike conventional mass-production roles, this position requires a delicate balance between operational rigour and artisanal integrity. You will plan, organise, direct, and coordinate the end-to-end production activities of the 7-day bakehouse. Your primary objective is to lead and mentor the specialised baking and pastry teams, ensuring that as production volume grows, the employer's handcrafted quality, strict food safety standards, and financial performance remain uncompromising.

Responsibilities & Duties

• Artisan Production Strategy, Planning & Coordination
• Production Formulation: Plan, direct, and coordinate daily and weekly production schedules across a 7-day operation, balancing custom wholesale orders and retail demand with the biological timelines of slow-fermentation sourdough and laminated pastry production.
• Resource & Inventory Allocation: Manage the allocation of raw artisanal ingredients, specialized bakehouse equipment, and skilled labour to optimize operational flow without compromising traditional baking methods.
• Bespoke Process Improvement: Develop and implement sustainable, efficient craft-production practices. Coordinate the trial and adoption of new artisanal baking equipment and contribute strategically to bakehouse layout design, equipment selection, and new site planning.
• Supply Chain & Vendor Management: Maintain strong relationships with specialty millers, sustainable ingredient suppliers, and equipment vendors, ensuring all incoming goods meet the employer's strict ethical and quality specifications.

• Quality Assurance, Craft Integrity & Product Leadership
• Quality Systems Management: Plan and direct strict quality control programs across every stage of the craft process. Maintain a 90% plus quality pass rate through rigorous sensory and physical assessments of crumb, crust, fermentation, and bake consistency.
• Hands-on Technical Leadership: Remain an active, technical presence on the bakehouse floor to troubleshoot complex fermentation or baking issues, conduct weekly quality reviews, and provide technical support to department leads.
• Product Development: Partner with the General Manager and Commercial team to scale new artisanal recipes from concept to production, ensuring new products are commercially viable and true to the employer's brand.

• Financial, Cost & Efficiency Management
• Budget & KPI Accountability: Drive the financial performance of the Brisbane operation by managing production within established budgets, specifically focusing on departmental labour costs and raw material wastage.
• Production Reporting: Prepare and analyse comprehensive production reports, tracking yield efficiencies, ingredient variance, labour metrics, and equipment downtime to inform executive decision-making.

• Compliance, Food Safety & Maintenance
• Regulatory & Audit Compliance: Direct and enforce comprehensive food safety and quality assurance frameworks, including HACCP, GMP, BRC, and FSANZ/WQA standards. Lead internal QA assessments and prepare the bakehouse for external audits with a target of zero major non-conformances.
• Preventative Maintenance: Drive proactive maintenance initiatives across ovens, mixers, retarder-provers, and facility infrastructure to minimize production downtime and maintain a pristine, pest-free environment.
• Workplace Health & Safety (WHS): Cultivate a zero-harm workplace by enforcing WHS policies, proactively identifying and mitigating bakehouse hazards, and driving continuous safety improvements.

• Team Leadership, Culture & Capability Development
• Departmental Direction: Direct, mentor, and coordinate a multidisciplinary team of Shift Supervisors across Mixing, Hand-Shaping, Stone-Baking, Artisanal Pastry, Packing, Sanitation, and Maintenance.
• Workforce Planning & Development: Oversee recruitment, onboarding, roster management, and annual performance reviews. Foster a collaborative, passionate, and accountability-driven craft culture.
• Stakeholder & VIP Training: Act as a subject matter expert by delivering specialised product and process training to senior production staff, retail/sales teams, and VIP wholesale clients.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Artisanal Quality: Achieve and maintain a >90% quality assurance pass rate across all product lines.
• Labour Efficiency: Manage rosters and workflows to maintain labour costs strictly within departmental budgets.
• Sustainability & Yield: Control dough, ingredient, and packaging wastage within targeted budget tolerances.
• Compliance & Safety: Zero major non-conformances in food safety audits (HACCP/BRC) and continuous improvement in WHS metrics.

Qualifications & Experience Required

• Relevant Management qualifications or at least 5 years of equivalent senior leadership experience managing complex bakery environments.
• Proven track record in bakery operations leadership, ideally within scaled artisan, premium food production, or multi-site bakehouse environments.
• Deep understanding of traditional baking processes (fermentation, lamination) paired with expertise in production planning, 7-day rostering, and labour/cost control.
• Comprehensive working knowledge of Australian and global food safety standards (HACCP, GMP, BRC, FSANZ).
• Demonstrated success in continuous improvement, specialized equipment optimization, and preventative maintenance scheduling.
• A hands-on, mentoring leadership style with exceptional cross-functional communication skills.