Head Pastry Chef | Melbourne Museum

The Fresh Collective; Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

The Fresh Collective is seeking an experienced Head Pastry Chef to lead pastry and bakery production across Museums Victoria venues, including Melbourne Museum, Scienceworks and Royal Exhibition Building. This hands‑on leadership role oversees events, retail and catering with occasional offsite work.

You will manage a talented pastry team, develop menus, plan weekly production and ensure top quality desserts, pastries and baked goods for premium events, retail and catering with a focus on safety

Qualifications

• Experience leading a pastry or bakery section in a high-volume events, catering, hotel or premium hospitality environment.
• Strong technical pastry skills with creative flair.
• Experience producing at scale while maintaining quality and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Lead the daily pastry and bakery operation across retail, events and catering.
• Create, prepare and present high-quality desserts, pastries and baked goods with consistent presentation, flavour and quality.
• Contribute to menu development, new dishes and seasonal offerings with Heads, Events and Retail & Events teams.
• Plan weekly production, mise en place, ordering and staffing requirements.
• Manage food costs, stock rotation, ordering and wastage in line with budget targets.
• Ensure recipes are documented, standardised and followed consistently.
• Supervise, train and motivate pastry team members, fostering a positive kitchen culture.
• Coordinate production and packing for functions, ensuring detail and timeliness.
• Maintain high standards of food safety, allergen management, hygiene and workplace safety.

Skills

Pastry leadership

High-volume events

Menu development

Cost control

Team training

Job description

The Fresh Collective is seeking an experienced and creative Head Pastry Chef to lead pastry and dessert production across the Museums Victoria portfolio.

Based at Melbourne Museum, this hands‑on leadership role oversees pastry and bakery operations for events and retail at Melbourne Museum, Scienceworks, the Royal Exhibition Building and Immigration Museum, with occasional offsite catering opportunities.

You'll lead a talented team to create polished, high-quality pastry for everything from retail offerings and intimate functions through to major events and large-scale catering.

• Work at the iconic Melbourne Museum and across the Museums Victoria portfolio
• Lead the creative direction and day-to-day delivery of a diverse pastry operation
• Create exceptional desserts and baked goods for premium events, retail and catering
• Join a supportive, collaborative culinary team within a national hospitality group
• Convenient inner‑city location, accessible by public transport
• Career development opportunities within The Fresh Collective

Your Role

As Head Pastry Chef, you will:

• Lead the daily pastry and bakery operation across retail, events and catering
• Create, prepare and present high-quality desserts, pastries and baked goods with consistent presentation, flavour and quality
• Contribute to menu development, new dishes and seasonal offerings alongside the Head Chef Events and Executive Chef Retail and Events
• Plan weekly production, mise en place, ordering and staffing requirements
• Manage food costs, stock rotation, ordering and wastage in line with budget targets
• Ensure recipes are documented, standardised and consistently followed
• Supervise, train and motivate pastry team members, fostering a positive and productive kitchen culture
• Coordinate production and packing for functions, ensuring every detail is prepared accurately and on time
• Maintain the highest standards of food safety, allergen management, hygiene, cleaning and workplace safety

About You

• Demonstrated experience leading a pastry or bakery section in a high-volume events, catering, hotel or premium hospitality environment
• Strong technical pastry skills and a genuine creative flair
• Experience producing at scale while maintaining excellent quality and attention to detail
• Confident in menu development, recipe standardisation, production planning and cost control
• A calm, organised and hands‑on leadership style with the ability to develop junior chefs
• Sound knowledge of food safety, allergen management and Victorian workplace health and safety requirements
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively across kitchen, events and logistics teams
• A passion for creating memorable food experiences

About The Fresh Collective

The Fresh Collective is a national hospitality group known for delivering premium catering and dining experiences at iconic venues including the Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney Theatre Company, Museums Victoria, Government House and more. With a talented team of chefs, event managers and front‑of‑house staff, Fresh caters everything from cocktail events to gala dinners with a focus on quality, creativity and exceptional service.