Sous Chef - Pastry

Client of Hire Fellows; Jeddah; On-site; SAR 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Client of Hire Fellows seeks a Senior Kitchen Operations Manager to oversee day-to-day kitchen and production activities, including cake artistry, baking, and chocolate work. You will manage production plans, ensure on-time order completion, and maintain strict quality and safety standards.

You will lead a multi-section team, schedule staff, coach section heads, and collaborate across Procurement, QA, and HR to optimize productivity and cost control in a fast-paced facility.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership of a multi-section kitchen or large production facility.
• Strong knowledge of cake production, decoration, and high-volume operations.
• Experience in staff coaching, performance management, and development.
• Robust understanding of inventory, food cost, wastage, and production planning.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day operations of kitchen and production sections, including cake artistry and baking.
• Manage daily production plans, ensuring orders are completed accurately and on time.
• Monitor recipe adherence and product quality against standards.
• Identify and resolve quality issues before dispatch.
• Budget-aware management of labor, ingredients, and wastage.

Skills

Leadership

Staff scheduling

Quality control

Food safety

Problem-solving

Communication

Job description

Responsibilities

Oversee the day-to-day operations of all kitchen and production sections including cake artistry decorating baking chocolate and stewarding Manage daily production plans and ensure orders are completed accurately and on time Monitor recipe adherence and finished-product quality against required standards Identify and resolve quality issues before products reach dispatch Manage kitchen inventory levels in coordination with Procurement and Inventory teams minimizing stockouts and unnecessary waste Build and adjust staff schedules based on daily order volumes and production requirements Allocate workloads across sections to ensure efficient use of the kitchen team Lead coach and hold section heads and their teams accountable for performance quality and productivity Conduct daily production briefings to communicate order volumes priorities special requests and operational requirements Identify training and development needs across the kitchen team and work with HR on onboarding and employee development Enforce food safety hygiene sanitation and HACCP standards across the facility Work closely with the QC team to maintain consistent food-safety and quality standards Own escalations related to design product quality rework and delivery timelines Make decisions on whether products require rework should be held or are ready for release Monitor and report kitchen performance including production output quality and on-time completion Manage key kitchen cost drivers including labor ingredients and wastage against the facility budget Develop capacity plans for peak periods and ensure all sections are prepared for increased production volumes Identify opportunities to improve kitchen workflows layouts processes and overall productivity Act as the senior decision-maker on kitchen equipment workflow and operational changes affecting production Work cross-functionally with Operations Supply Chain Marketing and other teams on new launches seasonal collections and production planning Maintain a clean organized safe and efficient kitchen environment

Qualifications

7-10 years of professional kitchen, bakery, or food production experience. Previous experience managing a multi-section kitchen, bakery, or high-volume production facility. Strong knowledge of cake production and decoration, including expert-level fondant and cake-craft skills. Excellent eye for detail with a strong understanding of product quality and presentation. Proven experience managing and developing a multi-person kitchen team. Strong experience with staff scheduling, coaching, performance management, and team development. Working knowledge of inventory management, food cost, wastage, and production planning. Strong understanding of food safety, hygiene, sanitation, and HACCP principles. Ability to manage production efficiently against changing order volumes and tight deadlines. Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills, with the ability to remain calm under pressure. Strong leadership and communication skills. Commercially aware with an understanding of kitchen budgets and cost control. Highly organized with strong attention to detail and operational follow-through. Comfortable working in a fast-paced, high-volume production environment. Hands-on leadership style with a willingness to be involved in day-to-day kitchen operations.