Executive Pastry Chef | Culinary Leadership | Catering & Events

The Juris Agency; Arvada (CO); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO

Flexible Schedule

Health Insurance

Hands on Training

Career Growth Opportunities

Shift Meal

Job summary

Footers Catering in Colorado seeks an Executive Pastry Chef to lead our pastry team, elevate our dessert program, and translate creativity into scalable, high-quality offerings for weddings, galas, corporate events and private celebrations. You’ll develop menus, test recipes, manage costs, train staff, and collaborate with the culinary team to deliver unforgettable dessert experiences on-site.

You'll guide pastry operations, mentor chefs, and drive innovation while maintaining profitability and

Qualifications

• Have 2+ years of professional kitchen experience with a relevant culinary degree, or 5+ years of professional kitchen experience without one.
• Have experience leading and developing other culinary professionals.
• Are passionate about pastry, desserts, presentation, and innovation.
• Have an exceptional eye for detail and aesthetics.
• Understand recipe development, food costing, inventory, and production planning.
• Can manage multiple priorities without sacrificing quality.

Responsibilities

• Lead all pastry production according to event menus, production schedules, and client requirements.
• Develop innovative plated desserts, miniature desserts, dessert stations, and seasonal offerings.
• Create, test, and implement new recipes and pastry concepts.
• Build and maintain standardized recipes to ensure consistency, quality, presentation, and accurate costing.
• Keep recipes and food costs updated within production and recipe systems.
• Lead the Pastry Sous Chef in developing daily production sheets and assigning work.

Skills

Team leadership

Menu development

Food cost management

Recipe development

Quality control

Communication

Education

Culinary degree

5+ years kitchen experience without degree

Job description

Job Description

Create the Sweet Moments People Remember.

At Footers Catering, we believe the final course should be just as memorable as the first.

From elegant plated desserts and creative miniature sweets to show-stopping dessert stations and custom creations, our pastry program helps bring weddings, corporate events, nonprofit galas, and private celebrations to life.

We're looking for an experienced, innovative Executive Pastry Chef to lead our pastry team, elevate our dessert offerings, and bring fresh ideas to one of Colorado's premier catering companies.

This is more than a production role. You'll lead people, develop recipes, create new concepts, manage quality and costs, train the next generation of culinary talent, and help shape the pastry experience for thousands of guests each year.

If you are equal parts creative visionary, detail-driven chef, and supportive leader, we'd love to meet you.

Why You'll Love Working Here

Lead and shape an innovative pastry program

Create desserts for weddings, galas, corporate events, and private celebrations

Develop new menus, recipes, and seasonal concepts

Bring your creativity to plated desserts, miniature desserts, and dessert stations

Lead and develop a talented pastry team

Collaborate with chefs and event professionals across the company

Be part of a creative, collaborative culinary culture

Every event brings a new opportunity to create something unforgettable

Make a direct impact on the future of Footers' culinary program

Benefits

• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Flexible Schedule
• Health Insurance
• Hands on Training
• Career Growth Opportunities
• Shift Meal

Responsibilities

What You'll Do

As our Executive Pastry Chef, you'll oversee the development, production, quality, and execution of all pastry-related food items.

You'll balance creativity with consistency—creating innovative desserts while ensuring every item can be executed beautifully, efficiently, and profitably.

Responsibilities include:

Lead all pastry production according to event menus, production schedules, and special client requirements.

Develop innovative plated desserts, miniature desserts, dessert stations, and seasonal offerings.

Create, test, and implement new recipes and pastry concepts.

Build and maintain standardized recipes to ensure consistency, quality, presentation, and accurate costing.

Keep recipes and food costs updated within our production and recipe systems.

Establish and maintain seasonal inventory levels and production forecasts.

Collaborate with the Executive Sous Chef on ordering, inventory, quantities, timing, and food costs.

Lead the Pastry Sous Chef in developing daily production sheets and assigning work using approved recipes and quantities.

Maintain exceptional quality control and take corrective action when products do not meet Footers' standards.

Develop creative, practical, and cost-effective solutions that add value to the culinary program.

Collaborate with the Executive Chef and Culinary Team on new menus, client requests, and special projects.

Partner with Hospitality Team to ensure pastry items are accurately represented in event playbooks and executed successfully on-site.

Lead pastry execution for client tastings, including preparation, setup, presentation, and client-facing interaction.

Occasionally lead off-site catering events and oversee pastry-related event execution.

Lead, Coach & Develop the Pastry Team

Exceptional food starts with an exceptional team.

As Executive Pastry Chef, you'll be responsible for developing the people behind the desserts. You'll:

Directly supervise the Pastry Sous Chef and Pastry Prep Chefs.

Conduct one-on-one meetings, performance evaluations, goal-setting, and coaching.

Build training programs for new pastry team members.

Create clear training materials and execution guides for new desserts and menu items.

Help mold new culinary talent into confident, skilled members of the Footers team.

Train Coordinators and Chefs on current pastry menus, products, and execution standards.

Support cross-training for new savory culinary hires.

Lead with a calm, positive demeanor while holding yourself and others to high standards.

Create Food That Is Beautiful, Consistent & Profitable

Creativity matters—but so does execution.

You'll keep a close eye on the details that make a successful pastry program possible, including: Food quality and presentation, Recipe consistency, Production efficiency, Inventory and forecasting, Food and labor costs, Seasonal par levels, Waste reduction, and Accurate recipe costing.

Our goal is to create extraordinary food while maintaining strong financial performance, with food and labor costs managed to established department goals. You'll understand the business behind the kitchen and make thoughtful decisions that support both creativity and profitability.

Requirements

You’ll Thrive Here If You...

Have 2+ years of professional kitchen experience with a relevant culinary degree, or 5+ years of professional kitchen experience without one.

Have experience leading and developing other culinary professionals.

Are passionate about pastry, desserts, presentation, and innovation.

Have an exceptional eye for detail and aesthetics.

Love experimenting with new ideas while understanding the importance of consistency and scalability.

Understand recipe development, food costing, inventory, and production planning.

Can manage multiple priorities without sacrificing quality.

Stay calm and solution-oriented in a fast-paced environment.

Are comfortable giving feedback, setting expectations, and holding others accountable.

Have a strong understanding of food safety and sanitation.

Enjoy collaborating with people across culinary, hospitality, sales, and event teams.

Are excited by the variety and creativity that comes with catering and special events.

Physical & Schedule Requirements

Ability to stand and work for extended periods.

Ability to perform the physical duties required in a fast-paced professional kitchen and event environment.

Full availability and scheduling commitment to Footers Catering.

Availability for days, nights, and some weekends..