Gelato Chef - Full Time

Tifa Chocolate & Gelato; Malibu Junction (CA); On-site; USD 28,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Sick leave

Employee discount

Growth path to Lead Gelato Chef

Job summary

Tifa Chocolate & Gelato in Agoura Hills is seeking a detail- and quality-oriented Gelato Chef to lead daily production of gelato, sorbetto, and related specialties, while maintaining food safety standards and supporting back-of-house operations.

The role includes a paid 30-day training with mentors, and top performers may transition to regular part-time (0–29 hours/week) with a clear path to the Lead Gelato Chef position.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of professional gelato/ice cream experience or baking experience.
• Food safety certification (ServSafe or local equivalent).
• Ability to follow and document recipes precisely and scale.

Responsibilities

• Produce daily gelato, sorbettos, and gelato-based specialties per recipes and schedules.
• Maintain cleanliness and operate batch freezers, pasteurizer, blast chiller, vitrines.
• Package products for catering orders and assist at events.
• Support front-of-house staff with product knowledge.
• Engage customers observing the gelato process to build excitement.

Skills

Gelato experience

Baking experience

Food safety cert

Recipe scaling

Teamwork

Excellent palate

Physical stamina

Job description

Gelato Chef - Full Time

Department: Back of House

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Agoura Hills

Reporting To: Owner

Compensation: $20.00 - $24.00 / hour

Description

We are seeking detail and quality oriented Full Time Gelato Chef(s)* to contribute to the gelato production of Tifa's seasonal and signature small batch gelato flavors. The Gelato Chef(s) maintain quality, food safety standards, and support shop back of house operations as needed and assigned. The ideal candidate has hands-on food production experience either in gelato or in baking, a strong palate, and pride in presentation and consistency.

*Full Time Training-to-Hire

Selected candidates will participate in a paid minimum 30 day training and evaluation program conducted by our Head Gelato Chef, Operations Team Lead and Owner. Candidates who successfully complete the program, demonstrate strong technical skills, consistency and teamwork will be offered a regular part time position at 0-29 hours per week; consistent schedule as agreed upon by Gelato Chef and Owners.

Key Responsibilities

Production

• - Produce daily batches of gelato, sorbettos, and gelato-based specialties according to Tifa recipes and production schedules.
• - Create limited-run flavors as assigned.
• - Monitor and report accurate inventory, requesting and receiving necessary recipe ingredients in a consistent and timely manner.
• - Handle all ingredients with care, minimizing waste and controlling costs.
• - Maintain production records, yield reports, and recipe documentation.

Food Safety

• - Operate, clean, and maintain gelato equipment with a high level of detail (batch freezers, pasteurizer, blast chiller, vitrines) and small kitchen appliances.
• - Ensure strict food safety, sanitation, and allergen controls (FIFO, labeling, temperature logs).

Catering

• - Package products for catering orders
• - Assist with presentations for events.

Teamwork

• - Support front of house staff with product knowledge as needed.
• - Assist in development and facilitation of gelato related training.

Customer Experience

• - Build excitement for gelato creation by being mindful and interacting with customers who are observing the process through the gelato kitchen window.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Qualifications

• - Must be available for and complete all training scheduled.
• - 2+ years of professional gelato/ice cream experience or baking experience with demonstrable work.
• - Strong understanding of dairy chemistry, stabilizers/emulsifiers, sugar balance, overrun, and freezing points.
• - Experience working with gelato and creating complementary flavors a plus.
• - Food safety certification (ServSafe or local equivalent).
• - Ability to follow and document recipes precisely and adapt formulations for scale.
• - Physical ability to stand for long periods, lift up to ~50 lbs, and work in cold and hot environments.
• - Excellent palate, creativity, attention to detail, and time-management skills.
• - Strong communication and teamwork skills.

Desired attributes

• - Passion for craft food, experimentation, and customer experience.
• - Clean, organized, and safety-conscious work habits.
• - Comfortable in a fast-paced retail environment and flexible with hours (including weekends/holidays).
• - Basic math skills for scaling recipes and tracking yields.

Benefits

• - Competitive hourly wage or salary (specify range) plus tips/bonuses where applicable.
• - Sick leave, and employee discount on products.
• - Opportunity for professional growth, with potential path to Lead Gelato Chef