Pastry Program Lead: Desserts, Breads & Events

Bon Appétit Management Company; Santa Monica (CA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Retirement Plan

Paid Time Off

Holiday Time Off

Job summary

Bon Appetit is seeking a Pastry Chef to lead day-to-day baking and pastry operations for Pepperdine University dining spaces. You will drive menu innovation, production excellence, and staff development in a high-volume campus setting.

You will oversee a pastry team, manage costs, ensure food safety, and contribute to catering and executive dining events, delivering elevated guest experiences.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of pastry, baking, or culinary leadership experience preferred.
• Hands-on pastry chef, baker, or dessert production experience required.
• Experience overseeing bakery, pastry, café, catering, or large-scale foodservice operations.
• Experience in higher education dining or related hospitality environments preferred.
• Extensive catering and banquet dessert production experience preferred.
• High-volume batch production and complex foodservice operations experience preferred.
• Strong knowledge of baking techniques, pastry arts, desserts, and current trends.
• Experience in menu development, recipe creation, ordering, and inventory management.
• Comprehensive knowledge of food quality, sanitation, and cost controls.
• Ability to lead, train, and develop culinary team members.
• ServSafe Certification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day baking and pastry operations across campus dining venues.
• Provide leadership for the pastry production team and plan menus.
• Develop innovative dessert and bakery menus aligned with trends.
• Oversee the university's baking program including events and VIP spaces.
• Train and mentor culinary staff on pastry techniques and safety.

Skills

Pastry leadership

Hands-on pastry

Dessert production

Catering & large-scale ops

Job description

Bon Appetit is seeking a Pastry Chef to lead day-to-day baking and pastry operations for Pepperdine University dining spaces. You will drive menu innovation, production excellence, and staff development in a high-volume campus setting.

You will oversee a pastry team, manage costs, ensure food safety, and contribute to catering and executive dining events, delivering elevated guest experiences.