Pastry Sous Chef

The Buttery; Norristown (Montgomery County); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k

PTO

Sick Time

Health/Dental/Vision Insurance

Food/Beverage Discounts

Job summary

The Buttery in Norristown, PA is seeking a Pastry Sous Chef to support the Pastry Chef and lead a team of pastry cooks in delivering high‑quality, artisanal pastries at scale for retail, wholesale, and catering.

You will drive production quality, mentor staff, and collaborate across departments to expand product offerings while maintaining brand standards and freshness.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5-7 years of professional pastry experience.
• Proven leadership experience, mentoring pastry cooks.
• Strong organizational skills to manage schedules and inventory.
• Financial acumen to optimize profitability and recipe cost.
• Proficiency with bakery management systems and continuous learning.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the pastry team, coaching and training.
• Collaborate with Pastry Chef to develop new menu items.
• Maintain high standards, quality checks, and safety compliance.
• Oversee production lists and inventory to support retail, wholesale, catering.
• Coordinate ingredient ordering and vendor relations.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Organizational skills

Culinary artistry

Communication

Tools

Bakery management systems

Job description

Pastry Sous Chef

The Buttery - Norristown, Pennsylvania, United States

About this position

Description:

Overview

The Sous Pastry Chef will support the Pastry Chef in creating an exceptional pastry program that produces a variety of high-quality items at scale for retail Buttery locations, wholesale partners, and catering clients. The Sous Pastry Chef will lead and develop a team of pastry cooks to craft exceptional products while maintaining artisanal techniques and high-quality standards upheld by the company.

Responsibilities

Technical Expertise

• Ensure compliance with health and safety regulations, food handling guidelines, and quality control standards.
• Collaborate with the Pastry Chef and department heads to develop new menu items as needed.
• Maintain a complete understanding of pastry and baking equipment, including its operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting.
• Conduct daily quality checks on all pastry items produced to uphold high standards.
• Possess a deep understanding of ingredients, their interactions, and how to source high-quality products.
• Continuously self-educate on industry practices and proactively address knowledge gaps and participate in continuing education events and classes when applicable.
• Demonstrate a genuine passion for the craft and a commitment to expanding knowledge of traditional and innovative pastry techniques.
• Keep kitchen documents and recipes up to date in designated software and systems.

Growth and Business Development

• Support the growth of the pastry team through various stages of expansion.
• Partner with the Pastry Chef to ensure new products align with brand expectations and standards.
• Collaborate with teams to optimize processes, improve productivity, and support business growth.
• Continuously seek efficiencies while maintaining the highest quality standards by optimizing inventory and reducing waste.
• Work with sales and marketing teams to promote pastry products, enhance brand visibility, and drive revenue growth.
• Embrace a proactive and innovative mindset, focusing on sustainable business growth and expansion.

Leadership Responsibilities

• Assist the Pastry Chef in guiding the pastry team to improve their skills and become more proficient through ongoing training, hands‑on coaching, and regular feedback.
• Support the team in holding them accountable through coaching conversations and corrective actions in line with company policies and the business’s culture.
• Maintain consistent communication with department heads, kitchen management, and staff to ensure alignment and transparency.
• Schedule team members to align with production demands, ensuring adequate coverage while optimizing labor efficiency.
• Manage labor profitability by balancing staffing levels with business needs.
• Ensure the efficient use of resources to support smooth operations and maintain productivity.
• Review timecards and ensure accuracy and compliance with company policies
• Create and organize daily production lists to efficiently fulfill retail, wholesale, and catering pastry orders.
• Coordinate ingredient ordering with the ordering manager, ensuring timely and accurate communication to maintain adequate inventory levels.
• Oversee that the team maintains a clean, organized, and food‑safe work environment in compliance with health and safety regulations.
• Foster a collaborative environment that emphasizes excellence, teamwork, and continuous improvement within the pastry team.
• Assist the Pastry Chef with conducting interviews and managing the onboarding process for new team members.

Requirements:

Qualifications

• Minimum 5-7 years of professional pastry experience.
• Proven leadership experience, with the ability to mentor and develop a team of pastry cooks.
• Strong organizational skills to manage production schedules, inventory, and minimize waste.
• Financial acumen to optimize profitability and support cost‑effective recipe development.
• Proficiency in bakery management systems and a passion for continuous learning in pastry techniques.
• Effective communication and collaboration skills to work with cross‑functional teams.

What We Offer

• Career Growth: Opportunities for professional development and career advancement as our business continues to expand.
• Dynamic Work Environment: Work in a fun, supportive, and dynamic environment where we take our work seriously but have fun while we do it.
• Employee Benefits: 401k, PTO, Sick Time, Health/Dental/Vision Insurance, Food/Beverage Discounts, and more.

About Us

We believe in more than just serving exceptional food and drink - we believe in fostering a community where great people, comfort, and quality converge.

The Buttery is many things:

• a great local eatery
• the village bakery & patisserie
• an exceptional specialty coffee shop
• all wrapped in a unique retail environment

We are a communal gathering place that fosters care and warmth through great hospitality in our customers' lives. But most importantly, we are a collective of people coming together with a shared goal of building a healthy business through creating exceptional food and providing wonderful experiences.