Pastry Sous Chef

The Buttery; Norristown (Montgomery County); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Career growth opportunities

Dynamic work environment

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

The Buttery in Norristown is seeking a Sous Pastry Chef to support the Pastry Chef in building a high-quality, scalable pastry program for retail locations, wholesale partners, and catering clients.

You will lead and develop a team of pastry cooks, uphold artisanal techniques, manage production, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive growth while maintaining exceptional standards.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5-7 years of professional pastry experience.
• Proven leadership experience with mentoring pastry cooks.
• Strong organizational skills to manage production schedules and minimize waste.
• Financial acumen to optimize profitability and support cost-effective recipe development.
• Proficiency in bakery management systems and continuous learning in pastry techniques.
• Effective communication and collaboration with cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of pastry cooks to uphold high-quality standards.
• Collaborate with the Pastry Chef and department heads to develop new menu items.
• Maintain understanding of pastry and baking equipment, including operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting.
• Conduct daily quality checks on all pastry items produced to uphold standards.
• Ensure health and safety regulations and quality control.
• Coordinate ingredient ordering and inventory to maintain adequate levels.
• Foster a collaborative environment focused on excellence and continuous improvement.

Skills

Leadership experience

Mentoring pastry team

Organizational skills

Financial acumen

Effective communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Passion for pastry

Tools

Bakery management systems

Job description

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.