Executive Pastry Chef

River Oaks Country Club•Houston, TX

About The Position

River Oaks Country Club seeks an accomplished Executive Pastry Chef to lead and develop its pastry, baking, and confectionery program. Reporting to the Executive Chef, this executive-level role oversees pastry operations across the Club, including a la carte dining, banquets, member events, holiday programming, weddings, and other specialty experiences. The position sets the department’s creative vision, standards, and direction and is accountable for its financial performance and long-term success. The Executive Pastry Chef leads, mentors, and develops the pastry team while fostering a culture of excellence, creativity, collaboration, and accountability. The role includes designing seasonal dessert menus and specialty offerings; creating artisan breads, confections, celebration cakes, and signature member experiences; and leading production for major events and functions. The Executive Pastry Chef manages operating and capital budgets, food and labor costs, purchasing, inventory, forecasting, production planning, and waste reduction. The position also partners with Club leadership, engages with members, maintains culinary and quality standards, and ensures compliance with health, sanitation, food safety, and workplace safety regulations. River Oaks Country Club, founded in 1923, is a premier private club situated on 183 acres. It is ranked number 56 among the Top 100 Golf and Country Clubs globally by Platinum Clubs of the World. The Club is an equal opportunity employer.

Requirements

Minimum 10 years of progressive pastry leadership experience, including significant management responsibility.
Proven experience leading and developing culinary teams in luxury hospitality environments.
Demonstrated expertise in classical and contemporary pastry arts, artisan baking, chocolate work, sugar work, plated desserts, and specialty confections.
Strong business acumen and experience managing budgets, labor, purchasing, and inventory.
Proven ability to develop talent and build high-performing teams.
Exceptional organizational, communication, and decision-making skills.
Ability to collaborate and build strong relationships across departments.
Integrity, professionalism, and accountability; leads by example.
Member-focused commitment to delivering extraordinary experiences.
Composed and effective in a fast-paced, high-expectation environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a private club, luxury hotel, fine dining restaurant, resort, or similarly distinguished operation.
Culinary or Pastry Arts degree.
Certified Executive Pastry Chef (CEPC) certification or equivalent.

Responsibilities

Direct all pastry and bakery operations throughout the Club.
Recruit, mentor, develop, and retain pastry team members, including Sous Chefs, Bakers, Pastry Cooks, and support staff.
Establish departmental goals, performance expectations, training plans, and succession strategies.
Foster a culture of creativity, collaboration, professionalism, and continuous improvement; evaluate performance and provide coaching, feedback, and professional development.
Set the vision and direction for the Club’s pastry and baking program.
Design and execute seasonal dessert menus, specialty offerings, artisan breads, confections, celebration cakes, and signature member experiences.
Evaluate culinary trends, techniques, and ingredients to maintain pastry excellence.
Maintain standards for presentation, consistency, flavor, and execution across outlets and events.
Lead pastry production for major Club events, holidays, wine dinners, member experiences, and other high-profile functions.
Prepare and manage annual pastry department operating and capital budgets.
Monitor and control food costs, labor costs, inventory, and departmental expenditures.
Develop purchasing strategies, negotiate with vendors, and oversee sourcing of premium ingredients and specialty products.
Analyze operational performance and implement efficiency improvements while maintaining quality.
Oversee forecasting and production planning to maximize resources and minimize waste.
Partner with Club leadership to create distinctive culinary experiences for members and guests.
Engage directly with members to understand preferences and exceed expectations.
Support Club-wide dining initiatives, special events, and strategic programming.
Represent the pastry department professionally in accordance with the Club’s values and standards.
Ensure compliance with health, sanitation, food safety, and workplace safety regulations.
Establish and maintain departmental policies, procedures, recipes, and quality standards.
Serve as the subject matter expert for pastry and baking operations throughout the Club.