Executive Pastry Chef

Trapp Family Lodge•Stowe, VT

About The Position

The Executive Pastry Chef leads and oversees pastry and baking operations across the resort’s food and beverage outlets. The role provides strategic culinary leadership and ensures consistent quality, operational efficiency, fiscal responsibility, and compliance with company policies. The Executive Pastry Chef collaborates with culinary, banquets, and food and beverage leadership to deliver a guest experience that reflects the resort’s heritage and standards. Responsibilities include developing pastry menus and production standards; coordinating pastry service for banquets, catered events, and resort programming; managing and developing employees; controlling labor and food costs; overseeing ordering, inventory, and storage; and maintaining food safety, sanitation, and workplace compliance. The role also performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Requirements

Minimum of 5–7 years of progressive pastry or culinary experience, including supervisory or management responsibilities.
Current ServSafe Certification or ability to obtain it within the required timeframe.
Knowledge of pastry production, baking techniques, and dessert presentation standards.
Knowledge of banquet and catering operations.
Knowledge of applicable labor laws, wage and hour regulations, and scheduling practices.
Knowledge of food safety standards, OSHA regulations, and workplace safety policies.
Knowledge of inventory management, food costing, and labor control practices.
Ability to supervise, train, and develop employees.
Ability to plan, organize, and prioritize work in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to manage labor resources and adjust staffing to meet operational needs.
Ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing.
Ability to work collaboratively across departments.
Ability to maintain professionalism and sound judgment in high-pressure situations.
Ability to use scheduling, timekeeping, and basic computer systems.
Must be able to work a flexible schedule, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience in a hotel, resort, or high-volume banquet environment.
Formal culinary or pastry education from an accredited institution, or equivalent professional experience.

Responsibilities

Lead the development and execution of pastry menus for dining outlets, banquets, and special events.
Ensure consistent quality, presentation, and portion standards across pastry and baking operations.
Develop and maintain standardized recipes, production schedules, and quality control procedures.
Incorporate seasonal ingredients and menus aligned with resort concepts and guest expectations.
Coordinate with Banquets, Culinary, and Events teams to support weddings, conferences, holidays, and special resort programming.
Ensure pastry and dessert production for banquet and catered events follows approved menus, timelines, and quality standards.
Participate in event planning meetings as assigned to align menus, staffing, and production logistics.
Support large-scale and seasonal resort events as required.
Address employee questions and concerns and escalate employee relations matters to Human Resources as appropriate.
Create and manage employee schedules according to business needs, staffing plans, and applicable labor guidelines.
Monitor timekeeping, attendance, and staffing levels for accuracy and compliance.
Manage departmental labor costs in alignment with productivity goals and operational budgets.
Recruit, train, coach, and develop pastry team members.
Maintain documentation related to employee performance, attendance, coaching, corrective action, and safety incidents.
Participate in required compliance, safety, leadership, and management training programs.
Manage pastry department food and labor costs to meet budgeted targets.
Oversee ordering, inventory control, and proper storage of pastry ingredients and supplies.
Collaborate with purchasing and vendors to ensure product quality and cost effectiveness.
Support operational planning to maximize productivity and efficiency.
Follow workplace safety policies, OSHA standards, food safety regulations, and company procedures.
Ensure sanitation and safety practices are consistently followed in the pastry department.
Promptly report incidents, injuries, policy violations, or safety concerns to Human Resources or designated leadership.
Maintain a clean, organized, and compliant work environment.
Perform other job-related duties as assigned to support departmental and resort operations.