Pastry Chef

Compass Group•Bentonville, AR

1d•$70,000 - $75,000•Onsite

About The Position

Wolfgang Puck Catering is seeking a Pastry Chef to support the culinary experience at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, with reach across the broader campus through Art & Wellness Enterprises. This role is centered at Crystal Bridges and plays an important part in shaping desserts and baked goods that enhance daily service, special events, and art‑ and wellness‑driven programming. The Pastry Chef will collaborate across culinary and hospitality teams to create offerings that feel thoughtful, expressive, and welcoming, reflecting the museum’s mission and the belief that food can deepen connection, creativity, and well‑being. As part of Art & Wellness Enterprises, this position also supports pastry development and presentation across campus, including The Momentary and other food and beverage experiences, as needed. This role works across kitchen spaces, cafés, and museum environments. Schedules include evenings and weekends to support service and events. The work is hands‑on and collaborative, involving standing, lifting, and detailed pastry production in a dynamic setting.

Requirements

A culinary degree or equivalent professional experience, typically gained through five or more years working in pastry or dessert production
Strong foundational knowledge of pastry, desserts, and confectionery, including breads, laminated doughs, candies, and composed sweets
The ability to read, analyze, and interpret technical information, recipes, and operational or financial documents
Comfort working with basic mathematical concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to support recipe development and scaling
A creative eye and attention to detail, with the ability to translate artistic inspiration into thoughtfully crafted desserts
An organized, clean, and methodical approach to pastry production and kitchen operations
Confidence collaborating with culinary, hospitality, and operations partners across departments

Nice To Haves

Advanced pastry training or specialization in areas such as entremets, laminated doughs, candies, or modern dessert techniques
Experience contributing to menu development, recipe documentation, or standardized production systems
Leadership experience supporting or supervising pastry and line‑level culinary team members
Comfort adapting to changing needs in a museum, event‑driven, or guest‑facing environment

Responsibilities

Lead pastry and dessert development in support of Crystal Bridges’ cafés, events, and programming
Create both rotating, art‑inspired offerings and signature desserts that can be refined and revisited over time
Oversee daily pastry production, presentation, and quality standards
Support dessert preparation, plating, and menu development across campus as part of Art & Wellness Enterprises
Collaborate closely with chefs, front‑of‑house leaders, and hospitality partners
Supervise and mentor pastry and line‑level culinary team members
Develop clear, repeatable recipes that balance creativity with consistency and scalability
Contribute to special events, activations, and wellness‑focused initiatives as needed
Translate artistic inspiration into desserts that feel intentional, approachable, and engaging
Help ensure pastry offerings align with the tone, mission, and guest experience of Crystal Bridges
Support campus‑wide culinary consistency while allowing room for creativity and expression
Build strong partnerships across culinary and hospitality teams