Executive Pastry Chef in Stowe, Vermont at Trapp Family Lodge

The Executive Pastry Chef is responsible for leading and overseeing all pastry and baking operations across the resort’s food and beverage outlets. This role provides strategic culinary leadership while ensuring consistent quality, operational efficiency, fiscal responsibility, and compliance with company policies. The Executive Pastry Chef collaborates closely with culinary, banquets, and food & beverage leadership to deliver an exceptional guest experience that reflects the resort’s heritage and standards.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Culinary Leadership & Production

• Lead the development and execution of pastry menus for all dining outlets, banquets, and special events.
• Ensure consistent quality, presentation, and portion standards across all 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.

Banquets & Events

• 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 is executed according to approved menus, timelines, and quality standards.
• Participate in event planning meetings as assigned to ensure alignment on menus, staffing, and production logistics.
• Support large-scale and seasonal resort events as required.

People Management & Employee Relations

• Address employee questions and concerns in a timely and professional manner; escalate employee relations matters to Human Resources as appropriate.
• Create and manage employee schedules in accordance with business needs, staffing plans, and applicable labor guidelines.
• Monitor timekeeping, attendance, and staffing levels to ensure accuracy and compliance.
• Manage departmental labor costs in alignment with established productivity goals and operational budgets.
• Recruit, train, coach, and develop pastry team members.
• Maintain required documentation related to employee performance, attendance, coaching, corrective action, and safety incidents.
• Participate in required compliance, safety, leadership, and management training programs.

Financial & Operational Management

• 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.

Safety, Compliance & Standards

• Follow all workplace safety policies, OSHA standards, food safety regulations, and company procedures.
• Ensure proper sanitation and safety practices are consistently followed within 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 at all times.

Other Responsibilities

• Perform other job-related duties as assigned to support departmental and resort operations.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5–7 years of progressive pastry or culinary experience, including supervisory or management responsibilities.
• Prior experience in a hotel, resort, or high-volume banquet environment preferred.
• Formal culinary or pastry education from an accredited institution preferred, or equivalent professional experience.
• Current ServSafe Certification or ability to obtain within required timeframe.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Knowledge

• 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.

Skills & Abilities

• 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, both 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.

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

• Work is performed in a professional kitchen and food production environment.
• Position requires standing, walking, bending, and lifting up to 50 pounds.
• Must be able to work a flexible schedule, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays.