Senior Head Baker in London

Overall Purpose and scope of the job: To operate and be responsible for the Bakery team and production area ensuring its smooth and efficient running whilst maintaining the highest standards of bread and associated products. To ensure that all operational costs are kept within the budgetary limits and productivity levels are achieved. To effectively develop and lead the team to exceed performance targets through communication. Able to work nights on a 45 hours contract.

Key Objectives:

• Full responsibility for all production in the bakery
• Ensure production plan is clearly communicated and followed
• Ensure adequate staff cover is maintained to meet production demands
• Full responsibility for flour order, ensuring deliveries are checked and flour is stored correctly
• Manage, develop and motivate the bakery team, ensuring they are fully trained
• Full responsibility for department rota and holiday planning
• Involved in NPD process (ideas & execution)

Key Responsibilities and Activities:

• Monitor the quality and suitability of ingredients, prepared dough and production ensuring consistency during the baking process
• Review the suitability and location of equipment needed to ensure quality products are achieved, making recommendations for changes or any capital expenditure needs
• Plan, organise and direct the workload of the Bakery
• Know, understand and be able to cover all sections within the production area, thus setting high standards and an example to the team
• Oversee and direct the mixing, dividing and shaping process, coaching others on how to work to Blackbird standards, using a ‘hands on’ approach
• Ensure the quality of products are in accordance with the company standards
• Maintain awareness of customer needs and ensure that these are met wherever possible

Passionate about People Development:

• Assist in Employee Relations, giving guidance to team in consultation with Head of CPU
• Develop a positive, direct and open relationship with all the team, and encourage good and fair working relationships throughout all areas through two-way communication
• Manage the development of key members of the team and implement a succession plan
• Actively encourage and support initiatives that promote the retention of employees
• Promote clear communication channels and cascade information to the whole team
• Ensure all team members’ personnel files are complete and up-to-date on EMS
• Participate and contribute towards the staff’s training programme in order that the Bakery team is motivated and achieves excellent results as well as ensure training compliance is achieved at 100%

Health and Safety and Standards:

• Ensure all areas within the bakery are at all times kept clean and maintained to the agreed high standards of cleanliness and hygiene
• Ensure that the bakery team works cleanly, safely, and hygienically at all times
• Ensure all the team wears the correct uniform and maintains the highest levels of personal hygiene
• Ensure all faulty equipment is repaired and kept in good working order
• Ensure all accidents are reported to the Technical Manager and recorded in the accident book
• Ensure all food items are stored correctly and that stock rotation is rigidly adhered to
• Ensure compliance with all legal requirements regarding the health and safety of food hygiene
• Organise, record and control the temperatures of all refrigerated units within the Bakery

General Duties:

• Responsible for overseeing and checking flour deliveries ensuring products are correctly stored
• Ensure the entire bakery team follows measurement and recipe controls along with the correct storage methods
• Ensure all wastage is recorded and control any potential overuse
• Adhere to the wage portion and agreed staff rota of the budget allocated to the Bakery area

A Portrait of a Blackbird Person – the behaviour we expect:

• Good Communication: Smiling, always friendly, use polite tone of voice, ask questions
• Attitude and behaviour: Showing passion, energy, speed, and have a can-do attitude, flexibility
• Teamwork: One team – helping others, showing respect, having good product knowledge, working to high standards, and quality focused
• Business Focus: Thinks of impact on others, listens to feedback, acts on it, not accepting of poor standards, cares about business, communicates ideas, continuous improvement
• Inspirational Leader: Treats everyone equally, gets others to grow with them, sets the example, has credibility, has empathy, is trustworthy, gives freedom and trust, a role model
• Blackbird Buddies: No compromise on standards, uses simple, clear language, is able to get attention, is naturally enthusiastic, involves others, their style is always the same level, lets others know it's ok to make mistakes, revises and checks on progress, helps set clear goals, is a natural coach, builds confidence in others
• Blackbird Ambassador (Standards): Checks everything is to standard, quality focused, reviews plans and organises resources, conscious about details, tries to get it right first time, always does their best, wants to achieve excellence, sets priorities

Additional Responsibilities:

• Assist with the creation, development and change of recipes as required
• Involved in product development for NPD and marketing initiatives
• Make recommendations for improving the way we operate, monitoring and correcting the way we work
• In consultation with the Head of CPU, periodically review the products available and suggest improvements or alternatives
• Participate in all company training, management development and legislative training

Skill and Technical Requirements:

• Must have 2-3 years bread baking experience and knowledge of baking artisanal breads
• Ideally previous team management or supervisory experience of at least 1 year
• Passionate approach to food that has been reflected in prior positions
• Health & Safety and Food safety level 2 required
• Computer & Microsoft Skills essential

Personal Profile:

• A good sense of taste, smell, and touch are important
• Team Builder and motivator
• Flexible with strong work ethics
• Hands on team player
• Time sensitive, able to meet tight production deadlines
• Excellent people skills, able to build relationships
• Self-motivated, able to thrive in a fast-paced and expanding business
• Customer orientated
• High integrity