Bakery Lead / Head Baker

Job Summary

Crossroads Country Market is looking for an experienced, organized Bakery Lead to oversee our bakery’s daily operations. This is a hands-on leadership role combining baking with responsibility for production planning, scheduling, staffing, training, inventory, and cost control.

The successful candidate will take ownership of the bakery, ensuring our products are consistently fresh, high quality, and ready when customers need them. They will lead by example, support the team, and help grow the bakery while maintaining efficient and profitable operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and participate in the preparation of breads, rolls, pies, cookies, and other baked goods.
• Plan daily and weekly production based on sales, pre-orders, seasonal demand, and available staffing.
• Ensure products meet established standards for taste, appearance, size, and consistency.
• Maintain standardized recipes, batch sizes, yields, and baking procedures.
• Coordinate larger orders, fundraising orders, and holiday production with management.
• Ensure products are properly cooled, packaged, labelled, stored, and displayed.
• Monitor equipment condition and report maintenance or repair needs.

Scheduling and Staffing

• Prepare and maintain bakery schedules based on production needs, employee availability, and approved labour budgets.
• Ensure appropriate coverage for regular production, busy periods, and special orders.
• Manage time-off requests and shift changes.
• Arrange coverage for absences and call-ins. When coverage cannot be secured, provide coverage as a last resort.
• Adjust staffing and task assignments to maintain productivity.

Hiring, Training, and Team Leadership

• Identify staffing needs and coordinate recruitment with the General Manager.
• Train employees on recipes, baking techniques, equipment, food safety, and workplace procedures.
• Assign daily responsibilities and communicate clear expectations for quality and output.
• Coach staff, provide constructive feedback, and follow up on performance.
• Build a respectful, dependable team where employees take pride in their work.

Costing and Productivity

• Maintain accurate product costing, including ingredients, packaging, portion sizes, and batch yields.
• Monitor ingredient, supply, and labour costs against targets established with the General Manager.
• Track production output in relation to hours worked and identify opportunities to improve efficiency.
• Reduce waste, spoilage, production errors, and unnecessary overproduction.
• Review product sales to determine what should be produced more frequently, adjusted, or discontinued.

Inventory and Purchasing

• Manage ordering and maintain appropriate levels of ingredients, packaging, and supplies.
• Check deliveries for accuracy, quality, and condition.
• Maintain proper storage, labelling, date marking, and stock rotation.

Food Safety and Workplace Standards

• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe bakery.
• Ensure staff follow food safety, sanitation, allergen-handling, and workplace safety procedures.
• Maintain cleaning schedules and required operational records.
• Ensure equipment is used correctly and safely.
• Address unsafe practices promptly and report incidents to the General Manager.

Qualifications

• Previous commercial baking experience, with confidence producing a variety of baked goods.
• Supervisory or team leadership experience is an asset.
• Strong production planning, time management, and organizational skills.
• Working knowledge of recipe costing, inventory management, and waste control.
• Ability to train others and maintain consistent quality across the team.
• Ability to work independently and meet production deadlines.
• Food safety certification, or willingness to obtain it.
• Availability for early morning, overnight, weekend, or holiday shifts as required by the production schedule.

Pay: From $20.00 per hour

Expected hours: 30.0 – 40.0 per week

Benefits:

• Discounted or free food
• Profit sharing
• Store discount

Work Location: In person