Bakery Manager

Job title : Bakery Manager

About the Role

• We are looking for a hardworking, ambitious, and results-driven Bakery Manager to lead our daily production operations and drive excellence in product quality, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.
• We are seeking more than someone who understands baking. We need a hands-on leader who can manage people, take ownership of results, maintain high standards, control costs, and consistently deliver against production targets.
• The ideal candidate is proactive, dependable, committed to the business, and capable of turning production plans into measurable results.

Key Responsibilities
Production Planning and Delivery:

• Develop and execute daily production plans based on customer orders, sales forecasts, and business priorities.
• Coordinate with Sales and Operations to ensure timely fulfilment of orders and production targets.
• Allocate duties, monitor output, and address production delays promptly.

Product Quality and Standards:

• Ensure every product meets approved standards for taste, appearance, consistency, portion size, freshness, and packaging.
• Identify the causes of production errors, defects, and customer complaints, and implement corrective measures.
• Build a culture of quality, precision, and accountability across the production team.

Team Leadership and Performance Management:

• Lead, supervise, and develop bakers, cake decorators, and production assistants.
• Set clear expectations, monitor individual and team performance, and address underperformance.
• Maintain discipline, teamwork, productivity, and professional conduct within the bakery.
• Lead by example through personal commitment, initiative, and consistent execution.

Inventory and Procurement Coordination:

• Work with the Inventory Officer to monitor stock levels, identify replenishment needs, and prevent production interruptions.
• Raise timely procurement requests for approval and ensure materials are used responsibly.
• Ensure proper storage, stock rotation, accurate usage records, and accountability for ingredients and packaging materials.

Cost Control and Waste Reduction:

• Monitor ingredient consumption, production costs, spoilage, and wastage.
• Investigate avoidable losses and implement practical measures to reduce waste and improve efficiency.
• Ensure resources, equipment, and production time are used productively.

Food Safety and Hygiene:

• Enforce food safety, sanitation, personal hygiene, and safe food-handling practices.
• Ensure equipment, utensils, and production areas are clean, organised, and maintained to the required standards.
• Ensure ingredients and finished products are stored appropriately.

Process Improvement and Operational Excellence:

• Establish, implement, and enforce standard operating procedures for bakery production.
• Identify bottlenecks and improve production processes, consistency, turnaround time, and output.
• Introduce practical methods for improving productivity without compromising quality.

Equipment and Facility Management:

• Ensure bakery equipment and tools are properly handled and maintained.
• Coordinate preventive maintenance and promptly report equipment faults requiring attention.
• Minimise avoidable downtime through proper planning and maintenance.

Cross-Departmental Coordination:

• Work closely with Sales, Operations, Inventory, Procurement, Finance, and Dispatch to ensure smooth business operations.
• Confirm product specifications, quantities, packaging requirements, and delivery timelines.
• Ensure completed orders are properly checked and ready for dispatch as scheduled.

Reporting and Accountability:

• Submit accurate daily production reports and periodic operational summaries.
• Track production output, order fulfilment, product defects, wastage, stock usage, staff performance, and equipment issues.
• Identify challenges early, recommend solutions, and follow through until issues are resolved.

Qualifications and Experience

• Relevant experience in bakery operations, pastry production, confectionery, or food manufacturing.
• Demonstrable experience managing production staff, schedules, quality standards, and operational targets.
• Strong planning, problem-solving, communication, and reporting skills.
• Evidence of achievements in a previous role will be an advantage.

Who We Are Looking For:
The ideal candidate should demonstrate:

• Proven managerial experience: A track record of supervising bakery or food production teams is an added advantage and demonstrates measurable results.
• Strong work ethic: A hands-on professional who is willing to get involved in daily operations and lead by example.
• Ownership and accountability: Someone who takes responsibility for outcomes, addresses problems promptly, and does not wait to be pushed before acting.
• Commitment and dependability: A reliable professional who can give the role the time, attention, and consistency it requires.
• Ambition and growth mindset: Someone who wants to build a strong production team, improve business performance, and grow with the organisation.
• High performance standards: A person who sets demanding but realistic expectations and consistently works towards achieving them.
• People management ability: Someone who can organise a team, enforce standards fairly, resolve workplace challenges, and maintain productivity.
• Cost-conscious thinking: The ability to protect product quality while minimising waste, controlling costs, and using resources efficiently.
• Integrity and professionalism: A trustworthy individual who handles company resources responsibly and can be relied upon to act in the organisation's best interests.

Remuneration
Salary is open to discussion and will reflect the successful candidate’s experience, competence, and demonstrated value.