Job Description
Head of Food & Bakery Operations (P tisserie Focus)
Location: South Lanarkshire
Salary: 40,000 – 50,000
Relocation Package Offered
An established food manufacturing and retail business is entering a new growth phase, with plans to scale a premium artisan bakery and caf offering across retail, wholesale and foodservice channels.
The business is focused on building a high-quality, p tisserie-led proposition supported by strong operational discipline, consistent product standards, and scalable production.
Role Purpose
To lead and develop all bakery and food operations, with a primary focus on p tisserie and Viennoiserie excellence. The role will ensure consistent delivery of premium products while scaling production, driving innovation, and embedding operational best practice.
This is a hands-on leadership role with full ownership of production, product development, team capability and operational performance.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Leadership
- Lead all day-to-day production activity, with a core focus on p tisserie and laminated pastry operations.
- Develop and manage production plans to meet demand across retail, wholesale and foodservice channels.
- Design and implement efficient, scalable production processes, particularly for high-volume pastry output.
- Manage capacity planning, including labour, equipment and production flow.
- Drive improvements in productivity, waste control and cost efficiency.
P tisserie & Viennoiserie Leadership
- Take full ownership of p tisserie and Viennoiserie production standards.
- Lead the development and execution of laminated pastry (croissants, Danish, brioche, etc.) at a premium level.
- Oversee creation of desserts, patisserie lines and seasonal offerings.
- Establish consistency in quality, finish, flavour and presentation across all products.
- Ensure artisan techniques are maintained while enabling scalable production.
Product Development & Innovation
- Lead p tisserie-led innovation aligned to a premium brand position.
- Develop and standardise recipes to ensure consistency and scalability.
- Introduce seasonal collections and elevate the product range to differentiate in the market.
- Balance creativity with operational feasibility and cost control.
People & Capability
- Build and lead a high-performing pastry and bakery team.
- Coach and upskill team members in p tisserie, Viennoiserie and finishing techniques.
- Set clear expectations and manage performance against operational KPIs.
- Create a culture focused on craftsmanship, precision and continuous improvement.
Quality, Safety & Compliance
- Ensure high standards of food safety, hygiene and compliance across all operations.
- Maintain and enforce HACCP, GMP and internal quality systems.
- Implement rigorous quality control processes, particularly for delicate and high-spec p tisserie products.
- Lead audit readiness and continuous compliance improvement.
Skills & Experience Required
- Strong background in p tisserie and Viennoiserie at a senior level.
- Advanced technical expertise in laminated pastry, desserts and premium baked products.
- Proven experience scaling p tisserie production while maintaining high quality.
- Leadership experience within a fast-paced bakery, food manufacturing or hospitality environment.
- Strong understanding of production planning, process design and efficiency.
- Experience in product development and recipe standardisation.
- Solid knowledge of food safety, hygiene and compliance standards.
- Hands-on, detail-oriented approach with a passion for craftsmanship and quality.
