Baker Specialist

Job Description:

The duties of a Baker Specialist encompasses the making and decoration of cakes, pastries, tarts, and other custom items. You will utilize your creative flair to craft and finish all distinct bakery goods, ensuring that every detail is executed to perfection.

Through your efficient and effective decorating skills, you will aid in our success by delivering exceptional products that leave a lasting impression on our customers.

The accomplishment of companywide, regional, and store programs and initiatives largely depends on the strict adherence to all applicable Food Safety and compliance responsibilities necessary in the department, as well as the support for Core Values and objectives.

Job Responsibilities:

• Fashion, pack, and enhance bakery products, cakes, and tarts per client specifications.
• Constructing, frosting, and decorating bakery articles according to standardized procedures in order to satisfy company requirements.
• Give priority to the production items and propose necessary adjustments.
• Highlight the items masterfully and flaunt them in the sales display to satisfy and fascinate potential consumers. Keep a close watch over the quality of the products to ensure their freshness and abide by the standard protocol for rotating the products within the display case.
• Take time to answer any questions and provide feedback on their work. Be sure to offer constructive criticism and helpful tips for improvement.
• Sculpt custom cake themes to transform a basic celebratory dessert into a gorgeous and meaningful centerpiece.
• We take pride in providing excellent customer service that involves promptly attending to customers' requirements, implementing suggestive sales tactics, and answering phone calls and pages with courtesy and efficiency.
• Keep or make sure to keep a clean and sanitized work and shopping ambiance at all times; adhere to Whole Foods Market's cleanliness and safety guidelines to uphold the maintenance of equipment.
• Complete the specified tasks at the start, middle, and end of the workday, making sure the signs and prices are accurate.
• Complete any other assigned obligations.

Skill Requirements:

• Well-versed in the craft of decorating cakes and pastries, boasting of intermediate-level piping expertise, and an innate talent for crafting beautiful and unique floral designs and exquisite borders.
• When blending buttercream colors, it is crucial to know how the primary colors combine to create secondary colors.
• Mastery in the application of all types of frosting, including Swiss Buttercream, American Buttercream, Ganache, Cream Cheese Icing, Whipped Cream, Chantilly, German Chocolate Icing, Fudge Icing, and various Meringues, is a vital talent that every pastry chef must possess.
• Competence in following recipes, directives, and procedures, paired with efficient time management and organizational proficiencies.
• Increasing safety measures for handling knives, tools, and equipment.
• To scale a recipe up or down, you should keep the ratio of ingredients the same. This means that if you are doubling or halving a recipe, you should double or halve all ingredients, including spices and seasonings.
• A willingness to work with others and excellent communication skills are important qualities in a team member.
• Being able to distribute information in a clear and respectable way to colleagues, customers, and vendors is crucial.
• Meeting and exceeding customer service expectations and standards in every interaction with clients, vendors, and colleagues is essential.
• Demonstrating a dedicated approach to work and executing tasks promptly in a fast-paced context with a heightened sense of importance.

Experience:

• Experience in the retail or restaurant field for at least 6-12 months is necessary.
• Fulfill the requirement of either completing the Bakery Decorator Apprentice training or possessing equivalent expertise.
• Previous work exposure in a grocery or bakery is highly recommended.

This job has some specific physical requirements and working conditions:

• The job demands the ability to lift items weighing not more than 50 pounds.
• The majority of employees can expect to spend a significant portion of their workday standing or walking, with an average of 6 to 8 hours spent on their feet.
• The hand can be employed for a range of activities including grasping items, delicately maneuvering small objects, as well as applying force through pushing and pulling.
• To carry out work activities, individuals have to engage in a range of motions, including bending, twisting, squatting, and reaching.
• The potential risks of exposure to FDA-approved cleaning products cannot be overlooked, and require careful management.
• Temperatures that exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit can have adverse effects on food and other perishable items.
• Skilled in functioning within both moist and dry atmospheres.
• The job mandates the ability to work a flexible schedule comprising of weekends, nights, and holidays, if necessary.
• Skill in handling and operating various tools and equipment, such as knives, box cutters, electric pallet jacks, and other types of heavy machinery.
• The possibility of requiring ladders cannot be ruled out.

The aim of this document is to outline the main responsibilities of the position and is not exhaustive in nature. It is important to understand that the duties required of this role may differ from other similar positions based on location, business needs and other factors. As you progress through the job levels, it is important to be aware that additional duties may be added from level to level. It is necessary to demonstrate successful performance in your current role before being considered for a promotion. Moreover, an individual will only be promoted if a business need exists, and they are the most qualified person for the position. Finally, while completion of specific milestones such as obtaining an advanced degree or certifications may be helpful, it does not necessarily guarantee a promotion.

Our company is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive work environment that empowers each team member to offer varying perspectives and ideas. With this approach, Whole Foods Market can better serve our diverse customer base and create new and innovative solutions to the challenges we face daily.