Summit Coffee Charleston is preparing to relaunch its in-house baking program, and the Lead Baker is primarily responsible for leading its success. As the Lead Baker for Summit Coffee Charleston, your objective is to produce and deliver to our cafes high-quality, fresh, and consistent products each day. Working directly with the Charleston Area Manager, and with support from Summit’s Chief Culinary Officer, you will help ensure the production operation runs smoothly and consistently in alignment with Summit’s culture, values, and quality standards. As the Summit Coffee Charleston bakery relaunches this year, adherence to recipe guidelines, quality standards, and a production and labor model, are imperative for success. Once the bakery proves successful, we can discuss creative and production expansion.
This role is centered around leadership through preparation, consistency, and attention to detail. As Lead Baker, you help set the standard for our food program through quality, organization, efficiency, and care for the products you produce. A key focus of this role is maintaining excellence in baking and food preparation while ensuring the production kitchen is clean, organized, and operating smoothly day to day. You will be responsible for daily production and delivery logistics; inventory and ordering; kitchen organization; food safety and quality standards; and clear communication with the cafes and the management team. Core expectations include:
Lead the Baking Team by:
Providing direction, training, and support to the Assistant Baker and helping manage the daily production workflow.
Creating a positive, organized, and collaborative working environment.
Lead Production Operations by:
Planning and executing daily and weekly production of pastries and breakfast sandwiches for Summit’s three Charleston cafés.
Preparing, baking, assembling, packaging, and labeling products according to established recipes and standards.
Managing production timelines and quantities to ensure cafés receive the right products, in the right quantities, at the right time.
Maintaining and following systems for recipes, prep, production, storage, packaging, and delivery.
Owning ingredient and product inventory and ordering, including receiving and properly storing ingredients and finished products.
Maintaining an organized production kitchen and ensuring the space is clean, stocked, and prepared for each day’s production.
Caring for baking equipment and communicating maintenance or repair needs.
Communicating clearly with café managers and Summit leadership about production, product availability, quantities, changes, and special needs.
Uphold Food Quality & Consistency by:
Maintaining Summit’s standards for food quality, consistency, freshness, and presentation.
Leading recipe execution and day-to-day quality control across all products.
Ensuring proper food safety, sanitation, storage, labeling, and handling practices are followed.
Identifying and addressing quality issues before products leave the production kitchen.
Training the Assistant Baker on production standards, workflow, food safety, and baking techniques.
Champion the Summit Food Program by:
Understanding the bigger picture of Summit Coffee’s food program and how it contributes to the overall Summit experience.
Helping cultivate a food program where quality, consistency, and care are valued.
Leading by example through attention to detail, work ethic, professionalism, and pride in the product.
Encouraging a culture where teammates feel supported, connected, and motivated to produce exceptional food.
This is a full-time, salaried position with an annual salary of $45,000.