Bakery Lead - Central Bakery Kitchen

Avoca operates across 13 store locations, Central Bakery & Kitchen, Central Stores and Weaving Production Mill across the country. After all this time, the ethos of Avoca remains the same. We cherish our time-honoured traditions, which have been lovingly passed down through several generations. Today, there are third-generation weavers working at the Mill. Our skills might be steeped in a long and rich tradition, but our attitude is to look to the future.

Now heralded as one of Ireland's most exciting retail stores, there are Avoca ceramics, clothing, perfumes, soaps and more from our own design studio. We have a host of award-winning cafés and restaurants, Food Markets crammed with artisanal ingredients from near and far, as well as a best-selling range of Avoca cookbooks. There are also gardens to explore at many of our stores, as well as florists and garden centres. The list goes on. And all of this from a modest handweaving mill, established in a rural Irish village in 1723.

Avoca's Bakery Lead is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management and operation of the pastry and bakery production department within the Central Bakery & Kitchen, ensuring production is maintained at optimal levels and operational standards are consistent with Avoca's Food Safety, Quality, Health & Safety and Business Excellence requirements.

The role involves leading and developing a team of approximately 17 employees, including the Bakery Supervisor, to ensure Avoca produces high-quality pastry and bakery products in an efficient, consistent and cost-effective manner while maintaining the culinary standards and heritage of the Avoca Food brand.

The Bakery Lead will work closely with the Head Chef, Executive Chef, Bakery Supervisor and wider operational teams to ensure production schedules, customer orders and delivery requirements are achieved. The role will also support new product development (NPD), product innovation, operational improvements and commercial initiatives that contribute to revenue growth, product quality, cost control and profitability.

A key responsibility will be to establish and maintain robust production processes, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), quality controls and effective working practices that support operational excellence, continuous improvement and the future development of the Central Bakery & Kitchen and its people.

• Provide leadership and direction to the pastry and bakery production team, including the Bakery Supervisor, ensuring products are manufactured efficiently and consistently to Avoca standards.
• Manage and oversee the daily running of the pastry and bakery production department, including production planning, workflow, staffing, resource allocation and operational performance.
• Lead, support and develop a team of approximately 17 employees, promoting strong communication, teamwork, accountability and a positive working environment.
• Monitor staffing levels, attendance, absence, performance, training and productivity, ensuring the department is appropriately resourced to meet production requirements.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, employee development, performance management and succession planning to build a skilled and effective bakery production team.
• Ensure daily, weekly and monthly production schedules, customer orders and delivery deadlines are achieved without disruption to operational requirements.
• Work closely with the Head Chef, Executive Chef, Bakery Supervisor and relevant departments to support the overall efficiency and performance of the Production Unit.
• Manage and maintain the pastry and bakery NPD schedule in partnership with the Executive Chef and relevant departments, supporting product development, trials, costings and successful product launches.
• Oversee the transition of new products from development into full-scale production, ensuring products are practical, scalable, commercially viable and consistently achievable.
• Participate in product tastings, seasonal launches and food-promotion initiatives, supporting innovation, customer satisfaction, sales growth and product development.
• Develop, review and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for pastry and bakery products and production processes, ensuring employees are appropriately trained and signed off.
• Ensure all pastry and bakery products are manufactured in accordance with approved recipes, specifications and Avoca quality standards.
• Monitor product quality, appearance, taste, weight, yield and presentation, ensuring products meet the required specifications before release for distribution.
• Investigate product-quality issues, identify root causes and implement appropriate corrective actions in collaboration with the Quality and Technical teams.
• Work closely with Operational Excellence (OPX) and relevant departments to review product margins, labour requirements, yields, waste and production efficiency, identifying opportunities to improve commercial performance.
• Monitor and control ingredient usage, production waste, overproduction, product giveaway and unnecessary labour costs while maintaining product quality and operational standards.
• Provide accurate production information to support product costings, pricing reviews, commercial decisions and departmental financial performance.
• Establish and maintain effective inventory controls, including stock rotation, FIFO, shelf-life management, temperature monitoring and ingredient usage.
• Work with Procurement, Production, Operations and Logistics teams to maintain appropriate inventory levels, ensure material availability and support efficient production and distribution schedules.
• Ensure all production activities comply with Food Safety, HACCP, allergen management, traceability, hygiene and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure production, cleaning, quality and food-safety records are completed accurately and on time, supporting internal and external audits and addressing non-conformances where required.
• Maintain high standards of Health & Safety throughout the department, ensuring employees are trained in safe working practices and equipment is operated safely.
• Identify equipment maintenance requirements, operational risks and production constraints, working with relevant departments to minimise downtime and maintain production efficiency.
• Develop robust production processes and operational controls with a continuous improvement mindset, identifying opportunities to enhance productivity, reduce waste and improve efficiency.
• Monitor and report on departmental performance, including production output, labour productivity, product quality, waste, yields and cost effectiveness.
• Support weekly, monthly and quarterly performance reviews, analysing trends and recommending improvements to operational practices and commercial performance.
• Contribute to the delivery of departmental and company strategic objectives, supporting revenue initiatives, cost-control measures, business growth and operational excellence.
• Provide guidance and support to Avoca management on bakery production performance, operational improvements, NPD initiatives and opportunities for future development.
• Carry out any other reasonable duties relating to the efficient operation of the pastry and bakery department and Central Bakery & Kitchen.

• Trained or educated with a recognised qualification in Bakery, Pastry, Culinary Arts, Food Production, Manufacturing, Operations or a related discipline.
• Food Safety Level 3 certification is desirable.
• Proven experience working in bakery, pastry, culinary production or food manufacturing operations, ideally within a high-volume production environment.
• Demonstrated track record in people management, with experience leading, developing and managing production teams.
• Strong knowledge of bakery and pastry manufacturing processes, production planning, product specifications and quality standards.
• Proven experience managing daily production operations, staffing requirements, productivity and operational deadlines.
• Experience supporting new product development, product trials, costings and the introduction of new products into production.
• Strong understanding of food safety, HACCP, allergen management, traceability and relevant regulatory requirements.
• Commercial awareness with experience managing labour costs, ingredient usage, product yields, waste and production efficiencies.
• Experience implementing Standard Operating Procedures, production controls and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Experience working within a cross-functional business with different reporting structures and operational departments.
• Knowledge of Business Excellence, Lean Principles, Operational Excellence and/or Loss Prevention is desirable.
• Ability to multitask, prioritise effectively and work to tight deadlines.
• Ability to work under own initiative, demonstrate accountability and make informed operational decisions.
• Strong leadership, communication and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent organisational, analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• A confident, proactive and commercially focused mindset with a commitment to maintaining Avoca's standards of quality and operational excellence.