Job Posting: Origins Kitchen – Baker/Pastry Chef

About The Exploration Place:

As the largest museum and science centre outside of the lower mainland, The Exploration Place has taken a leadership role in the region and has offered quality programs and services for over two decades. The Exploration Place is a charitable organization with a mission to provide learning opportunities that foster an understanding of significant past and current issues shaping our community by linking experiences within the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George to the world in a unique, participatory Museum of regional history, science, and technology. You will be joining a team of enthusiastic and passionate individuals whose goal is to work together for the success of all departments and have fun doing it! This position is ideal for a detail-oriented, energetic, creative person who has a passion for supporting the meaningful programs and services we offer and wants to be a part of a team that makes a positive impact in our community.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for high functioning individuals who can become leaders but also work within our parameters. The ideal candidates are those who love a challenge, are highly organized and personable, with a passion for great food and how it is sourced! These roles will significantly grow and develop within the first year. There will be many staffing and scheduling changes, so we envision promoting the right person quickly to Kitchen Lead. Those applying for these positions could be prep chef, baker, or prep and dish person until clear roles and responsibilities are established. There will always be some element of these tasks present in the role, but more so in the first 6 months. To be successful, you’ll need creativity, attention to detail, management skills, a wide range of baking, prepping, cooking skills, and a serious knack for multitasking. 

What are the hours and benefits?

These are permanent 40-hour/week full-time positions. A regular workday is 8 hours, plus a 30-minute unpaid lunch break. Occasional extended hours and evenings for events will also be required.

After a 3-month probationary period, benefits include:

• Extended health and dental benefits
• Vacation accrual of 2 weeks (80 hours) annually
• Sick leave of 10 days (80 hours) annually
• Annual Membership to The Exploration Place
• Staff discount in our gift shop
• Professional Development opportunities related to this position and the museum and science centre industry 

Job Summary:

We are looking for those that have a desire to work in a productive environment. Our bakery position involves baking a broad range of recipes such as muffins, scones, bars, cookies, filled sweet & savoury pastries, fruit purees, cream fillings, in high volume, and as part of a fast and efficient team.

In addition, those that will deliver a memorable customer experience by baking up delicious treats and going that extra mile, keeping our counters full of fresh baked goodies throughout the day while maintaining excellent levels of quality and cleanliness. 

The successful applicant will be responsible for the following:

Main Job Duties:

• Offer professional, friendly and proactive service while supporting fellow team members
• Prepare and bake a variety of baked goods
• Prepare, bake & service all food items according to Origins recipes & standards
• Have full knowledge of all menu items, daily features and promotions
• Guide junior staff in preparation, cooking and handling of food
• Maintain inventory and records of food, supplies and equipment
• Ensure cleanliness & maintenance of all work areas, utensils, and equipment
• Prepare baked goods & pastries for customers with food allergies or intolerances with care and importance
• Control waste and spoilage
• Ensure proper labelling, dating and storage of all items in the kitchen;
• Follow kitchen & museum policies, procedures, and service standards and follow all safety and sanitation policies when handling food and beverage;
• Responsible for ensuring preparation of all pertinent food items for work station
• Monitor present and upcoming baked goods sales volumes

On occasion, you may be asked to perform the following:

• Monitoring inventory and maintaining grocery list
• Estimating future needs for goods, kitchen utensils, and cleaning products
• Prepping and assembling ingredients by washing and chopping fruit and vegetables, cutting meat and cheese, etc.
• Helping train new employees on operations, protocol
• Attending staff meetings
• Being an advocate of our brand and facility
• Aiding with various special events as necessary
• Other duties as assigned 

Knowledge, skills, and abilities we are looking for:

• Have a passion for baking bread, loaf cakes, pies, tarts, cookies, etc.
• Has knowledge of how to work with sugar, chocolate, and other specialized bakery aspects
• Knowledge of finishing methods and techniques for exquisite presentation.
• Knowledge of various doughs, icings, fillings & flavours
• Has worked with laminated doughs; and able to form puff pastry and croissants.
• Possess strong oral, written communication and math skills
• Ability to time manage with tight deadlines and stressful situations, while maintaining a high standard of quality.
• Has the ability to understand food cost and labour cost
• Unimpaired perception of colour, taste, and other sensory elements necessary to critique food properly
• Ability to work closely and communicate respectfully with The Exploration Place team at large
• Proven track record as a self-starter; dedicated and goal-oriented team player
• Possess excellent time management and multi-tasking skills
• Be familiar and comfortable with software, including Point of Sale Systems
• Must show flexibility when asked to perform other tasks as needed
• Ability to work evenings, holidays, and weekends as scheduled
• Be able to lift and/or move up to 50 pounds on select occasions and stand for long periods
• Ability to follow established company policies
• Canadian Citizenship or permanent resident status
• Possess a minimum of Grade 12 Graduation Diploma, Dogwood, or equivalent
• Must be willing to present a BC Vaccine Card showing full COVID-19 vaccination and abide by all COVID-19 regulations. If, over time, Health Canada updates its definition of “fully vaccinated” (such as requiring “booster” vaccine doses), employees will be expected to comply to maintain fully vaccinated status

The following will be considered an asset for this position:

• Previous commercial or personal kitchen/baking experience
• Positive, forward-thinking
• Teachable, receiving critique and mentoring with decorum
• Flexible, early riser
• Quick-moving, high-functioning multitasking
• Approachable yet firm, tactful, and diplomatic
• Food Safe Level 1, Serving It Right, First Aid
• Desire to learn about and work with dietary restrictions
• Reliability and punctuality are a must 

The Exploration Place is an equal opportunity employer.

We do not discriminate against ability, ethnicity, gender identity, socioeconomic background, or sexual orientation. We strongly encourage applications from racialized individuals, under-represented communities, diverse backgrounds, identities, and experiences. We’re looking for motivated, compassionate people who can execute from the ground up. The Exploration Place is committed to providing our team members with safe, quality work experience, employability skills, and access to career development through professional development opportunities and mentoring. We use an in- depth, hands-on training program that allows our new employees to learn by doing, working closely with all departments and with our leadership team.

 All offers are subject to the satisfactory completion of reference, police criminal record checks, and proof of vaccination. Only successful applicants will be contacted. Please email your resume, cover letter, and three references to: Attn: Jeni Arnott Manager – Origins Kitchen

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