Head Pastry Chef & Production Manager
Full-time | Artarmon, Sydney
Lead the kitchen behind some of Sydney's sweetest celebrations
The Cupcake Factory and Daily Dough Co are proudly part of Giftd Collective—an Australian-owned group of premium gifting and dessert brands that also includes Gourmet Basket.
From our purpose-built production facility in Artarmon, we create thousands of cakes, cupcakes, doughnuts, cookies, brownies and other baked treats for celebrations, corporate events and major seasonal campaigns across Sydney.
Backed by more than 20 years in gifting and celebrations, Giftd Collective is entering an exciting recent stage of growth.
We're expanding our ranges, strengthening our production capabilities and exploring new opportunities to grow.
We're now looking for an experienced, energetic and hands‐on Head Pastry Chef & Production Manager to lead our kitchen, inspire our team and help take our products and production standards to the next level.
About the role
This is a rare opportunity to combine your creativity and pastry skills with genuine production leadership.
You'll take ownership of the kitchen's day‐to‐day performance, ensuring every order is produced accurately, efficiently, safely and to an exceptional standard.
You'll lead from the front—working alongside the team, solving problems and stepping into production and decorating whenever required.
You'll also have the opportunity to influence how the kitchen operates, improve systems and standards, and collaborate on exciting new recipes, ranges and seasonal collections.
What you'll be responsible for
Leading the daily operation of our busy pastry production kitchen
Creating clear production schedules around order volumes and delivery deadlines
Coordinating bakers, pastry chefs, cake decorators and kitchen assistants
Working hands‐on across baking, production, decorating and finishing




Ensuring every order is completed accurately, on time and to specification
Raising standards across product quality, consistency, presentation and portion control
Creating a clean, organised and highly efficient kitchen environment
Introducing effective cleaning schedules, checklists and operating procedures
Managing rosters, workflow, productivity and labour efficiency
Training, supporting and developing a capable, high‐performing team
Identifying opportunities to improve equipment, processes and production capacity
Working with our product team to develop and test new cakes, recipes, flavours and seasonal products
Scaling recipes successfully for commercial production
Maintaining strong food‐safety, hygiene and allergen‐management practices
Leading the kitchen confidently through large orders and seasonal peaks
About you
You're an experienced pastry professional who takes enormous pride in both the finished product and the way a kitchen operates.
You're creative but commercially minded, highly organised and comfortable making decisions.
You enjoy developing people, improving processes and creating an setting where everyone knows what is expected of them.
Most importantly, you're a leader who is willing to roll up your sleeves and work alongside the team.
You will ideally bring:
A relevant pastry, baking or commercial cookery qualification
Extensive professional pastry or bakery experience
Experience leading a pastry kitchen or high‐volume production team




Strong practical skills across cakes, cupcakes, doughnuts, brownies and other baked products
Confident cake‐decorating and finishing skills
Experience planning and managing high‐volume production
Strong people‐management, training and communication skills
Excellent organisational and problem‐solving abilities
A thorough understanding of kitchen hygiene, food safety and allergen management
Experience developing, testing and commercially scaling new recipes
An understanding of labour efficiency, product yields and waste reduction
Strong attention to detail and an unwavering commitment to quality
Experience in a central production kitchen, celebration‐cake business, wholesale bakery or multi‐brand food operation would be highly regarded.
Why join Giftd Collective?
Make a visible impact
This is a role where your ideas and leadership will matter.
You'll have the opportunity to improve the kitchen's systems, standards, quality and performance—and see the results of your work every day.
Combine creativity with leadership
Continue doing what you love while stepping into a meaningful leadership position.
You'll remain connected to the products while developing your team and helping create exciting new recipes and ranges.
Join us at an exciting time
Become part of an established Australian group with more than 20 years of experience, much‐loved brands and ambitious plans.
Ready to create what comes next?
If you're a talented pastry leader who loves creating exceptional products, building great teams and making busy kitchens run brilliantly, this could be the opportunity you've been waiting for.
Bring your ideas, experience and energy—and help shape the next chapter of The Cupcake Factory, Daily Dough Co and Giftd Collective.
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📌 Head Pastry Chef & Production Manager (Sydney)
🏢 Gourmet Basket
📍 Sydney