Executive Pastry Chef

About the Role

Mattos Hospitality is seeking an Executive Pastry Chef for a new venture opening in New York City in early 2027. Joining during the pre-opening stage, the Executive Pastry Chef will work closely with the culinary leadership team to develop the pastry program, build and train the team, and establish the systems and standards that will guide the operation from opening forward.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and execution of the pastry program from pre-opening through launch and ongoing operations
• Collaborate with the culinary leadership team to develop desserts, breads, pastries, and other offerings appropriate to the different food and beverage experiences
• Lead recipe development, tastings, testing, documentation, costing, and ongoing refinement of the pastry program
• Build the pastry team structure and recruit, hire, train, and develop a strong opening team
• Establish pastry production systems, recipes, SOPs, prep standards, training tools, and quality controls
• Oversee daily pastry production and service, ensuring consistency, organization, and execution across all areas of the operation
• Develop production schedules and systems that support multiple outlets while maintaining quality and efficiency
• Source ingredients and maintain strong relationships with vendors, purveyors, and suppliers, with a focus on quality and consistency
• Own pastry food cost, labor, purchasing, inventory, waste, and product utilization within established financial targets
• Partner with culinary, finance, and senior leadership on budgets, forecasting, and the financial performance of the pastry program
• Maintain rigorous standards for product quality, presentation, portioning, and consistency
• Develop pastry leaders and team members through clear expectations, coaching, accountability, and ongoing training
• Maintain high standards of organization, cleanliness, food safety, sanitation, workplace safety, and DOH compliance
• Work collaboratively with the broader culinary team to ensure the pastry program is cohesive with the overall culinary direction
• Foster a kitchen culture centered on professionalism, collaboration, curiosity, respect, and continuous development
• Remain actively engaged in production and service while continuing to evolve the pastry program after opening

Qualifications

• Significant experience as an Executive Pastry Chef, Pastry Chef, or senior pastry leader within high-quality, full-service restaurants or comparable hospitality environments
• Experience opening a restaurant or developing a pastry program from its early stages strongly preferred
• Strong technical foundation across pastry, desserts, baking, and production, with a thoughtful and refined approach to development and execution
• A clear creative perspective balanced by an understanding of consistency, efficiency, and the operational needs of the business
• Demonstrated ability to recruit, train, develop, and retain strong pastry teams
• Experience managing pastry production across multiple services, outlets, or concepts preferred
• Strong understanding of food and labor costs, recipe costing, purchasing, inventory, production planning, and waste control
• Highly organized and comfortable establishing systems, standards, and structure from the ground up
• A composed and accountable leader who communicates clearly and leads with consistency
• Collaborative in approach and comfortable working across pastry, savory culinary, operations, finance, and senior leadership
• Hands-on and detail-oriented, with high standards for both product and execution
• Motivated by the opportunity to build and develop a pastry program with a long-term perspective

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Robust Paid Time Off Policy
• Performance-Based Incentive Plan
• Paid Parental Leave
• Commuter Benefits
• Discounted Gym Membership
• Dining Discounts across Mattos Hospitality
• Employee Assistance Program

Physical Demands: The physical demands for this position include seeing, hearing, speaking, reaching, frequently lifting up to 25 pounds, occasionally lifting up to 50 pounds, standing for extended periods, bending, and moving intermittently throughout working hours.

Note: Job description is subject to change based on business necessity. Mattos Hospitality reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties and responsibilities as business needs evolve.