Job Description

We are looking for a new Associate Bakery Coordinator- one with pastry chef, food production and retail leadership experience to round out our regional support team and help drive our programs forward and keep us on the innovative and creative edge of our industry! 

The right candidate will help lead and direct the Bakery team in driving program initiatives while continuously improving the offerings and execution in our Bakery departments. The Bakery Associate Coordinator will also help ensure the team has excellent working relationships with the various Whole Foods Market working groups including Store Team Leaders, Regional Leadership Team, Global Team, Regional Marketing and Regional Accounting.
This person is responsible for helping to develop, and ensuring promotion and implementation of the vision and standards for the Bakery program in the SW Region.

-Pastry Production and recipe and program development
-Keep us on the innovative and creative edge of our industry
-Coordinate implementation of programs for 19 stores and 2 Bakehouse facilities
-Drive programs that represent our Core Values and drive success for all of our Stakeholders
-Educate our Team Members on current programs and culinary trends

-Oversee initial menu planning, schematics, and production for all venues
-Assist with new store development and design
-Drive innovation and sales in products from our Bakehouses
-Hands on recipe development and maintaining our recipe and costing database (Cost Guard)
-Create and provide hands on production and product training
-Work in a system that communicates current projects, their priority, current status and expected completion
-Hands on work in our stores driving all Bakery programs, sales, financial success, and merchandising initiatives that are consistent across markets in all of our stores
-Establish protocols, standards for new items/venues development and roll-out
-Provide visionary leadership for Southwest Regional programs and assist n the development and promotion of annual strategic plans
-Improve team productivity and consistency
-Assist with regional product procurement and vendor relations
-Provide financial direction and tools enabling teams to make intelligent and informed purchasing, production, mix, and merchandising decisions 
- Meet or exceed all regional financial performance targets
-Establish and maintain a service-oriented relationship with stores and facilities
-Project Lead in store openings and remodels
-Attend monthly Sunday inventories in stores
-Monitor and respond to market trends ensuring continued innovation
-Conduct market analysis of competitors and guest trends
-Conduct frequent and impactful store visits, maintain great working relationships
-Responsible for continued development of team leadership at the store and regional level
-Continued development, sourcing and research of new product offerings
-Responsible for meeting all standards regarding the safe handling of food, equipment and organic guidelines are maintained.
-Compliance of applicable safety regulations including HACCP, OSHA, Dept. of Labor, Weights and Measures and local food and sanitation laws
-Help establish and maintain Green Mission efforts for the Bakery team
-Other duties and special projects as assigned

-Must have a minimum 2 years of multi-unit leadership experience in a retail Bakery or Prepared Foods environment
-Minimum of 5 years experience in Pastry Production or other production preferred
-Chocolate experience a plus
-Experience in fine pastry with the ability to translate this to multiple outlets with Team Members of varying skill levels.
-Ability to produce products that range from the sublime to the whimsical.
-Thrive in Team atmosphere
-Previous experience in recipe development preferred
-Passion for people, food, bakery, and Fun!
-Proven track record of exceptional creativity, detail and culinary execution.
-Excellent communication skills - both written and verbal
-Excellent listening skills
-Exceptional organizational skills
-Demonstrated success in setting and meeting or exceeding sales and budget targets
-Ability to successfully analyze and respond to sales, purchase and customer trends
-Demonstrated success in leading teams
-Strong product knowledge in the Bakery Category
-Able and willing to travel 80% of the time, with overnight travel
-Extremely flexible schedule, ready for "last minute" schedule changes
-Strong proven experience as an able leader and mentor
-Demonstrated experience developing a team
-Strong computer skills, especially with Microsoft Office applications
-Strong proven customer service skills
-Strong proven communication and presentation skills, ability to energize and inspire
-Display a strong sense of urgency, ownership and accountability
-Able to lead leaders
-A genuine, uncontrollable love and passion for food

At Whole Foods Market, we empower our Team Members to make their own decisions, thus creating an environment where people are treated with respect and are highly motivated to excel. Our Team Members represent over 50 different nations. We are people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, yet all work together to meet the needs of our Guests.

We look for individuals who are passionate about food, people, and our company's mission. We also look for well-rounded individuals who will help build our locations into profitable and beneficial members of their communities.

We are committed to mentoring Team Members through education and on-the-job experience. As a result, we are able to fill a majority of leadership roles from our existing team member base. We also recognize that there are individuals with talent outside of Whole Foods Market, and have training programs to bring those new leaders into the company.

We offer great benefits beginning with a full complement of medical and other traditional group health plan coverage, 401k plan, and a 20% discount at our stores.

We look forward to seeing you in our stores!