Production Manager – Artisanal Bakery

Little Sister Bakery Melbourne – Braeside VIC

Little Sister Bakery is a growing artisanal bakery producing handcrafted breads, pastries and baked goods for our 7 retail locations as well as a growing wholesale customer base across Melbourne.

We are looking for an experienced and hands-on Production Manager to lead our central production operation in Braeside.

This is a key leadership position for someone who understands commercial bakery production, knows how to lead a team, and can take ownership of the day-to-day production operation while maintaining the quality and standards of an artisan bakery.

About the Role

As Production Manager, you will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day production operation and ensuring that products are produced consistently, efficiently, safely and to the standard expected by our retail and wholesale customers.

• Planning and coordinating daily and weekly production requirements
• Managing production schedules to meet retail and wholesale demand
• Leading, supervising and supporting the production team
• Allocating staff and managing production priorities
• Ensuring products are produced consistently according to recipes, specifications and quality standards
• Monitoring production efficiency, waste and product yields
• Managing ingredient and production requirements in coordination with the wider operations team
• Maintaining food safety, hygiene and workplace safety standards
• Ensuring production equipment is used correctly and maintained appropriately
• Identifying and resolving production issues quickly and effectively
• Training and developing production team members
• Monitoring staff performance, attendance and productivity
• Working closely with management, retail and wholesale teams to ensure production requirements are met
• Taking ownership of production deadlines and ensuring orders are completed accurately and on time
• Continuously looking for ways to improve production systems, workflow, efficiency and consistency

This is a hands-on management role. While you will lead and manage the production team, you will also be expected to understand the production process, step in when required and lead by example.

What We're Looking For

We are looking for someone who has:

• At least 6 years' experience in commercial bakery production, with proven leadership or management experience
• Strong knowledge of artisan bread and/or pastry production
• Experience managing a production team in a busy commercial environment
• Strong organisational and planning skills
• The ability to manage multiple production priorities and deadlines
• Excellent attention to detail and a strong focus on consistency and quality
• Experience with production scheduling, stock management and minimising waste
• Strong understanding of food safety and workplace safety requirements
• The ability to identify problems and make practical decisions quicklyStrong communication and people-management skills
• The ability to train, develop and hold team members accountable
• A calm, organised and solutions-focused approach under pressure
• A strong work ethic and genuine pride in producing high-quality products

You will need to be comfortable working early mornings and weekends, as required by the production schedule.

What We Offer

• Full-time leadership position within a growing artisanal bakery business
• Competitive salary based on experience and capability
• Full time: $90,000 – $110,000 + superannuation per year
• Opportunity to take ownership of a significant production operation
• A hands-on role with genuine responsibility and influence
• Opportunity to develop and improve production systems as the business continues to grow
• A passionate team that takes pride in the quality of what we produce
• The opportunity to grow with an expanding Melbourne bakery business

About Us

Little Sister Bakery is a growing Melbourne bakery focused on quality, craftsmanship and consistency.

Our central production facility in Braeside supplies our retail locations as well as wholesale customers across Melbourne. We produce a broad range of artisan breads, pastries and bakery products, with a strong focus on quality ingredients, traditional techniques and consistent production.

We are continuing to grow, and this role will play an important part in strengthening and developing our production operation.

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