Production Bakery Manager

Artisserie is a distinguished high-end bakery and dining concept established by Chef Vitaliya Popovych, a classically trained patissiere renowned for her dedication to craft and quality. With two prime locations in Portland's vibrant Pearl District and the charming Downtown Lake Oswego, Artisserie combines artisanal baking techniques with an elevated dining experience, creating a unique destination for both locals and visitors alike. The bakery and dining concept thrives on innovation, exquisite flavor profiles, and exceptional presentation, setting a high standard for culinary excellence in the region. Known for blending traditional French pastry methods with contemporary tastes, Artisserie continuously attracts a clientele that appreciates refined delicacies crafted with precision and passion.

The role offered is for a hands-on Operations Assistant responsible for bridging the gap between production and retail while managing a skilled and creative team. This position is vital in protecting the artistry that defines the Artisserie brand, ensuring that every product maintains the premium quality for which the bakery is known. This is a contract-to-hire role, initially starting with a 3-month contract aimed at transitioning into a permanent position upon successful achievement of key performance metrics. These metrics include improving wholesale efficiency, optimizing production flow, retaining team members, and fostering strong collaboration between production and retail sectors.

The Operations Assistant will oversee daily wholesale production scheduling, ensuring timely fulfillment and uncompromising quality across both bakery locations. This position requires a keen eye for detail and excellent organizational skills to optimize production flow while focusing on reducing food costs, tracking waste, and improving labor efficiency. A critical part of the role involves managing the production team through hiring, training, scheduling, and performance management, thereby fostering a motivated and accountable workforce.

Additionally, the Assistant will serve as a vital communication link between the wholesale production and retail front-of-house teams to maintain product consistency and customer satisfaction. Close coordination with Chef Vitaliya Popovych will be essential to uphold product standards, manage seasonal menu transitions, and oversee custom orders. This role also includes responsibilities such as maintaining rigorous safety compliance, enforcing food safety protocols, and overseeing equipment maintenance to ensure a safe and efficient working environment.

Candidates for this position should possess at least three years of management experience within food production, bakery, or culinary operations, along with familiarity in back-of-house (BOH) operations. Proven capabilities in production scheduling, labor budget management, and controlling food costs are essential. Leadership skills, including hiring, training, scheduling, and performance accountability, are crucial for success in this role. The role requires food handler certification or the ability to obtain certification upon hire, and availability to work early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays for approximately 45 hours per week.

Preferred candidates will have prior experience in artisan bakery or patisserie environments, wholesale operations or commissary management, and a background in growing dining programs or restaurant concepts. This is an excellent opportunity for a dedicated and detail-oriented professional eager to contribute to a prestigious bakery and dining establishment known for its culinary artistry and operational excellence.