Pastry Chef - Sous Chef

At SLS The Red Sea, we don’t just create desserts; we create experiences. As a Pastry Chef, you will lead the pastry and bakery operations, bringing creativity, craftsmanship, and innovation to every culinary experience while upholding the highest standards of quality, consistency, and guest satisfaction.

Working closely with the Chef de Cuisine and Executive Chef, you will oversee pastry and bakery production across the hotel’s culinary outlets, from signature dining and in-room dining to banqueting and special events. You will play a key role in shaping the sweet side of SLS’s culinary identity while leading, mentoring, and developing a talented pastry team.

This is a hands-on leadership role that combines creativity, operational excellence, and strategic thinking, ensuring every pastry and dessert reflects the distinctive style, precision, and premium standards of SLS The Red Sea.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead daily pastry and bakery operations across restaurants, bars, in-room dining, banqueting, and special events.

• Collaborate with the Chef de Cuisine and Executive Chef to develop innovative, seasonal, and sustainable pastry and dessert concepts across all outlets.

• Ensure consistently high standards of preparation, presentation, flavor, and quality across all pastry and bakery products.

• Drive creativity and innovation through menu development, emerging patisserie trends, guest feedback, and new culinary techniques.

• Oversee recipe development and adherence, portion control, product consistency, and presentation in line with SLS brand standards.

• Manage pastry production planning and ensure efficient execution across all outlets and service periods.

• Monitor food costs, inventory, ordering, stock rotation, and resource utilization to support profitability and minimize waste.

• Ensure pastry equipment and work areas are maintained in safe, clean, and operational condition, reporting any maintenance requirements promptly.

• Lead, train, coach, and motivate the pastry team, fostering a positive, collaborative, and high-performance kitchen culture.

• Support workforce planning, scheduling, task allocation, recruitment, onboarding, and performance development of pastry team members.

• Maintain strict standards of hygiene, sanitation, food safety, and HACCP compliance in accordance with hotel policies and applicable local regulations.

• Conduct regular inspections to ensure cleanliness, proper food storage, production standards, and operational readiness.

• Collaborate closely with F&B, Front of House, Banqueting, Events, and outlet teams to ensure seamless service delivery and consistent culinary standards.

• Support special dietary requirements, personalized guest requests, and VIP experiences while maintaining the highest standards of quality and presentation.

• Liaise with Purchasing and Stores to ensure the availability, quality, and specification compliance of pastry and bakery products and ingredients.

• Maintain a strong and visible presence in the kitchen during service, providing guidance and support to the team when required.

• Stay current with developments in pastry, bakery, dessert innovation, and luxury hospitality to continuously enhance the culinary offering.

• Represent SLS The Red Sea through creativity, leadership, professionalism, and an unwavering commitment to culinary excellence and memorable guest experiences.

• Degree or Diploma in Pastry Arts, Culinary Arts, or Culinary Management is preferred.

• Minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in luxury hospitality, premium hotels, or high-end pastry and bakery operations.

• Minimum of 2 years of experience in a leadership role, such as Pastry Sous Chef or above.

• Proven expertise in advanced pastry techniques, bakery operations, dessert development, and culinary innovation.

• Strong knowledge of food safety, HACCP standards, sanitation practices, and kitchen management systems.

• Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, and inspire a diverse culinary team in a fast-paced environment.

• Strong organizational and planning skills with exceptional attention to detail, quality, and deadlines.

• Excellent understanding of food cost, inventory management, waste reduction, and resource optimization.

• A creative and innovative mindset with a genuine passion for pastry, bakery, and delivering memorable guest experiences.

• Strong communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.