Gusto Bread

Company Description

Gusto Bread is a nationally recognized and James Beard nominated bakery in Long Beach with a reputation for craft, culture, and hospitality. We are known for naturally leavened breads, pastries, and pan dulce with a thoughtful approach to technique and ingredients.

As our company grows, we are seeking experienced leaders who are excited to help build strong systems, develop people, and maintain the quality and consistency our guests and team expect.

Role Description

The Bakery Production Manager leads the kitchen at a systems and leadership level, overseeing all production, team development, and operational performance as the business grows into a multi-location bakery model. This role is responsible for building a highly functional, accountable, and well-trained team while ensuring that production runs consistently, efficiently, and with clarity. It requires someone who can move between big-picture planning and daily execution, while taking full ownership of outcomes across the kitchen.

This is a hands-on management and leadership role, with the primary responsibility of guiding people, building systems, and maintaining standards - not filling in as a production baker day to day.

Qualifications

• 3+ years in a management role within an artisan bakery or similar environment
• Strong experience with bread and/or laminated pastry production
• Proven ability to mentor, motivate, and manage a team 
• Demonstrated ability to build or improve operational systems
• Strong communication, organization, and follow-through
• High level of accountability, integrity and professionalism
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, high-volume production environment
• Experience with multi-location, large-scale or wholesale production is a plus
• Proficiency in inventory management and cost monitoring
• Working knowledge of Google Sheets / Excel
• Flexible availability, early mornings and production coverage when needed
• Commitment to quality, food safety standards, and cleanliness

Core Responsibilities

1) Kitchen Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, manage, and develop the full kitchen team (bread, pastry, prep, dish)
• Set clear expectations and hold team members accountable to performance, behavior, and company standards
• Ensure proper staffing levels, scheduling, and workload distribution
• Own hiring, onboarding, training, and ongoing development of all kitchen staff
• Conduct regular performance check-ins and deliver direct, constructive feedback
• Provide ongoing coaching to meet performance expectations, improve productivity
• Recognize employee accomplishments and identify opportunities for professional development
• Take full ownership of disciplinary actions, documentation, and follow-through
• Build upon company culture of professionalism, efficiency, and respect
• Model and promote the mission, vision, and values of the company
• Proactively find answers or solutions to team concerns or issues communicated up

2) Production & Operational Ownership

• Oversee all production from planning through execution across bread, pastry, and specialty items
• Lead production planning across daily, weekly, and seasonal timeframes
• Adjust pars, staffing, and workflow based on sales trends, holidays, and wholesale demand
• Maintain smooth coordination between team and leadership as well as production, café operations, and distribution
• Ensure production goals are consistently met

3) Systems, Structure & Scalability

• Build, implement, and continuously improve production systems and workflows
• Create and maintain SOPs that are clear, usable, and consistently followed
• Standardize recipes, processes, and production methods to support quality and growth
• Ensure all logs, records, and communication tools are used consistently (production logs, ordering systems, task tracking)
• Identify operational gaps and proactively implement solutions

4) Financial & Resource Management

• Manage ingredient, supply, and production inventory with cost awareness
• Monitor and control food cost, waste, and production efficiency
• Identify trends in waste, overproduction, or inefficiencies and correct them
• Order and forecast purchasing based on production needs and growth plans
• Contribute to labor efficiency by aligning staffing with production demand

5) Quality, Safety & Standards

• Uphold and enforce the highest standards of food safety, cleanliness, and organization
• Ensure all team members follow health codes and internal safety protocols
• Proactively identify and correct safety risks and sanitation issues in real time
• Investigate issues and customer complaints related to product quality and consistency
• Own incident reporting and follow-through
• Lead by example in maintaining a clean, safe, and disciplined kitchen environment

6) Equipment, Maintenance & Infrastructure

• Oversee equipment condition, maintenance schedules, and repair coordination
• Ensure issues are identified early and addressed without delay
• Support planning for future equipment and infrastructure needs as the business grows

7) Collaboration & Growth

• Collaborate with bakery leadership on menu development, seasonal planning, and production strategy
• Contribute to the thoughtful expansion of the bread and pastry program
• Support production team members in building foundational skills and advancing professionally
• Model the mission, vision, and values of the company in daily leadership
• Enforce departmental procedures and company policies, make recommendations
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Owner or Operations Director

Compensation & Benefits

Salary: $70,300–$85,000 annually, based on experience and performance

Benefits Include:

• Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Paid Time Off
• 401(k)
• Performance Bonuses
• Dining Discounts
• Cell Phone Stipend

PHYSICAL DEMANDS & WORK ENVIRONMENT

The physical demands described here are representative of those that an employee must meet to perform the essential functions of this position successfully.

• Standing, walking, talking, and listening for long periods.
• Lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling items up to 50 lbs.
• Frequent hand washing and the use of cleaning solutions.
• Repetitive movement of arms, fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Reaching high storage shelving with a stepladder.
• Squatting, kneeling, and bending to reach for objects in the lower cabinet or shelving.
• The noise level and temperature fluctuate with equipment use and outside weather.
• Exposure to hot ovens, cold storage, sharp tools, and food allergens.
• The employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers, to cut, handle, or feel objects, equipment, or controls.
• While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.
• The employee will spend up to 10 hours standing, walking, bending, stooping, and reaching with hands and arms.
• The employee may frequently lift and/or move up to 70 pounds.
• The walk-in refrigerated area is extremely cold.
• Working around kitchen equipment and tools.
• Work near others in a collaborative and team-oriented space.

Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, skills, requirements, qualifications, working conditions or physical demands associated with the job. The company reserves the right to revise the job description at any time. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.