Lead Baker

About Co-Dough
Co-Dough is a fast-growing bakery startup in the heart of Newport, Rhode Island. As an early-stage business, we are actively building and refining our operations, which requires adaptability, problem-solving, and ownership. We focus on operational excellence through continuous improvement and hands-on collaboration in a dynamic, fast-paced environment. This role offers the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to building a business from the ground up and growing alongside it.

About the Role
We are seeking a full-time Lead Baker to help build and scale our bakery from the ground up. This is a highly hands-on production role focused on executing daily prep & baking with exceptional speed, efficiency, and consistency. The Lead Baker will be responsible for producing high-quality products to standard, maintaining a clean and organized workspace, and supporting smooth production flow across doughs, baking, and finishing. While this role does not require formal people management, it does require strong technical skill, reliability, and the ability to set the pace through example in a fast-moving environment. This position offers meaningful opportunities for growth as the business expands.

Core Responsibilities

• Maintain a clean, organized, and food-safe production environment, setting the standard for sanitation, equipment care, and station readiness
• Oversee adherence to recipes, scaling accuracy, fermentation schedules, and baking procedures
• Identify inefficiencies in workflow and proactively implement process improvements to increase productivity and reduce waste
• Support and guide team members during production, reinforcing standards and pacing in a fast-paced environment
• Monitor ingredient usage, assist with inventory organization, and communicate low-stock items promptly
• Ensure strict compliance with food safety, sanitation, and handling protocols at all times
• Adapt production plans based on demand, staffing, and operational needs
• Take ownership of production outcomes, ensuring tasks and projects are completed thoroughly and on schedule
• Maintain clean and organized daily production logs 
• Contribute to developing and refining operational systems as the business scales
• Consistently model professionalism, accountability, and leadership within the team

Qualities We Prefer

• Coachable & Always Improving: You take feedback well, ask questions when you’re unsure, and genuinely want to get better each week — whether it’s speed, consistency, or technique.
• Steady, Positive Presence: You stay calm under pressure, and often find ways  to help the team stay focused and grounded — even during times that feel rushed.
• Consistent & Process Driven: You demonstrate that great baking comes from repetition and precision. You care about doing things the right way every time, not just “getting it done” but actually enjoy the challenge of executing a consistent process even on off days. 
• Clean & Detail Oriented: You are known for being detailed at work. You take pride in keeping your space tight, clean, and production-ready.
• Reliable, Self-Starter: You don’t wait to be reminded — you see what needs to be done and follow through. It is important to you to find ways to make the most use of your time at work.
• Relevant Experience Preferred: You ideally have 2+ years of experience working in a kitchen or bakery environment and understand the pace, physical demands, and standards required in production settings with or without reasonable accommodation

Required 

• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States
• Available to work full-time, including early mornings, weekends, and holidays as required by bakery operations
• Ability to stand for extended periods (up to 8 hours)
• Ability to lift and carry up to 75 lbs
• Ability to perform repetitive tasks, including bending, reaching, and manual dexterity
• Ability to perform repetitive hand and wrist movements, including mixing, piping, portioning, and dishwashing
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced kitchen environment with heat and noise 
• Ability to work around food allergens (including but not limited to dairy, gluten, nuts, and eggs)

Compensation & Perks

• Pay Starting at $22-28 / hour based on experience
• Tips 
• Free bakery items
• Opportunities for growth