Head Baker

From the first bagel in the morning to the last pizza at night, we're looking for someone who knows their way around dough!

Irene's Finer Diner, a neighborhood diner and bagel shop in Chicago's North Center neighborhood, is looking for an experienced, creative, and passionate Head Baker to lead our naturally leavened baking program.

We're looking for someone who loves the craft of baking, understands the magic of great dough, and takes pride in making things from scratch. We serve fresh bagels at our bagel shop, make four different naturally leavened breads for the restaurant, and when the sun goes down, we're starting to sling pizza!

• Lead daily baking and production of fresh bagels, breads, pizza dough, and other baked goods.
• Mix, shape, proof, and bake dough from scratch.
• Oversee dough preparation and fermentation for our nighttime pizza program.
• Maintain recipes and consistent production standards.
• Manage ordering, inventory, and kitchen organization.
• Lead an assistant baker
• Bring creativity and new ideas to our baking program.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and efficient workspace.

• Professional baking experience, ideally with bagels, sourdough or naturally leavened bread, or pizza dough.
• A strong understanding of fermentation, proofing, and dough development.
• Someone who is organized, reliable, and takes pride in their work.
• A hands-on leader who enjoys working alongside a team.
• Someone who can balance quality, creativity, and the demands of a busy neighborhood restaurant.
• A genuine love for making really good food.

We're a neighborhood spot with a lot going on and a lot of heart. Breakfast, bagels, diner classics, and pizza at night make for an exciting and creative kitchen. This is an opportunity to take ownership of a baking program, put your stamp on the menu, and help us make Irene's an even better place to eat. Irene's is a small locally owned and managed restaurant. You'll be working daily with two of the three partners, which makes for a much easier communication tree. No corporate, just real people cooking real food.

Competitive pay based on experience.

If you love dough, take your baking seriously, but don't take yourself too seriously, we'd love to meet you!

Come make something great with us at Irene's Finer Diner!