Baker

A Little About Us
Flying Squirrel Bakery Café serves pastries, artisan breads and creative savory items year round. We strive to provide a creative selection of delicious 100% made from scratch foods, featuring Alaska and organic ingredients as much as possible. This includes fruits and vegetables grown on the family farm, Birch Creek Ranch also near Talkeetna. Flying Squirrel attracts customers of all kinds: vegans, gluten free folks, and meat lovers too; local residents, Alaska travelers and visitors from all over the world; people traveling by car, truck, RV, bicycle, dogsled, snowmachine, baby carriage, on foot or on skis. Equally important to the business model: responsible and thoughtful development, care for the environment, attention to health, nutrition, and food issues, a cooperative, supportive work setting, and commitment to the local community. Since the pandemic, we have struggled to find enough help during the very busy summer season. A small core of smart, funny, hard working, dedicated staff always come together giving "The Squirrel" as locals call it, a state-wide reputation for high quality deliciousness and friendly customer service for all who walk through our doors. Please explore our website!

Who We're Looking For
We hope to attract folks that fit our vibe and want to experience a season in this interesting, beautiful, adventurous place, bringing with them a great work ethic, some relevant experience, a positive, open-minded attitude, and a love of food! We are interested in employing people who are mature, enjoy being around people, but are equally happy to be alone and independent. Being physically fit and resilient are important (yes we have plenty of mosquitoes and rain) - experiencing joy balanced with challenge, even hardship is part of what makes Alaska life amazing. 

Baker: We are specifically looking for an experienced full time baker(s) to begin as soon as possible, early-mid May at the latest. The baker (or maybe 2!) should be interested in learning and performing all aspects of preparing breads and cafe-style sweets and must be an "early bird" starting at 5:00am each day. This position is intense and rewarding with care for details, efficiency, openness to constructive criticism and achieving consistency, and daily production from established recipes of wood-fired artisan breads, morning pastries, lots of cookies, cheesecakes, pies, cupcakes and more. Multi-tasking, organization, clean-as-you-go, and ability to work independently as well as part of a team are necessary. If you love it here, a year round position may be available, but a commitment to work through at least mid-September is required.

Part time baking could be combined with a few front counter/barista/customer service shifts or part time prep cook if you prefer variety, have relevant experience, or if the full time baking positions have been filled.

What We Offer for Your Hard Work
The $$$: Though our local employees are compensated with the equivalent (after all added tips and bonuses) of $20-25/hour, seasonal employees coming to Alaska for the first time will start at $12/hour (with an average of $5/hour in tips) and will earn an additional $4/hour bonus upon completion of the season in mid September. We can only employ people who are able to legally work in the US and can provide a SS#.

The Housing: Tucked in the woods next to the bakery are two camper trailers for 1 or 2 people max in each that can be rented at a very affordable rate for the full season to full time employees only. Simple, rustic, woodsy, best commute, hiking and canoeing just a 10 minute walk away. One camper is more modern and the other is a little bigger, and more of a "vintage" style. Both include a double bed, small refrigerator/freezer, 3-4 burner stove top, oven, sink, heat, electricity, and internet access. Water is filled from the bakery and carried to the campers as needed. We are hoping to have a small bathroom/shower available by mid summer. For now, an outhouse will be provided. A cozy firepit is close by. Bicycles can be provided. People-friendly, well behaved dog may be considered. Many other housing options are available in our area and we can provide resources to help find summer or year round accommodations.

Bakery Perks: The Squirrel offers one free meal and drink per shift and a discount for other purchases. Excess fresh, organically grown  veggies from our family farm are often gifted from July-September. We can help with access to groceries through our weekly ordering.

Talkeetna and Beyond
Nature & Outdoor Recreation: Joining our team for the summer, you will leave this place having experienced beauty like almost nowhere else on earth. We will make sure you have hiked on the trails out our back door, canoed or swam in the lake a 10 minute walk from the bakery, taken the train to Denali National Park, listened to live music in Talkeetna's village park, picked stones on the beach across the railroad bridge on the river - there are too many more fun activities to list!

The Town: Talkeetna is a small Alaska village popular for tourist activities and its access to recreational fishing, hiking, hunting, boating, and flight-seeing. It is the center of fly in access for mountain climbing in Denali National Park and has a small but active year round population with vibrant arts and educational activities, winter outdoor recreation, restaurants, gift shops, historical museum, National Park ranger station and much more. Summer employees are encouraged to take advantage of discounted or comped tourism opportunities such as zip lining, river rafting, jet boat tours and scenic flight tours. There are many opportunities in Talkeetna for fulfilling social activities including volunteering - our favorites: local public radio, local library, arts center with art, drama, circus and music to watch or participate in, food bank, and our own family farm!

Area Amenities: Showers and laundry are available in Talkeetna town (3 miles). Laundry is also available about 1/2 mile away. We have a separated, paved bike path next to the main road that travels into Talkeetna town (3 miles) and all the way to the Parks Highway interchange (11 miles). There is also a public transportation shuttle van that travels back and forth on the main road into Talkeetna town and to the "Y" (Parks Highway interchange) on week days with a grocery store, a credit union, hardware store, and auto parts store. Most people prefer to have a car in order to access conventional box store shopping 1 hour 15 minute drive away in Wasilla and to explore the beauty of Alaska in Hatcher Pass, Denali State Park, Denali National Park and beyond.