Director of Food Service Operations - Palestine, Texas

MissionHires · Palestine, United States

Our client is seeking a hands‑on, high‑accountability leader to serve as the Director of Food Service Operations or Commisary Operations at their central food production facility. This person will be ultimately responsible for the day‑to‑day execution and operational performance of the facility, ensuring food is produced, packaged, and delivered with excellence, consistency, and efficiency. This role is ideal for someone who thrives on building systems, leading teams, managing complexity, and turning strategy into reality — while working alongside a passionate team to create a better regional food system.

Responsibilities

• Ensure smooth, efficient, and consistent execution across all departments — including Bakery, Pantry, Smokehouse, and Sourcing & Fulfillment.
• Directly manage the Production Manager and Department Leads (3–5 direct reports).
• Establish a robust, redundant management structure to ensure 7‑day operational continuity.
• Oversee production scheduling, staffing, and facility‑wide priorities to meet delivery deadlines and inventory targets.
• Design and enforce systems for process control, staff training, quality assurance, and inventory management.
• Maintain thorough documentation across all departments.
• Leverage software systems (Odoo) to manage operations, inventory, purchasing, scheduling, and traceability.
• Ensure strict adherence to food safety protocols (HACCP, FDA, local health regulations) across departments.
• Work closely with other departments to ensure seamless coordination.
• Translate strategic goals into effective operational systems.
• Ensure that equipment is adequately maintained, facility issues are promptly addressed, and uptime is maximized.
• Support a strong team culture rooted in ownership, communication, and continuous improvement.
• Track and report on P&L, production yields, waste, labor efficiency, and delivery performance.
• Forecast needs, scale capacity with company growth, and coordinate closely with retail and leadership.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience managing a food production operation (commissary, multi‑unit prep kitchen, food manufacturing, etc.)
• Proven experience with perishable food systems
• Strong knowledge of production scheduling, food safety, inventory systems, and team leadership
• Experience working with or implementing ERP systems (Odoo strongly preferred)
• Ability to lead through systems and documentation, not just personal presence
• Excellent communicator, clear thinker, strong follow‑through
• Self‑manager and self‑learner who thrives in a dynamic, fast‑paced environment

Benefits

• Relocation Assistance
• Full Benefits
• Equity Participation