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Food Service Director

Department: Central Planning & Resources (CPR)
Status: Full-Time, Salaried, At-Will
Reports To: Chief Executive Officer
Supervises: Central Kitchen Operations Manager, Central Bakery Manager, Café Training & Programs Manager, Food Service Administrator, Category Leaders (as assigned)

Position Summary

The Food Service Director provides strategic, financial, and operational leadership for all prepared foods, café, bakery, catering, and central production programs across Outpost Natural Foods Cooperative.

This role is accountable for revenue growth, program development, food safety compliance, culinary innovation, margin performance, operational consistency, and leadership development across multiple locations.

The Director ensures all food service operations reflect cooperative values, strong financial stewardship, and exceptional customer experience.

Essential Responsibilities

1. Strategic Leadership & Planning

• Serve as a member of the Central Planning & Resources leadership team.
• Develop and execute long-term strategies for prepared foods, cafés, bakery, catering, and wholesale operations.
• Participate in annual budgeting and strategic planning processes.
• Identify growth opportunities and expansion of food programs.
• Lead operational change initiatives, including facility redesign, production scaling, and program restructuring.

2. Financial Management & Revenue Accountability

• Develop and manage annual budgets for all food service departments.
• Establish and monitor gross margin targets, labor percentages, shrink control, and production efficiencies.
• Partner with Finance and Store I.T on pricing strategy and margin integrity.
• Evaluate program ROI and financial feasibility prior to launch.
• Use data and reporting tools (including production and inventory systems) to drive decision-making.

3. Program Development & Sales Growth

• Design, launch, and scale food programs that increase customer engagement, traffic, and sales.
• Develop seasonal, promotional, catering, and destination café initiatives.
• Ensure program scalability and operational consistency across locations.
• Assess customer demand, industry trends, and competitive positioning.
• Refine or sunset underperforming programs based on measurable performance.

4. Culinary & Production Oversight

• Oversee central kitchen and bakery production standards and execution.
• Establish SOPs and production flow systems to maximize efficiency and quality.
• Ensure recipe costing accuracy and inventory integrity.
• Support managers in seasonal menu planning and product innovation.
• Maintain alignment between central production and retail café execution.

5. Food Safety & Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local food safety regulations.
• Oversee HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) plans, Hazard Analysis Worksheets (HAWs), SOPs, sanitation programs, and Environmental Monitoring Programs (EMP).
• Maintain accurate labeling, allergen declarations, and nutritional transparency.
• Conduct regular sanitation audits across all food production and café locations.
• Maintain PCQI (Preventive Controls Qualified Individual) oversight and regulatory documentation.

6. Café Operations & Retail Execution

• Establish operational, merchandising, and hospitality standards for cafés.
• Ensure consistent service quality and operational focus across locations.
• Identify operational inefficiencies and implement corrective systems.
• Collaborate with Store Operations leadership on layout, merchandising, and service improvements.

7. Leadership & Talent Development

• Hire, mentor, coach, and evaluate direct reports.
• Build succession plans within food service leadership.
• Conduct regular leadership meetings across production and café teams.
• Ensure performance management aligns with cooperative policies and union agreements.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

8. All Staff Responsibilities

• Abide by all cooperative policies and procedures.
• Promote cooperative values and inclusive workplace culture.
• Maintain regular, predictable attendance.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the CEO.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 5+ years progressive leadership experience in food service, multi-unit restaurant, retail grocery, or commissary production.
• Demonstrated success managing multi-site operations.
• Proven experience designing and implementing revenue-generating food programs.
• Strong financial acumen including budgeting, costing, and margin management.
• Supervisory experience with managers and leadership teams.
• Deep knowledge of food safety systems, HACCP, and regulatory compliance.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and production/inventory systems.
• ServSafe certification (or ability to obtain).
• PCQI certification (or ability to obtain).

Preferred

• Culinary degree or equivalent professional culinary training