Director of Produce Operations

About This Role

This role involves overseeing the profitability, freshness, and visual excellence of the Produce Department across all five locations. The Director will balance sophisticated procurement strategy with hands-on leadership to ensure optimal product availability and quality.

Responsibilities

• Act as the primary buyer for all locations, negotiating with wholesalers, brokers, and local growers for quality at competitive costs
• Continuously vet and manage vendor relationships to ensure reliability and food safety compliance
• Set retail pricing strategies to balance competitive market positioning with aggressive gross profit targets
• Define and document SOPs for receiving, rotation (FIFO), culling, crisping, and storage to maximize shelf life
• Directly oversee, train, and hold Produce Managers accountable, ensuring every store operates at high standards
• Ensure all locations exceed health department standards and internal organic/safety certifications
• Create Planograms and seasonal merchandising sets to drive impulse buys and highlight seasonal peaks
• Work with Meat and Deli departments for cross-merchandising to create meal-solution displays
• Lead the selection of weekly specials and promotional items to drive foot traffic
• Implement aggressive waste-reduction programs to manage shrink
• Monitor labor costs, sales-per-man-hour, and gross margins across all sites (P&L responsibility)
• Conduct regular audits to ensure inventory levels are lean but sufficient

Requirements

• 7+ years in Produce
• 3+ years in multi-unit management or corporate buying role
• Expert knowledge of produce seasonality, grading, and variety
• Strong negotiation skills
• Proficiency in Inventory Management/POS systems
• Ability to use data (sales reports, shrink logs) for buying decisions
• Willingness to travel between all 5 locations

Qualifications

• 7+ years in Produce, with at least 3 years in a multi-unit management or corporate buying role.

Skills

* Required skills