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Woodlands Market · 1 month ago

Director of Retail Culinary Operations

Greenbrae, CA

Full-time

Onsite

Lead/Staff, Director/Executive

$85K/yr - $130K/yr

5+ years exp

Woodlands Market is a leader in gourmet retailing and innovation in the grocery industry. The Director of Retail Culinary Operations is responsible for ensuring the excellence and consistency of deli, prepared foods, bakery, and café programs across all retail locations while driving sales and operational efficiency through system optimization and team development.

Food and BeverageFood ProcessingRetail

Responsibilities

Support the maintenance and accuracy of all item, recipe, and pricing data for deli, prepared foods, bakery, café, e-commerce, and catering programs across internal systems

Ensure cost integrity by regularly auditing ingredient, labor, and packaging costs; proactively identify and resolve discrepancies in collaboration with offsite kitchen, production bakery, Procurement, Culinary, and Finance teams

Co-own and support the building, maintenance, and optimization of store-to-commissary and store-to-vendor ordering workflows that support retail, catering, and e-commerce demand

Establish and enforce standardized data governance procedures to ensure accuracy, consistency, and scalability across all locations and sales channels

Conduct routine system audits to validate SKU setup, recipes, yields, allergen data, and inventory alignment with operational reality

Develop and distribute reporting on sales performance, margin trends, waste, labor efficiency, and system compliance to support strategic decision-making

Continually evaluate systems and workflows, identifying opportunities for automation, process improvement, and cross-platform integration

Partner with IT, Finance, and Operations to support POS, inventory, production, and e-commerce system enhancements and rollouts

Lead the development and execution of merchandising standards for deli, prepared foods, bakery, and café programs across all retail locations

Design, implement, and maintain department layouts, planograms, and product displays that drive sales, operational flow, and visual excellence

Conduct regular (minimum weekly) store walks and deliver written feedback and scorecards to Store Managers, Department Managers, and Senior Leadership

Partner with Store and Department Managers to ensure timely follow-through on corrective actions and continuous improvement initiatives

Ensure all departments consistently meet quality, freshness, food safety, and sanitation standards

Support execution of new programs, seasonal rollouts, limited-time offers, and menu changes with disciplined implementation

Collaborate with Culinary, Marketing, and Operations to ensure in-store execution aligns with brand and promotional standards

Drive a culture of daily execution excellence through clear standards, visibility, accountability, and coaching

Partner with deli, prepared foods, bakery, café, e-commerce, and catering vendors to ensure seamless execution of programs, promotions, product launches, and ongoing supply needs

Collaborate with Procurement, Production (offsite kitchen and production bakery), Logistics, and Store Operations to ensure accurate product flow and availability

Support Department Managers in monitoring stock levels, forecasting demand, minimizing waste, and ensuring timely replenishment

Coordinate with suppliers on pricing, order minimums, lead times, and delivery schedules

Assist in onboarding new vendors and programs, ensuring systems setup, training alignment, and execution readiness

Troubleshoot supply chain, production, and in-store execution issues in real time

Support new store openings, remodels, and program expansions

Analyze sales performance, margin trends, guest feedback, and market dynamics to inform assortment, pricing, and merchandising strategies

Partner with Store and Department Managers to develop and execute cost-control strategies focused on labor, food cost, waste reduction, and operational efficiency

Monitor department-level profitability through disciplined margin management and product mix optimization

Support annual budgeting, forecasting, and reforecasting processes

Plan and execute promotional strategies, seasonal features, and limited-time offerings

Identify growth opportunities across retail, catering, e-commerce, and new store channels

Track performance against targets and communicate risks and opportunities to senior leadership

Partner with Store and Department Managers to assess training needs and develop structured training programs for deli, prepared foods, bakery, and café teams

Build, standardize, and continuously improve written onboarding and training programs with a focus on the first two weeks of employment

Lead systems, tools, production workflow, food safety, and merchandising standards training across retail, production, catering, and e-commerce environments

Coach and support Department Managers in leadership development and execution discipline

Inspire a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement

Observe, assess, and communicate team performance and development opportunities to leadership

Support succession planning and internal talent development

Qualification

Retail food service operationsFinancial acumenLeadership capabilityAnalytical decision makingMicrosoft Office SuiteCross-functional collaborationTrainingCoachingAttention to detailFast-paced environment

Required

Proven leadership capability with exceptional strengths in training, coaching, motivation, and clear communication

Deep knowledge of retail food service operations, prepared foods, bakery, café, and food merchandising

Strong systems and process mindset with the ability to build and scale workflows across multiple channels

High level of organization and attention to detail

Strong financial acumen including food cost, labor, margin management, and waste reduction

Analytical, data-driven decision maker

Proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite and/or Google Workspace (G-Suite), along with food cost, inventory, production, and ERP systems

Strong cross-functional collaboration and influence skills

Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment

Minimum of 5 years of progressive leadership experience in retail food service, prepared foods, bakery, café, commissary/production, or related operations

Demonstrated experience supporting multi-unit operations, training programs, and systems implementation