Director of Bakery Operations

Palermo's Pizza; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

20 free pizzas per month

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Paid time off

401(k) with company match

Employee discount

Job summary

Palermo's Pizza is looking for a leader to oversee bakery operations at their Milwaukee facility. In this role, you will drive safety, quality, and productivity across multiple shifts, while developing capable managers and fostering a culture of accountability.

As part of the Operations Leadership Team, you will utilize data to solve complex manufacturing challenges and ensure consistent quality and efficiency. A bachelor’s degree and extensive manufacturing experience are required.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive manufacturing experience, including bakery leadership.
• 5+ years leading managers in a multi-shift manufacturing environment.
• Strong knowledge of commercial bakery processes and ingredients.

Responsibilities

• Lead bakery operations across multiple shifts, driving performance.
• Develop Bakery Managers and build leadership capability.
• Use data and KPIs to improve bakery performance.

Skills

Leadership

Operational expertise

Problem solving

Continuous improvement

Data analysis

Food safety knowledge

Multi-shift management

GMP knowledge

Lean/Six Sigma

Education

Bachelor's degree in Operations Management, Engineering, Food Science, Business

Job description

Do you enjoy leading a complex bakery operation, developing strong leaders, and seeing the impact of your decisions on the floor every day?

• Are you the kind of leader who can balance safety, quality, service, productivity, and cost while keeping teams aligned across multiple shifts and platforms?
• Do you use data, operational expertise, and structured problem solving to improve performance and solve complex manufacturing challenges?
• Do you take pride in building capable leaders, creating accountability, and developing an operation that is ready for future growth?

Who You'll Work For...

Palermo's is a family-owned company with a passion for great pizza and great people. As a member of the Operations Leadership Team, you'll work closely with leaders across Production, Quality, Maintenance, Engineering, R&D, Supply Chain, Warehouse, Finance, and Human Resources to drive bakery performance and support broader business priorities.

Perks...

• 20 free pizzas per month!
• Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits
• Medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off and paid holidays
• Employee discount on Palermo's products
• Opportunities to influence the future of a growing, family-owned organization

Where you'll work...

This is an on-site leadership role at Palermo's Canal Street manufacturing facility in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Because our bakery operates across multiple shifts, this leader maintains a visible presence throughout the operation and provides support outside traditional business hours when needed.

What You'll Do...

• Lead bakery operations across multiple shifts and platforms, driving performance in safety, food safety, quality, service, productivity, cost, and employee engagement.
• Develop Bakery Managers and strengthen leadership capability, accountability, and succession throughout the operation.
• Use operational data and KPIs to identify trends, solve problems, and improve bakery performance.
• Drive continuous improvement in throughput, labor efficiency, yield, waste, equipment effectiveness, product consistency, and process reliability.
• Provide leadership and technical oversight of bakery processes, ingredients, equipment, and environmental conditions.
• Partner with Maintenance and Engineering to improve equipment reliability, automation, capacity, and bakery capability.
• Manage bakery budgets, resources, and cost improvement initiatives while protecting quality and service.
• Partner with R&D on new products, product improvements, trials, and successful commercialization into bakery operations.
• Develop longer-term plans for bakery capacity, technology, equipment, workforce capability, and operational needs.

Why you'll be successful...

You understand both the business and the bakery. You can move comfortably between the production floor and strategic discussions, developing leaders while still understanding what is happening within the operation. You create accountability, use data to make decisions, tackle root causes rather than symptoms, and know how to bring multiple functions together to solve complex manufacturing challenges.

What You'll Bring...

• Bachelor's degree in Operations Management, Engineering, Food Science, Business, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• 10+ years of progressive manufacturing experience, including significant bakery manufacturing leadership experience
• 5+ years leading managers or senior operational leaders in a multi-shift manufacturing environment
• Strong knowledge of commercial bakery processes, ingredients, equipment, and factors affecting product consistency and quality
• Demonstrated experience managing operational performance, budgets, labor, waste, productivity, and manufacturing KPIs
• Experience leading continuous improvement, organizational change, and complex cross-functional initiatives
• Strong knowledge of food safety, GMP, regulatory, and manufacturing safety requirements

High-volume food manufacturing experience, bakery automation, capital project experience, and Lean or Six Sigma expertise are a plus.

What Success Looks Like...

Bakery operations consistently deliver strong results across safety, quality, service, productivity, cost, and engagement. Bakery Managers effectively own their operations and develop strong teams. Product quality and bakery processes are consistent across shifts and platforms, and data and structured problem solving drive sustained improvements in waste, efficiency, reliability, and cost. Just as importantly, the bakery organization is building the leadership, equipment, technology, and process capability needed to support Palermo's future growth.

How To Join Our Team...

At Palermo's, you'll have the opportunity to lead a critical part of our manufacturing operation while helping shape what comes next. We combine the energy and opportunity of a growing business with the values and personal connection of a family-owned company. If you're energized by developing people, improving operations, solving complex bakery challenges, and seeing the impact of your work firsthand, we'd love to hear from you.