Director of Food Service Operations - Palestine, Texas

MissionHires; Palestine (TX); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation Assistance

Full Benefits

Equity Participation

Job summary

MissionHires is looking for a Director of Food Service Operations to oversee a central food production facility in Palestine, Texas. This role demands a hands-on leader who can ensure excellence in food production while managing a team of department leads and tracking operational performance.

Ideal candidates will have over 5 years of experience in food production management, familiarity with food safety protocols, and excellent communication skills. Benefits include relocation assistance and equity participation.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience managing a food production operation.
• Proven experience with perishable food systems.
• Strong knowledge of food safety protocols.

Responsibilities

• Ensure smooth, efficient, and consistent execution across departments.
• Oversee production scheduling and staffing.
• Design systems for process control and quality assurance.

Skills

Food Production Management

Production Scheduling

Food Safety Knowledge

Team Leadership

ERP Implementation

Tools

Odoo

Job description

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