Food Production Manager

The Fresh Market; Wilmington (NC); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Team Member discount up to 40%

Early Earn Wage Access (up to 50% of a

401K contribution and company match

Financial Wellness Program

Personal time off and additional time‑

Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability, &

Life Insurance for individual, spouse,

Discounts on pet insurance, daycare, …

Job summary

The Fresh Market is seeking a Production Manager to lead the Production department, ensuring top-quality products and complete meal solutions for guests. You will guide a team, manage procedures, and uphold TFM standards in a fast-paced early-morning environment.

Reporting to the Store Operations Manager, you will foster a culture of leadership, hospitality, excellence, and teamwork, providing coaching and development to staff while maintaining safety and efficiency across deli, meat-seafood,

Qualifications

• 1+ year of progressive management experience in supermarkets, retail, restaurants, hotels, or general business.
• Strong leadership to motivate and develop high-performing teams.
• Proven ability to deliver an exceptional guest experience while achieving performance goals.
• Excellent communication, problem-solving, and conflict resolution skills.
• Basic proficiency with POS systems, scheduling tools, and Microsoft Office.
• Food safety certification, or ability to obtain post-hire.
• Must be 21 years of age or older.

Responsibilities

• Direct, manage, and assist all functions of the Production department and demonstrate excellence for your team and guests.
• Managing the production for key items to support Deli-CMS, Meat-Seafood, Bakery, and Produce departments.
• Properly receiving/stocking goods that follow rotation standards when replenishing product levels.
• Manage product to reduce shrink/damage.
• Direct teams to handle, cut, and prepare a variety of the department's meat, cheeses, bread, prepacked produce, and convenient meal solutions in the early morning while maintaining quality product levels as indicated within TFM standards.
• Provide team members through The Fresh Market Academy, including “on-the-job” and online training, to provide excellent guest service safely and securely while maintaining efficiency and minimizing product loss.
• Lead, engage, motivate, and manage team members to provide excellent guest service.
• Provide coaching for team members to further their development and increase retention.
• Create and manage team schedules, aligning production to support guest shopping hours to ensure guests receive a first-class experience.
• Ensure department adherence to all safety requirements and protocols, including food safety per TFM policies and per law.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Problem solving

Conflict resolution

POS systems

Scheduling tools

Microsoft Office

Bilingual (plus)

Education

Associate’s degree in business, retail management, or related field; or equivalent experience

Tools

POS systems

Scheduling tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Inventory management systems

Financial reporting

Job description

The Fresh Market & You:

Our mission is to make everyday eating extraordinary for our guests. We create a warm, welcoming, and memorable experience through exceptional, personal service. We’re looking for a leader who brings positive energy, strong character, and a commitment to excellence every day. We value teamwork, celebrate our shared success, and look forward to the impact you’ll make on our store, our team, and our community.

Our added benefits for joining The Fresh Market team

• Team Member discount up to 40%
• Early Earn Wage Access (You can access up to 50% (max $500) of your earned wages on-demand per pay period)
• 401K contribution and company match
• Financial Wellness Program

• Personal time off and additional time off purchase plans are available
• Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability, and Life Insurance for individual, spouse, partner, and family
• Discounts on pet insurance, daycare, event tickets, and many more.

About the Position:

Do you have a passion forproduction? Can you deliver a first-class experience for guests? As our Production Manager, you will take the lead in managing team members and the department's operational procedures and standards to provide the best products and the best complete meal solutions for our guests. Because you will be working with your team members and product continuously throughout the early morning, this is a fast-paced position that requires efficiency and effectiveness, and a passion for excellence to drive results. This role reports to the Store Operations Manager and embodies a culture of leadership, hospitality, excellence, and teamwork.

What You'll Do:

• Direct, manage, and assist all functions of theProduction department and demonstrate excellence for your team and guests
• Managing the production for key items to support Deli-CMS, Meat-Seafood, Bakery, and Producedepartments
• Properly receiving/stocking goods that follow rotation standards when replenishingproduct levels
• Manageproducttoreduceshrink/damage
• Direct teams to handle,cut,and prepare a variety of thedepartment'smeat, cheeses,bread, prepacked produce, andconvenient meal solutionsin the early morningwhile maintaining quality product levels as indicated within TFM standards.
• Provide team members through The Fresh Market Academy, including “on-the-job” and online training, to provide excellent guest service safely and securely while maintaining efficiency and minimizing product loss
• Lead, engage,motivate,and manage team members to provide excellent guest service
• Provide coaching for team members to further their development and increase retention
• Create and manage team schedules, aligningproduction to supportguest shopping hours to ensure guests receive a first-class experience
• Ensure department adherence to all safety requirements and protocols, including food safety per TFM policies and per law.

Availability:

To meet the needs of our stores, guests, and teams, this position requires the willingness to work a schedule of 3 am – 11 am with days off typically being Sunday and Wednesday of each week.

Qualifications:

At a minimum, what you’ll need:

• 1+yearsofprogressivemanagementexperienceinsupermarkets,retail,restaurants,hotels,or general business.
• Strongleadershipskillswiththeabilitytomotivateanddevelophigh-performingteams.
• Provenabilitytodeliveranexceptionalguestexperiencewhileachievingperformancegoals.
• Excellentcommunication,problem-solving,andconflictresolutionskills.
• BasicproficiencywithPOSsystems,schedulingtools,and MicrosoftOfficeSuite.
• Foodsafetycertification,orabilitytoobtain post-hire.
• Mustbe21yearsofageorolder.

Preferred qualifications:

• Associate’sdegreeinbusiness,retailmanagement,orrelatedfield;orequivalentexperience.
• Experienceingrocery,freshfoodretail,hospitality, or high-volumespecialtyretailenvironment
• Knowledgeofinventorymanagementsystemsandfinancialreporting.
• Bilingualskillsaplus.

Physical and Work Conditions

• Repetitive hand/arm movements, grasping, bending, reaching, ability to lift, push, or pull up to 50 pounds by oneself, exposure to extreme temperatures
• Ability to use tools and equipment: knives, ladders, stepstools, box cutters, pallet jacks, and other equipment
• Required to spend long periods of time on their feet and stand or walk without a break (for up to 4 hours or as required by law)
• Required to wear an approved hat, hair net, and/or beard guard, and personal protective equipment

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer:

The Fresh Market is a proud, equal-opportunity employer that is committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace.

Reasonable Accommodation: Consistent with applicable laws, The Fresh Market will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants and team members, unless doing so would result in an undue hardship to The Fresh Market. This guiding principle applies to all aspects of employment, including hiring and job assignment, compensation, discipline, termination, and access to benefits and training.

The statements in this job posting describe the general nature and level of work expected in this role but are not all-inclusive. The Fresh Market looks forward to talking with interested candidates to share additional details about the applicable responsibilities, duties, and skills required