Director of Prepared Foods & Commissary Operations - Choices Market

Nature's Fare Markets•White Rock, BC

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

Reporting to the CEO, Nature's Fare Markets & Choices Market, this role is responsible for the overall leadership and performance of prepared foods and commissary operations across our Vernon and Burnaby facilities. The position ensures consistent execution of production, food safety, quality standards, and cost controls within a health and wellness-focused environment. The Director will establish and maintain operational standards across both locations, support scalable growth, and ensure alignment with company policies, procedures, and strategic priorities.

Requirements

8+ years of progressive experience in prepared foods, food production, commissary, or central kitchen operations, including leadership roles
Proven experience managing multi-site operations (required)
Strong understanding of food safety, regulatory compliance, and operational standards
Demonstrated ability to build structure, improve performance, and scale operations
Strong financial and business acumen, including experience managing cost drivers and margins
Experience implementing systems (ERP or similar) and using data to drive decisions
Excellent leadership, communication, and organizational skills
Ability to travel regularly between Vernon and Burnaby

Nice To Haves

Post-secondary education in a related field is an asset

Responsibilities

Hold full operational accountability for commissary performance, including structure, standards, and results
Establish a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement across all functions
Identify performance gaps quickly and take decisive action to resolve root causes
Build and lead a disciplined operating model driven by data, KPIs, and a regular performance review cadence
Ensure consistent execution and alignment across Vernon and Burnaby through strong, visible leadership presence
Provide overall leadership and oversight of production, inventory, and distribution
Ensure compliance with all company policies, food safety standards, and regulatory requirements (HACCP, provincial guidelines)
Drive consistency in operational and quality standards across both facilities
Own commissary financial performance, including labor, yields, waste, and product margin
Implement standardized costing, production, and procurement processes to improve profitability
Drive efficiency through process optimization, capacity utilization, and effective resource allocation
Support budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning activities
Lead implementation and adoption of ERP-enabled processes and reporting
Establish clear visibility into product costing, operational performance, and key decision-making metrics
Transition the operation from reactive execution to structured, scalable, and predictable performance
Implement and maintain processes that support efficiency, scalability, and continuous improvement
Lead, develop, and support management and hourly teams across both facilities
Partner with culinary, retail operations, finance, HR, and other stakeholders to ensure alignment
Oversee vendor relationships, procurement, and supply chain coordination
Travel regularly between Vernon and Burnaby to ensure operational alignment and accountability