Plant Manager/Commissary Operations Manager

Summerhill Market•Toronto, ON

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Summerhill Market is a family-owned grocery retailer serving Toronto since 1959. Their Commissary, operating approximately 20 hours a day, 7 days a week, is the heart of their food production, manufacturing thousands of fresh, chef-inspired products weekly for distribution to their stores. The facility supports over 130 employees and produces a wide range of food items including prepared meals, salads, sandwiches, soups, sauces, meat products, bakery items, grab-and-go meals, and MAP-packaged foods. They are seeking an experienced operational leader to oversee the Commissary and drive its growth.

Requirements

10+ years of progressive leadership experience within high-volume food manufacturing, commissary production, catering, prepared foods, commercial kitchens, or food processing.
Previous experience as a Senior Sous Chef, Executive Sous Chef, Executive Chef, Plant Manager, Commissary Manager, Operations Manager, or Production Manager.
Proven experience leading large teams in a fast-paced, multi-shift production environment.
Strong knowledge of large-batch food production, labour planning, inventory management, production scheduling, and operational systems.
Strong financial acumen including budgeting, labour management, productivity, and cost control.
Excellent leadership, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Food Handler Certification required; compliance with TPH, CFIA, MOL, etc.

Nice To Haves

Experience with food manufacturing equipment, packaging systems, automation, and continuous improvement initiatives is an asset.

Responsibilities

Lead the daily operation of a high-volume Commissary operating approximately 20 hours per day, 7 days per week.
Oversee production planning, scheduling, labour allocation, and workflow across multiple departments.
Ensure production targets, quality standards, and customer commitments are consistently achieved.
Coordinate holiday production, seasonal programs, product launches, and special projects.
Recruit, coach, mentor, and develop Department Managers, Sous Chefs, Supervisors, Team Leads, and production staff.
Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, communication, and continuous improvement.
Conduct performance management, succession planning, and leadership development.
Maintain strong communication and consistency across multiple shifts.
Manage labour planning, operational budgets, productivity, food costs, and plant performance.
Review operational metrics and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce waste, and control costs.
Ensure production schedules align with business demands and retail requirements.
Partner closely with Buyers, Receiving, Logistics, and Retail Operations to ensure uninterrupted production.
Oversee inventory flow, purchasing support, product availability, and inventory accuracy.
Ensure compliance with food safety, HACCP, sanitation, workplace health & safety, and quality assurance standards.
Coordinate equipment maintenance, facility repairs, preventative maintenance programs, and third-party contractors.
Lead continuous improvement initiatives, process optimization, SOP development, automation projects, and operational efficiencies.
Support packaging improvements, shelf-life initiatives, capital projects, and new product rollouts.
Lead the planning and execution of large-scale seasonal and holiday catering programs, ensuring production schedules, labour, inventory, logistics, and distribution are aligned to meet customer demand.
Collaborate with Culinary, Supply Chain, Logistics, and Retail Operations to coordinate holiday menus, production timelines, staffing plans, and delivery schedules while maintaining the highest standards of food quality, consistency, and customer satisfaction.
Monitor production capacity, identify operational risks, and implement contingency plans to ensure successful execution of high-volume holiday programs and special events.
Partner with Retail Operations, Buyers, HR, Finance, Marketing, IT, Warehouse, and Executive Leadership to support company objectives.
Build strong relationships across departments while ensuring effective communication, accountability, and operational execution.