Commissary General Manager

Role Summary

The Commissary General Manager is the senior operational leader accountable for the overall performance, scalability, compliance, and financial health of the soap manufacturing and fulfillment commissary. This role owns commissary strategy, capacity planning, budgets, service levels, and risk management, while leading Production and Inventory functions through clear standards, KPIs, and continuous improvement.

In a handmade, plant-based soap environment, the Commissary General Manager ensures artisan-quality production is delivered at commercial scale—safely, efficiently, and profitably.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy, Governance & Performance

• Own and execute the commissary operating strategy aligned to company growth plans
• Define and manage KPI frameworks covering production output, inventory turns, fulfillment SLAs, cost, and quality
• Lead revenue capacity planning and cross-channel prioritization (DTC, wholesale, retail, special projects)
• Identify operational risks and lead escalation and mitigation planning

Production & Manufacturing Oversight

• Approve and maintain production standards, SOPs, and batch-sizing logic
• Ensure production calendars support demand while protecting quality and labor efficiency
• Oversee yield tracking, defect resolution, and rework processes

Inventory & Supply Chain Leadership

• Own inventory strategy, turns targets, and finished-goods availability
• Ensure accurate forecasting of raw materials, fragrances, botanicals, and packaging
• Maintain ingredient traceability and compliance with clean-label standards

Fulfillment & Omnichannel Execution

• Define fulfillment SLAs and shipping performance standards
• Ensure order prioritization aligns with business strategy and customer commitments
• Oversee returns processing and customer-impact mitigation

Quality, Safety & Compliance

• Accountable for QC standards, audits, and continuous compliance
• Ensure OSHA-compliant chemical handling and incident reporting
• Champion a safety-first culture across production and fulfillment

Financial & Cost Management

• Own commissary budget, capital equipment justification, and cost controls
• Monitor COGS, labor efficiency, waste, and shrink reduction
• Drive operational improvements that reduce cost without compromising quality

People & Capacity

• Define staffing models and role design
• Approve hiring and terminations
• Set expectations for training, cross-skilling, and performance coaching

Success Measures

• On-time, in-full fulfillment performance
• Inventory turns and material availability
• Production yield and waste reduction
• Labor and COGS performance vs. plan
• Audit and compliance outcomes

Qualifications & Experience

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Operations Management, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Business, or a related field
• Advanced degree (MBA, MS Operations, Supply Chain) preferred but not required

Experience

• 7–10 years of progressive operations leadership experience in manufacturing, fulfillment, or commissary-style environments
• Proven experience leading managers (Production, Inventory, Fulfillment) and multi-shift teams
• Experience scaling operations for growth while maintaining quality and compliance
• Strong background in cost management, budgeting, and capital planning
• Hands-on experience with omnichannel fulfillment (DTC, wholesale, retail)
• Direct accountability for KPIs, service levels, and operational performance

Industry & Technical Knowledge

• Familiarity with small-batch or artisanal manufacturing (cosmetics, personal care, food, or CPG preferred)
• Working knowledge of:
  • GMP, QC, and audit readiness
  • OSHA and chemical handling compliance
  • Inventory modeling, turns, and forecasting
• Comfortable translating strategy into executable operating plans

Leadership & Skills

• Strong decision-making authority with comfort owning tradeoffs
• Ability to lead through change, ambiguity, and rapid growth
• Data-driven mindset with ability to set and enforce standards
• Clear communicator with senior leadership and frontline teams alike