What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director of Bakery Operations position at Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and the CSRA?
The Director of Bakery Operations is responsible for leading and scaling Edgar’s Bakehouse through a centralized Hub & Spoke production model. This role owns the end-to-end production ecosystem, ensuring the central hub operates as a high-efficiency production engine while spokes (retail, café, wholesale, event, and e-commerce channels) are consistently supplied with high-quality product. Serving as both a strategic and operational leader, this position carries full accountability for production performance, financial outcomes, retail location performance, quality assurance, e-commerce execution, and workforce development. The Director will balance business discipline with mission alignment, supporting workforce training initiatives while driving operational excellence, scalability, and sustainable growth across all revenue channels.
Operating Model Overview
The Director leads a Hub & Spoke model consisting of:
Key Responsibilities & Core Competencies
Operational Leadership & Production Excellence
Leads the design, execution, and continuous optimization of centralized bakery production operations, ensuring the hub functions as a high-output, efficient production engine. Oversees production scheduling, batching strategy, workflow design, and capacity planning to maximize throughput while eliminating bottlenecks. Demonstrates strong operational leadership by aligning labor, equipment, and systems to support multi-channel demand, while maintaining flexibility to respond to fluctuations in volume and seasonal spikes.
Demand Alignment, Forecasting & Spoke Enablement
Translates business demand into actionable production plans by leveraging data, historical trends, and event forecasting. Ensures seamless alignment between hub production and spoke requirements across retail, wholesale, and events, maintaining high service levels and eliminating stockouts or overproduction. Builds reliable forecasting models and inventory strategies that support freshness standards while optimizing volume and distribution efficiency.
Financial Management & Business Acumen
Maintains full ownership of Bakehouse financial performance, including P&L accountability, cost management, and margin optimization. Applies strong financial acumen to manage COGS, labor productivity, and waste reduction while developing pricing strategies and evaluating profitability across product lines and channels. Conducts break-even analyses and builds pro formas to support expansion decisions, capital investments, and seasonal scaling strategies.
Quality Assurance, Brand Integrity & Compliance
Ensures consistent execution of product quality, presentation, and brand standards across all production outputs. Establishes and enforces rigorous food safety, sanitation, and quality control protocols, maintaining compliance with all regulatory requirements. Leads daily operational checks and embeds a culture of accountability for product excellence, protecting and elevating the Edgar’s Bakehouse brand.
Systems, SOP Development & Scalable Infrastructure
Designs and implements standardized operating procedures across production, packaging, and distribution to ensure consistency, efficiency, and scalability. Builds systems that reduce reliance on individual knowledge, enabling replication across future locations and growth channels. Leverages data, technology, and process discipline to drive operational consistency and continuous improvement.
Inventory, Yield Optimization & Waste Control
Establishes disciplined inventory management practices, including par levels, yield tracking, and shelf-life optimization. Drives continuous improvement in waste reduction and production efficiency while balancing freshness, volume output, and cost control. Ensures inventory strategies align with both operational needs and financial performance targets.
Leadership, Workforce Development & Culture
Leads, develops, and coaches a diverse production team, fostering a culture of accountability, cross-training, and continuous improvement. Builds bench strength through structured training and workforce development initiatives aligned with Goodwill’s mission. Maintains a visible, hands-on leadership presence while developing supervisors and team members to operate effectively within a high-performance production environment.
Execution Discipline & Daily Operations Management
Implements structured daily management routines, including production huddles, performance tracking, and workflow monitoring. Maintains tight control over production timelines, order fulfillment, and distribution coordination, ensuring alignment between demand, production, and delivery. Drives operational discipline through clear expectations, real-time problem-solving, and consistent follow-through.
SUCCESS METRICS (KPIs)
REPORTS TO
Executive Vice President, Innovation & Operations
Qualifications
A bachelor’s degree in Culinary Arts, Food Science, Business Administration, Operations Management, or a related field is preferred. Equivalent combination of education, industry certifications, and progressive leadership experience in high-volume bakery, food production, or manufacturing environments will be considered in lieu of a degree.
Professional credentials (e.g., Certified Executive Pastry Chef or similar), food safety certifications (ServSafe or equivalent), and formal training in production systems, lean operations, or supply chain management are strongly preferred. Experience in workforce development, training environments, or educational partnerships is a plus, particularly within mission-driven or community-based organizations.
Operating Model Overview
The Director leads a Hub & Spoke model consisting of:
- Hub (Central Production Facility): High-volume batching, baking, packaging, and distribution
- Spokes (Revenue Channels): Retail cafés, mobile units, wholesale accounts, event-based production, and community partnerships
- E-Commerce Operations: Online ordering, fulfillment coordination, shipping/logistics, digital product merchandising, and customer experience management across all e-commerce channels
Key Responsibilities & Core Competencies
Operational Leadership & Production Excellence
Leads the design, execution, and continuous optimization of centralized bakery production operations, ensuring the hub functions as a high-output, efficient production engine. Oversees production scheduling, batching strategy, workflow design, and capacity planning to maximize throughput while eliminating bottlenecks. Demonstrates strong operational leadership by aligning labor, equipment, and systems to support multi-channel demand, while maintaining flexibility to respond to fluctuations in volume and seasonal spikes.
Demand Alignment, Forecasting & Spoke Enablement
Translates business demand into actionable production plans by leveraging data, historical trends, and event forecasting. Ensures seamless alignment between hub production and spoke requirements across retail, wholesale, and events, maintaining high service levels and eliminating stockouts or overproduction. Builds reliable forecasting models and inventory strategies that support freshness standards while optimizing volume and distribution efficiency.
Financial Management & Business Acumen
Maintains full ownership of Bakehouse financial performance, including P&L accountability, cost management, and margin optimization. Applies strong financial acumen to manage COGS, labor productivity, and waste reduction while developing pricing strategies and evaluating profitability across product lines and channels. Conducts break-even analyses and builds pro formas to support expansion decisions, capital investments, and seasonal scaling strategies.
Quality Assurance, Brand Integrity & Compliance
Ensures consistent execution of product quality, presentation, and brand standards across all production outputs. Establishes and enforces rigorous food safety, sanitation, and quality control protocols, maintaining compliance with all regulatory requirements. Leads daily operational checks and embeds a culture of accountability for product excellence, protecting and elevating the Edgar’s Bakehouse brand.
Systems, SOP Development & Scalable Infrastructure
Designs and implements standardized operating procedures across production, packaging, and distribution to ensure consistency, efficiency, and scalability. Builds systems that reduce reliance on individual knowledge, enabling replication across future locations and growth channels. Leverages data, technology, and process discipline to drive operational consistency and continuous improvement.
Inventory, Yield Optimization & Waste Control
Establishes disciplined inventory management practices, including par levels, yield tracking, and shelf-life optimization. Drives continuous improvement in waste reduction and production efficiency while balancing freshness, volume output, and cost control. Ensures inventory strategies align with both operational needs and financial performance targets.
Leadership, Workforce Development & Culture
Leads, develops, and coaches a diverse production team, fostering a culture of accountability, cross-training, and continuous improvement. Builds bench strength through structured training and workforce development initiatives aligned with Goodwill’s mission. Maintains a visible, hands-on leadership presence while developing supervisors and team members to operate effectively within a high-performance production environment.
Execution Discipline & Daily Operations Management
Implements structured daily management routines, including production huddles, performance tracking, and workflow monitoring. Maintains tight control over production timelines, order fulfillment, and distribution coordination, ensuring alignment between demand, production, and delivery. Drives operational discipline through clear expectations, real-time problem-solving, and consistent follow-through.
SUCCESS METRICS (KPIs)
- Financial Performance
- Operational Effectiveness
- Growth & Scalability
- Quality & Brand Standards
- People & Culture
REPORTS TO
Executive Vice President, Innovation & Operations
Qualifications
A bachelor’s degree in Culinary Arts, Food Science, Business Administration, Operations Management, or a related field is preferred. Equivalent combination of education, industry certifications, and progressive leadership experience in high-volume bakery, food production, or manufacturing environments will be considered in lieu of a degree.
Professional credentials (e.g., Certified Executive Pastry Chef or similar), food safety certifications (ServSafe or equivalent), and formal training in production systems, lean operations, or supply chain management are strongly preferred. Experience in workforce development, training environments, or educational partnerships is a plus, particularly within mission-driven or community-based organizations.
- Proven experience leading high-volume food production, bakery, or manufacturing operations
- Experience operating within or building centralized (hub-based) production models
- Strong financial acumen with demonstrated P&L ownership and cost management expertise
- Advanced knowledge of production scheduling, forecasting, and inventory systems
- Demonstrated success building SOP-driven, scalable operations
- Strong leadership, coaching, and workforce development capabilities
- Ability to operate both strategically and hands-on in a fast-paced environment
- Advanced proficiency in Excel and data-driven decision-making