Vice President Operations

We are seeking a Vice President of Operations to lead enterprise-wide operations for a rapidly growing grocery brand centered on sustainability, quality, and innovation. Reporting to the President, this role has full responsibility for day-to-day operations across all physical environments, including stores, headquarters, and commissary—and will ensure consistent execution of operating standards as the business scales.

As the company’s first dedicated operations executive, you will build and refine scalable systems, processes, and teams, integrating industry best practices while preserving the brand’s highly curated customer experience.

Initial Focus:

• Become deeply immersed in the brand, customer experience, values, and operating culture across stores, commissary, and corporate teams
• Audit existing operating standards and processes; develop a scalable operating plan to support 2026 growth, including new store and concept openings in NYC and beyond
• Assess organizational structure and capabilities across store operations, procurement, inventory, and customer experience; identify and address capability gaps in partnership with the President

Core Responsibilities:

Operational Leadership

• Oversee all daily operations, including store operations, commissary, logistics, supply chain, and facilities
• Ensure consistent execution of operating standards, SOPs, and service expectations across all locations

Supply Chain, Procurement & Inventory

• Lead end-to-end supply chain operations, including sourcing from local, organic, and ethical vendors
• Optimize inventory management, inbound/outbound logistics, and vendor relationships to ensure product availability, quality, and cost control
• Negotiate vendor contracts and oversee purchasing for both perishable and non-perishable goods

Customer Experience & Quality

• Ensure a consistently exceptional, hospitality-driven in-store experience (with mobile and online channels under evaluation)
• Develop, document, and train teams on quality assurance standards for products and prepared foods

Financial & Performance Management

• Own operational performance and 4-wall P&L execution across locations
• Partner with the Director of Finance and President on budgeting, forecasting, and resource allocation
• Monitor operating KPIs, cost of goods, labor, inventory, and margins; identify opportunities to reduce loss and improve profitability, particularly in prepared foods
• Maintain accountability for the company’s operating expense budget

Strategy, Scale & Expansion

• Develop a 3–5 year operational roadmap focused on scalability, efficiency, and profitability
• Support store expansion and new market entry, ensuring operational readiness while maintaining brand integrity

Team Leadership & Culture

• Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing, multi-disciplinary operations team
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement aligned with company values

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations, with a strong focus on food safety, employee safety, and sustainability initiatives
• Partner cross-functionally to ensure accurate data flow supporting accounting, forecasting, and decision-making

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Operations Management, or related field; MBA preferred
• 15 years of experience, including senior executive leadership (VP Operations or COO) with accountability for enterprise-wide operations, SOPs, and operating expenses
• Experience in a scaled grocery or grocery-adjacent hospitality business, combined with hands-on experience applying best practices in a growing or founder-led environment
• Demonstrated expertise in operational efficiency, process improvement, and change management
• Strong financial acumen, including budgeting, cost control, and capital planning
• Proven experience in DTC commerce (physical retail and e-commerce), supply chain, and inventory-driven businesses
• Advanced Excel and data analysis skills with a highly metrics-driven approach to decision-making
• Exceptional leadership and communication skills, with the ability to train teams and translate complex concepts into practical execution