Industrial Bakery Operations Manager

Do you have a passion for creating mouthwatering, high-quality donuts that bring smiles to people's faces? Join our fast-paced, growing commercial bakery and be part of the team that keeps the sweet treats rolling out fresh every day!

About Us:

Sprinkles Donut Shop is a leading commercial donut producer with 7 retail locations along with a well-established wholesale business and rapidly growing. We pride ourselves on quality, consistency, and a creative approach to baking. Whether it's classic glazed, filled, or gourmet specialty donuts—we deliver!

Position Summary:

The Operations Manager is responsible for the overall day-to-day leadership and performance of the industrial kitchen/production facility. This includes overseeing high-volume food production, ensuring consistent quality and safety, optimizing workflows, managing labor and costs, and driving operational excellence to meet production targets, customer demands, and regulatory standards. The role blends manufacturing principles (lean processes, batch production, automation) with strict food safety protocols in a fast-paced, 24/7 or multi-shift environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage all production operations, including prep, cooking/baking, assembly/packaging, cooling/chilling, and sanitation across multiple shifts.
• Develop, implement, and monitor production schedules to achieve daily/weekly output goals (e.g., thousands of meals/units per day) while minimizing downtime and waste.
• Ensure full compliance with food safety regulations (HACCP, FDA, USDA, OSHA, local health codes), including managing audits, corrective actions, pest control, and sanitation programs.
• Oversee quality control processes: monitor product consistency, portion control, shelf-life, labeling, and finished goods inspection; collaborate closely with QA/QC team.
• Manage inventory, receiving, and raw material usage to maintain FIFO, reduce spoilage, and control costs (work with procurement on forecasting).
• Lead, train, develop, and motivate production supervisors, line leads, and hourly staff; handle hiring, performance reviews, disciplinary actions, and labor scheduling.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives (lean manufacturing, process optimization, waste reduction, equipment efficiency) to increase productivity and lower costs.
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as yield, throughput, labor efficiency, food cost percentage, on-time delivery, and safety incidents; report to senior leadership.
• Coordinate cross-functional efforts with maintenance (equipment uptime/preventive maintenance), logistics (distribution/shipping), R&D (new product scaling), and sales/customer service.
• Manage departmental budget, including labor, supplies, utilities, and maintenance; identify cost-saving opportunities.
• Ensure a safe working environment; conduct safety training, incident investigations, and maintain emergency protocols.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Experience: 5 years in food production/operations leadership, with at least 3 years in a supervisory/manager role in an industrial kitchen, commissary, central production facility, food manufacturing plant, or high-volume food processing environment.
• Proven track record managing multi-shift operations and large teams (50 employees).
• Strong knowledge of food safety systems (HACCP certification preferred), GMPs, and regulatory compliance in food production.

Essential Skills & Competencies

• Strong leadership and people management skills; ability to build high-performing teams in a fast-paced setting.
• Excellent organizational, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities under pressure.
• Proficiency in production planning, inventory management systems, and ERP/MRP software (e.g., basic SAP, Excel advanced functions).
• Data-driven mindset: comfortable analyzing KPIs, production reports, and financial metrics.
• Knowledge of lean principles, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement methodologies is a plus.
• Solid understanding of industrial kitchen equipment (ovens, blast chillers, packaging lines, automation).
• Effective communicator; able to collaborate across departments and present to senior leadership.

Physical & Work Environment Requirements

• Ability to stand/walk for extended periods, lift 50 lbs occasionally, and work in cold/hot environments (coolers, ovens).
• Flexibility for multi-shift oversight (days, nights, weekends) and on-call availability for production issues.
• Exposure to food production noise, wet floors, and temperature variations.

Why Join Us?

• Competitive pay based on experience
• Opportunities for advancement
• Employee discounts on delicious donuts!
• Supportive team environment
• Health Insurance

Apply Today!

Ready to roll up your sleeves and bake with us? Submit your resume and a short note about why you're interested in the role to executiveassistant@sprinklesdonutshop.com

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• Employee discount
• Health insurance
• Paid time off

Work Location: In person