Director of Prepared Foods & Commissary Operations - Choices Market (Surrey)

Director, Prepared Foods & Commissary Operations

Reporting to the CEO, Nature's Fare Markets & Choices Market you will be responsible for the overall leadership and performance of prepared foods and commissary operations across our Vernon and Burnaby facilities. This role ensures consistent execution of production, food safety, quality standards, and cost controls within a health and wellness-focused workplace. The Director will establish and maintain operational standards across both locations, support scalable growth, and ensure alignment with company policies, procedures, and strategic priorities. Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership & Accountability

Hold full operational accountability for commissary performance, including structure, standards, and results. Establish a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement across all functions. Identify performance gaps quickly and take decisive action to resolve root causes. Build and lead a disciplined operating model driven by data, KPIs, and a regular performance review cadence. Ensure consistent execution and alignment across Vernon and Burnaby through strong, visible leadership presence. Provide overall leadership and oversight of production, inventory, and distribution. Food Safety, Quality & Compliance

Ensure compliance with all company policies, food safety standards, and regulatory requirements (HACCP, provincial guidelines). Drive consistency in operational and quality standards across both facilities. Financial & Operational Ownership

Own commissary financial performance, including labor, yields, waste, and product margin. Implement standardized costing, production, and procurement processes to improve profitability. Drive efficiency through process optimization, capacity utilization, and effective resource allocation. Support budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning activities. Systems, Process & Scalability

Lead implementation and adoption of ERP-enabled processes and reporting. Establish clear visibility into product costing, operational performance, and key decision-making metrics. Transition the operation from reactive execution to structured, scalable, and predictable performance. Implement and maintain processes that support efficiency, scalability, and continuous improvement. People Leadership & Cross-Functional Partnership

Lead, develop, and support management and hourly teams across both facilities. Partner with culinary, retail operations, finance, HR, and other stakeholders to ensure alignment. Oversee vendor relationships, procurement, and supply chain coordination. Travel

Travel regularly between Vernon and Burnaby to ensure operational alignment and accountability. Qualifications & Experience

8+ years of progressive experience in prepared foods, food production, commissary, or central kitchen operations, including leadership roles. Proven experience managing multi-site operations (required). Strong understanding of food safety, regulatory compliance, and operational standards. Demonstrated ability to build structure, improve performance, and scale operations. Strong financial and business acumen, including experience managing cost drivers and margins. Experience implementing systems (ERP or similar) and using data to drive decisions. Excellent leadership, communication, and organizational skills. Post-secondary education in a related field is an asset. Ability to travel regularly between Vernon and Burnaby. Core Competencies

Strategic thinking and operational planning. Ownership and accountability mindset. Results orientation and performance management. Continuous improvement and process discipline. Financial acumen and analytical decision-making. Change leadership and organizational scaling. Stakeholder collaboration and influence. Choices Market is an equal opportunity employer and as such we thrive to foster a workplace where individual differences are recognized, appreciated, and respected.

#J-18808-Ljbffr