District Production Manager - Baking, Food Safety & Quality

Job Description

Job Description

We are seeking an experienced District Production Manager to oversee production, sanitation, quality assurance, and operational standards across multiple bakery café locations in the Cincinnati or Columbus, Ohio market.

This is a multi-unit leadership role responsible for ensuring consistent product quality, food safety, sanitation, production efficiency, and employee development across corporate and franchise locations. The ideal candidate has strong bakery/food production expertise and enjoys coaching teams, improving processes, and maintaining high operational standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee production, sanitation, quality, packaging, and product presentation across multiple locations
• Lead, coach, and develop production teams throughout the assigned district
• Recruit and support hiring for production positions
• Plan and manage production staffing, schedules, and labor needs
• Train teams on baking techniques, food safety, sanitation, and quality standards
• Monitor product quality, production processes, packaging, and displays
• Conduct sanitation and operational audits across stores
• Ensure compliance with health inspections, local regulations, GMP, HACCP, and food safety standards
• Identify operational deficiencies and implement corrective action plans
• Partner with production leadership and store teams to improve sanitation and production processes
• Monitor purchasing and production planning
• Evaluate product quality and investigate defects
• Support new product launches and provide product training
• Prepare daily, weekly, and periodic operational reports
• Calculate and monitor product costs and production labor expenses
• Identify opportunities to improve productivity, quality, and cost efficiency
• Travel regularly between assigned corporate and franchise locations

Qualifications

• 5+ years of relevant experience in bakery, café, food production, or food manufacturing
• Culinary, baking, confectionery, or food-related education preferred
• Strong knowledge of baking/food production processes, sanitation, and quality assurance
• Knowledge of food microbiology and food safety practices
• Understanding of GMP, HACCP, ISO 9000, and baking-related regulations
• Experience with root-cause analysis, problem-solving, and process improvement
• Strong multi-unit leadership and team-development experience
• Excellent organizational and communication skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, growing environment
• Strong coaching and feedback skills
• High emotional intelligence and ability to lead diverse teams
• Collaborative leadership style with strong accountability
• Comfortable traveling between multiple locations
• Valid driver's license and ability to travel throughout the assigned market

Compensation & Benefits

• $70,000–$75,000 annual salary
• Medical, dental, and vision benefits
• 401(k) retirement plan
• Paid time off
• Paid holidays
• Birthday cake
• High-performance, growth-oriented culture
• Career advancement opportunities

The Restaurant Zone is a leading hospitality recruitment agency specializing in connecting top-tier talent with restaurants, hotels, and hospitality groups across the United States. We partner with growing brands and established operators to deliver high-quality candidates for management, executive, and specialized roles. Our team combines industry expertise, a vast candidate network, and a results-driven approach to help businesses build strong, reliable teams. At The Restaurant Zone, we focus on speed, quality, and long-term fit—ensuring both clients and candidates succeed.

Company Description

The Restaurant Zone is a leading hospitality recruitment agency specializing in connecting top-tier talent with restaurants, hotels, and hospitality groups across the United States. We partner with growing brands and established operators to deliver high-quality candidates for management, executive, and specialized roles. Our team combines industry expertise, a vast candidate network, and a results-driven approach to help businesses build strong, reliable teams. At The Restaurant Zone, we focus on speed, quality, and long-term fit—ensuring both clients and candidates succeed.