Production Manager (Commissary Operations)

Position Summary

The Production Manager is responsible for overseeing all daily production operations within Orbital Kitchens' Central Production Facility. This role leads food production, staffing, production planning, food safety, quality assurance, inventory collaboration, and continuous operational improvement while building scalable systems capable of supporting the company's rapid growth.

This is a foundational leadership position that will help transition Orbital Kitchens from decentralized restaurant production into a centralized commissary model. The Production Manager will partner closely with Culinary, Warehouse & Distribution, Procurement, and Operations leadership to ensure production schedules align with demand forecasting, inventory availability, purchasing, and outbound distribution.

The ideal candidate combines strong culinary production knowledge with operational leadership, process improvement, team development, and commercial food manufacturing experience.

Key Responsibilities

Commissary Development & Operational Leadership

• Lead the operational transition from restaurant-based food production into a centralized commissary environment.
• Develop scalable production systems capable of supporting continued company growth and new kitchen openings.
• Evaluate existing production workflows and redesign processes for improved efficiency, consistency, and throughput.
• Create and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for production, cooling, packaging, sanitation, equipment operation, and quality control.
• Identify opportunities for automation, workflow improvements, and operational efficiencies.
• Support facility startup, equipment commissioning, process validation, and production optimization.

Production Planning & Scheduling

• Develop and manage daily, weekly, and long-range production schedules based on:
  • Sales forecasts
  • Inventory availability
  • Labor capacity
  • Equipment utilization
  • Distribution schedules
• Determine optimal batch sizes and production frequencies to maximize efficiency while minimizing waste.
• Scale recipes into commercial production volumes while maintaining product quality, consistency, food safety, and yields.
• Adjust production schedules to accommodate demand fluctuations, seasonal changes, menu launches, and new location openings.
• Coordinate closely with Warehouse & Distribution to ensure ingredients, packaging materials, and finished goods remain aligned with production plans.

Production Operations

• Oversee all daily production activities across:
  • Hot Production
  • Cold Production
  • Ingredient Preparation
  • Packaging
  • Finished Goods
• Ensure all recipes, yields, portioning, batch records, and production standards are consistently executed.
• Optimize labor allocation and equipment utilization throughout the facility.
• Partner with Culinary and R&D teams to successfully launch new menu items and production processes.
• Maintain production schedules while meeting quality, safety, and distribution deadlines.

Team Leadership & Development

• Recruit, hire, train, coach, and develop Production Supervisors, Prep Leads, Production Associates, and Packaging Associates.
• Build staffing models that align labor with production demand and future growth.
• Establish clear performance expectations, accountability standards, and production KPIs.
• Conduct coaching sessions, performance evaluations, and ongoing skills development.
• Develop internal talent pipelines and succession plans for future production leadership roles.
• Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, continuous improvement, operational excellence, and food safety.

Quality Assurance & Food Safety

• Ensure every production run meets Orbital Kitchens' quality, consistency, and presentation standards.
• Implement and oversee comprehensive Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) systems throughout production.
• Maintain compliance with:
  • HACCP
  • FDA regulations
  • Local Health Department requirements
  • Food safety and sanitation standards
• Develop standardized procedures for:
  • Blast chilling
  • Cooling
  • Packaging
  • Labeling
  • Product traceability
  • Shelf-life management
  • Storage
• Maintain production documentation including:
  • Temperature logs
  • Batch records
  • Production reports
  • QA documentation
• Investigate production issues and implement corrective and preventive actions.

Process Improvement & Equipment Optimization

• Develop expert knowledge of all production equipment and facility capabilities.
• Analyze labor utilization, production flow, bottlenecks, and equipment performance.
• Recommend operational improvements that increase capacity while reducing labor costs, waste, and production variability.
• Support future automation initiatives, equipment additions, and process standardization.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance productivity, consistency, and scalability.

Inventory & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Maintain a strong understanding of ingredient management, production yields, inventory accuracy, and production variances.
• Partner closely with Warehouse & Distribution leadership to align purchasing, receiving, inventory planning, and production schedules.
• Assist with monitoring ingredient usage, finished goods inventory, production yields, and inventory variances.
• Support inventory planning activities to ensure uninterrupted production operations.

Performance Management & Reporting

Develop, monitor, and report on key operational metrics, including:

• Labor productivity
• Production throughput
• Schedule adherence
• Batch accuracy
• Production yields
• Food waste
• QA/QC compliance
• On-time production completion
• Food cost variance
• Capacity utilization
• Inventory variances

Provide regular reporting and operational updates to leadership while identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, consistency, labor utilization, and overall production performance.

What Success Looks Like

Within the first 6–12 months, you will:

• Successfully transition Orbital Kitchens into a centralized commissary production model.
• Build scalable production systems that support continued company growth.
• Implement standardized production procedures across all departments.
• Develop production schedules that consistently meet operational demand.
• Successfully scale recipes while maintaining quality, consistency, and yields.
• Improve labor productivity and production throughput.
• Implement robust QA/QC and food safety systems.
• Build and develop a high-performing production leadership team.
• Establish KPI reporting that drives continuous operational improvement.

Qualifications

Required

• 5+ years of leadership experience in a commercial kitchen, commissary, food manufacturing, or high-volume food production environment.
• 3+ years managing production teams in a fast-paced operational setting.
• Proven experience overseeing large-scale food production operations.
• Experience developing production schedules while balancing labor, equipment capacity, inventory, and demand forecasting.
• Demonstrated success scaling recipes into commercial production volumes.
• Strong knowledge of:
  • Commercial food production
  • Batch cooking
  • Rapid cooling
  • Packaging
  • Shelf-life management
  • Yield optimization
• Thorough understanding of HACCP, food safety regulations, sanitation standards, and commercial production environments.
• Experience implementing QA/QC programs and standardized operating procedures.
• NYC Food Protection Certificate (or ability to obtain upon hire).
• Strong leadership, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, rapidly growing organization.
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and varying production schedules as needed.

Preferred

• Experience opening or managing a commissary or central production facility.
• Experience supporting multi-unit restaurant, ghost kitchen, or QSR operations.
• Experience with blast chillers, vacuum packaging, cook-chill systems, or commercial food processing equipment.
• Familiarity with ERP systems, inventory management software, or production planning platforms.
• Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or Continuous Improvement experience.
• Bilingual English and Spanish.
• Experience leading operational change and scaling food production within a high-growth organization.