Operations Manager/Director

Operations Manager/Director

You could make a real difference, every day, for people's health, animal, and the planet — working with a passionate vegan team?

You certainly can, at LeafSide! We are a growing company, offering innovative 100% whole-food plant-based (WFPB) vegan meals that deliver the highest standards in lifestyle medicine. Our mission is to make optimally healthy, whole vegan eating so easy and enjoyable that it becomes a societal norm.

LeafSide is seeking an Operations Manager/Director to scale our operations through project management, supply chain optimization, and production automation.

As our team's hands-on Operations Manager/Director, you'll be responsible for overseeing and improving the team making LeafSide's life-changing magic meals. From supply-chain to production to fulfillment, you'll lead daily execution excellence, and key strategic improvements — while staying aligned with LeafSide's vision and values. Being a great manager and coach is central to this role too. Other expectations include overseeing clear & sufficient (not excessive) documentation, and data-backed reasoning & problem-solving in general

It'll all be happening in the fast-paced environment of a growing, mission-driven company — so we're looking for someone who will see this role as not just another job, but key to their career and aligned with their life's calling.

This role is on-site in Tempe, AZ.

This role is:

• Hands-on leadership and coaching of staff across supply chain, production & fulfillment, and special projects therein; some cross-functional projects may also arise.
• Data-centric, with concise written analysis and reporting — including plans, briefs, tables/spreadsheets, predicting tradeoffs, doing due diligence, and sharing crisp updates to staff.
• Where progress and results are delivered by disciplined follow-through, risk tracking & mitigation, root cause analysis, and steady systems improvements.

This role is not:

• A high-level COO/Integrator role or a role with broad autonomy, at least not initially.
• Responsible for full P&L oversight; but managing costs effectively (with a strategy and prioritization) is required.

Non-Negotiable Outcomes:

• Production & Operations Execution, Reliability, and Scalability
• Keep production going to meet demand, with daily operational excellence across all Ops functions, and strategic improvements in productivity/training and quality assurance.
• Oversee SOPs, checklists, playbooks, and documentation.
• Own & maintain effective dashboards and trackers that show progress and constraints.
• Drive steady, measurable progress that lowers manual effort and costs while maintaining or raising quality.
• Strengthen supply chain forecasting, ordering cadence, and risk visibility.
• Coach and develop emerging leaders to proactively problem-solve and run their work with clarity and determination.

How We Work (Critical Fit)

• Writing-first thinking: Plans, status, decisions, and risks are concisely documented.
• Data-backed reasoning: e.g. tables, comparisons, assumptions, and proof.
• Execution within constraints of time and budget.

Qualifications:

• 7 - 10+ years of experience in production, manufacturing, and/or supply chain (food/CPG or regulated environment strongly preferred)
• 3 - 5+ years in production leadership (manager level or above)
• Fluent with business & operations software, e.g. Google Docs/Sheets and software/operations tools
• AI-empowered and constantly learning
• Track record of coaching teams to higher standards and responsibilities

Salary & Benefits:

• We offer market-competitive compensation & total rewards, plus bonus, dependent on experience and qualifications.
• Total time off per year starts at 5 weeks per year. (8 paid holidays, 5 sick days, and 12 PTO days) with sick and PTO time accrued per fully employed pay period.
• Health, dental, and vision plans are offered, with full or partial coverage by the company depending on the plan chosen.
• Complimentary LeafSide meals every workday and employee discount on LeafSide products. Unlike most food companies, we eat our own products every day, and high-quality food drives us to perform our best!
• Knowing directly from customers that your work uplifts the health & lives of people all across the country.

Our Application Process:

Email your application to: View email address on click.appcast.io

Subject line: Production Manager – [Your Full Name]

Include:

• Your full name & phone number
• LinkedIn profile link
• Resume (PDF)

Include this exact sentence in your email:

"I'm ready to lead, track, and improve production & operations at LeafSide with mission-driven gusto and clear communication."

In the body of the email, please answer these prompts (short is fine; clarity matters):

Describe one of the most important business changes you drove, that required getting buy-in from several stakeholders.

• What was your process?
• What were the options?
• What data or comparisons did you include?
• What did you recommend and why?

Supply chain leadership:

• When demand has spiked in the past, what are the top 3 indicators you monitored to prevent supply chain failure?
• What proactive measures did you take?

One example of thousands of unsolicited kudos from our LeafSiders:

"In one week of eating LeafSide meals, I lost 9 pounds, was pain-free, had more energy and mental clarity. In fact, it was so amazing that I've decided that I'm going to make their meals a cornerstone of my healthy, new, plant-based diet lifestyle. With these meals, all I have to do is heat the water up in my little 12 Volt portable kettle and pour the hot water into the bowl with the meal. Presto! I have a healthy, plant-based, organic meal! Love, love, love LeafSide!!!" - Kelley

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee discount
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Relocation assistance
• Vision insurance