General Manager, Food Distribution Center

General ManagerThe Common Market is a nonprofit social enterprise working to build a more resilient and equitable food system. Through a network of regional chapters, we connect family farmers to the institutions that need their food most, including schools, hospitals, universities, and community organizations.As our national network continues to grow, our ability to deliver on this mission depends on strong, reliable, and values-aligned operations. From warehouse teams and drivers to customer support and sales, our operational performance is critical to ensuring consistent, high-quality service.To support the continued growth and performance of our Philadelphia market, The Common Market is seeking a General Manager to lead site operations, develop frontline teams, and ensure excellence across warehouse, trucking, and food safety systems. This role will play a critical part in ensuring we consistently deliver on our commitments to customers, farmers, and communities.The General Manager is responsible for leading and owning the day-to-day and long-term performance of The Common Market's Philadelphia distribution facility, with oversight of warehouse operations, trucking, food safety, and frontline team leadership.This role sits at the intersection of operations, people, and performance. The General Manager ensures that systems are executed with consistency and discipline, while also building the structure, accountability, and team capability needed to support growth.Working in close partnership with the Executive Director, Sales, Customer Support, and National Operations, this role owns execution through others while ensuring alignment across teams. The General Manager is responsible for delivering operational results while continuously improving systems, processes, and team performance.This is a highly hands-on leadership role for someone who is energized by building strong teams, improving operations, and driving consistent execution in a fast-paced distribution environment.The General Manager holds primary accountability for site-level performance, including operational execution, team effectiveness, and cost management. This role is expected to operate with a high degree of autonomy in day-to-day decision-making, ensuring the facility and fleet run effectively without requiring constant executive oversight.This role is best suited for a hands-on operational leader who thrives in a lean, fast-paced environment. The General Manager will directly oversee and work across multiple areas of the business—including procurement, warehouse operations, trucking, food safety, and people leadership—without large layers of specialized support. Successful candidates will be comfortable shifting between strategic leadership and hands-on problem solving while maintaining strong operational standards and accountability.The ideal candidate is an experienced operations leader who combines strong execution with the ability to build structure, develop people, and drive performance across a complex, multi-function operation.They are comfortable leading frontline teams, managing competing priorities, and ensuring that daily operations run smoothly while also identifying and implementing improvements.They are equally comfortable on the warehouse floor, reviewing performance metrics, directing staff, coordinating with cross-functional partners, scheduling repairs, and making real-time decisions that impact service, cost, and safety.· Operational Leader & Owner: Leads full-site operations with accountability for performance, safety, and execution.· Frontline Team Builder: Develops supervisors and hourly staff, building a culture of accountability, safety, and strong performance.· Food Safety Leader: Maintains strong command of SQF, HACCP, FSMA programs.· Logistics & Fleet Operator: Oversees routing, delivery performance, maintenance, and fleet coordination.· Business-Minded Operator: Understands cost, service levels, and operational tradeoffs.· Problem Solver & Decision Maker: Navigates shifting priorities with strong follow-through.· Professional Foundation: 7–12+ years relevant experience; 3–5+ years team leadership.This role may not be the right fit for candidates who:· Prefer Strategy Over Execution.· Avoid Direct People Management.· Lack Food or Operational Experience.· Prefer Predictable Environments.· Are Seeking Remote Roles.Site Leadership & Operational OwnershipOwn overall performance of the Philadelphia facility.Warehouse OperationsOversee all warehouse activities to ensure efficient and accurate product flow.Transportation & Fleet OversightEnsure reliable, safe, and efficient delivery operations.Food Safety & Quality (SQF Program Owner)Maintain strong food safety systems and compliance.People Leadership & Team DevelopmentBuild strong teams and consistent performance across staff.Financial & Performance ManagementEnsure operational performance aligns with cost and efficiency goals.Cross-Functional LeadershipEnsure alignment across teams to support operational success.Success in This Role Looks Like· The site consistently meets or exceeds service, safety, and accuracy targets.· Labor and operating costs are managed effectively against plan.· The team operates with strong accountability and low turnover.· Food safety audits are passed with minimal corrective actions.· Operational issues are identified and resolved proactively without escalation.Qualifications· Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.· 7–12+ years of experience in operations, logistics, or distribution environments.· 3–5+ years managing frontline or supervisory teams.· Experience in food handling environments required.· Experience leading operations in a small to mid-sized, lean organization where you held direct responsibility across multiple operational functions is strongly preferred.· Experience managing a trucking fleet and drivers. Refrigerated trucking preferred.· SQF, HACCP, FSMA, or equivalent experience required.· Strong organizational and communication skills.Location & TravelThis role is based in Philadelphia and requires full-time onsite presence at the distribution facility.Compensation & Benefits· Salary: $100,000 annually· Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)· Retirement Plan (SIMPLE IRA with 100% employer match)· Life Insurance (100% Employer Paid Life, AD&D, Short and Long-Term Disability)· Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)