Production & Distribution Facility Manager

About the Role

Orbital Kitchens is opening a new central production facility that will serve as the operational backbone for our growing network of restaurant locations (currently supporting 8–20 kitchens, with room to scale). This facility will handle two core functions:

1. Large-scale food production — high-volume cooking and cold prep of items distributed to all locations
2. Inventory holding and distribution — centralized receiving, storage, inventory management, and delivery logistics to all kitchen locations

We are hiring a Production & Distribution Facility Manager to lead this facility end-to-end, with primary accountability for the inventory, warehousing, and distribution function, and working oversight of production output, quality, and scheduling.

This is a foundational hire — you will help build the systems, SOPs, and team structure that this facility runs on as we scale from a handful of locations to 20+.

What You'll Own

Inventory Management & Warehousing (Primary Focus)

• Own end-to-end inventory accuracy across raw materials, packaging, and finished/prepped goods held at the facility
• Design and maintain inventory control systems (par levels, reorder points, FIFO/FEFO rotation, cycle counts, full physical inventories)
• Manage receiving processes: vendor deliveries, quality/quantity checks, invoice reconciliation, and putaway
• Minimize shrinkage, spoilage, and food waste through disciplined storage practices, temperature/humidity monitoring, and rotation discipline
• Track and report on key inventory KPIs: inventory turns, days-on-hand, waste %, stockout rate, and variance between system and physical counts
• Own vendor relationships tied to receiving schedules, delivery windows, and quality standards; escalate and resolve supply issues before they impact kitchens
• Maintain accurate inventory records in whatever inventory/ERP system is in use, and partner with Finance on month-end counts and COGS reconciliation

Distribution & Logistics

• Build and manage the distribution schedule that supplies 8–20 (and growing) kitchen locations with prepped/produced goods and inventory replenishment
• Own routing, load planning, and delivery windows to ensure each location receives product on time, at correct temperature, and in correct quantity
• Manage the fleet/delivery team (owned, contracted, or third-party), including driver scheduling and vehicle/equipment maintenance coordination
• Build contingency plans for delivery disruptions (weather, vehicle downtime, volume spikes) to protect kitchen-level operations
• Partner with location managers/GMs to forecast demand and adjust distribution volumes accordingly

Production Oversight (Secondary, Working Knowledge Required)

• Oversee daily production scheduling across cooking and cold prep lines to ensure output matches demand forecasts and inventory targets
• Ensure production output meets food safety, quality, and consistency standards (HACCP, recipe adherence, portioning)
• Partner with the Production/Kitchen Supervisor on staffing, throughput, and equipment needs
• Ensure production planning is tightly coupled with inventory levels — avoiding both overproduction (waste) and underproduction (stockouts at kitchens)

Facility & Compliance

• Ensure the facility passes all health department, food safety, and safety/OSHA inspections
• Maintain sanitation schedules, pest control, and equipment maintenance programs for both the production and warehouse areas
• Own facility-level cost control: labor, waste, utilities, and supply costs relative to budget
• Build and maintain SOPs for receiving, storage, production handoff, and distribution as the facility and network scale

People & Team Leadership

• Hire, train, and manage a multi-functional team spanning warehouse, production, and logistics
• Set clear performance expectations and KPIs for direct reports; conduct regular 1:1s and performance reviews
• Build a culture of accountability around food safety, accuracy, and on-time delivery

What Success Looks Like (First 6–12 Months)

• Inventory accuracy (system vs. physical count) consistently above target threshold
• Food waste held within best-in-class range (roughly 4–6% of food purchases)
• On-time, in-full delivery rate to kitchen locations at or above target
• Documented SOPs in place for receiving, inventory management, production handoff, and distribution
• Smooth onboarding process proven out for adding new kitchen locations to the distribution network

Qualifications

Required:

• 5+ years in a warehouse, inventory, distribution, or commissary/central kitchen management role, ideally in food service, QSR, or CPG
• Demonstrated experience managing inventory systems and controlling shrinkage/waste at scale
• Experience managing logistics/delivery operations to multiple end locations
• Strong working knowledge of food safety standards (ServSafe, HACCP) and cold chain requirements
• Comfortable with inventory/ERP software and building out reporting/KPI dashboards
• Proven people management experience across multi-functional teams (10+ direct/indirect reports)

Preferred:

• Experience specifically in a multi-unit restaurant or QSR commissary/central kitchen model
• Experience scaling a distribution operation as a location count grows (e.g., from ~5 to 20 locations)
• Background in supply chain, logistics, or operations management
• Familiarity with route/load optimization tools

• Schedule: Full-time; early morning start typical for receiving/production oversight; some flexibility required around delivery schedules
• Location: On-site at the central production facility