CM Director

The Director, Store Leadership role at Central Market is designed for experienced leaders who thrive in dynamic retail environments. Central Market, founded in Austin, Texas in 1994, offers a wide range of products including hundreds of cheeses, thousands of wines, and acres of produce, making it a foodie's paradise.

Position Summary

This opportunity is for individuals with a deep appreciation for food culture, strong business acumen, and the ability to lead large, complex teams while delivering extraordinary customer experiences. The ideal candidate will contribute to various areas including Fresh & Perishable Operations, Culinary & Food Service Leadership, and Center Store & Specialty Merchandising.

What You’ll Influence

• Fresh & Perishable Operations: Leading high-volume fresh departments with an uncompromising commitment to quality, driving innovation across Produce, Meat, Seafood, Bakery, Deli, Cheese, Floral, and Prepared Foods, and developing strong operational disciplines around shrink, labor, food safety, and execution.

• Culinary & Food Service Leadership: Elevating restaurant-quality food experiences inside retail, leading culinary teams focused on innovation, hospitality, and scratch-made quality, driving prepared foods, catering, coffee, beverage, and experiential dining programs, and creating differentiated food experiences that inspire customer loyalty.

• Center Store & Specialty Merchandising: Curating compelling assortments across grocery, beverage, wellness, and specialty categories, identifying trends, emerging brands, and evolving customer preferences, driving sales growth through storytelling, merchandising, and product discovery, and balancing operational excellence with creativity and innovation.

What We’re Looking For

• 7+ years of progressive leadership experience within specialty grocery, premium retail, hospitality, culinary, restaurant, or fresh food environments.

• Experience leading large teams and complex business operations.

• Strong financial, operational, and merchandising acumen.

• Passion for food, hospitality, and customer experience.

• Ability to influence across multiple functions and leadership levels.

• High emotional intelligence and strong people leadership capability.

• Proven ability to execute while continuously improving the customer experience.

Success

• Teams are engaged, inspired, and performing at a high level.

• Customers experience something differentiated every time they walk into the market.

• Standards remain exceptionally high across quality, execution, and hospitality.

• Innovation and operational discipline coexist successfully.

• The business grows while preserving the unique culture and food-first identity that defines Central Market.