Director of Bakery Operations

About the role

Lead a complex bakery operation, develop strong leaders, and see the impact of your decisions on the floor every day. Balance safety, quality, service, productivity, and cost while keeping teams aligned across multiple shifts and platforms. Use data, operational expertise, and structured problem solving to improve performance and solve complex manufacturing challenges.

Who You’ll Work For

Palermo’s is a family‑owned company with a passion for great pizza and great people. As a member of the Operations Leadership Team, you’ll work closely with leaders across Production, Quality, Maintenance, Engineering, R&D, Supply Chain, Warehouse, Finance, and Human Resources to drive bakery performance and support broader business priorities.

Perks

• 20 free pizzas per month
• Competitive salary
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off and paid holidays
• Employee discount on Palermo’s products
• Opportunities to influence the future of a growing, family‑owned organization

Where You’ll Work

This is an on‑site leadership role at Palermo’s Canal Street manufacturing facility in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Because the bakery operates across multiple shifts, the leader maintains a visible presence throughout the operation and provides support outside traditional business hours when needed.

What You’ll Do

• Lead bakery operations across multiple shifts and platforms, driving performance in safety, food safety, quality, service, productivity, cost, and employee engagement.
• Develop Bakery Managers and strengthen leadership capability, accountability, and succession throughout the operation.
• Use operational data and KPIs to identify trends, solve problems, and improve bakery performance.
• Drive continuous improvement in throughput, labor efficiency, yield, waste, equipment effectiveness, product consistency, and process reliability.
• Provide leadership and technical oversight of bakery processes, ingredients, equipment, and environmental conditions.
• Partner with Maintenance and Engineering to improve equipment reliability, automation, capacity, and bakery capability.
• Manage bakery budgets, resources, and cost‑improvement initiatives while protecting quality and service.
• Partner with R&D on new products, product improvements, trials, and successful commercialization into bakery operations.
• Develop longer‑term plans for bakery capacity, technology, equipment, workforce capability, and operational needs.

Why You’ll Be Successful

You understand both the business and the bakery, moving comfortably between the production floor and strategic discussions. You create accountability, use data to make decisions, tackle root causes rather than symptoms, and bring multiple functions together to solve complex manufacturing challenges.

What You’ll Bring

• Bachelor’s degree in Operations Management, Engineering, Food Science, Business, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 10+ years of progressive manufacturing experience, including significant bakery manufacturing leadership experience.
• 5+ years leading managers or senior operational leaders in a multi‑shift manufacturing environment.
• Strong knowledge of commercial bakery processes, ingredients, equipment, and factors affecting product consistency and quality.
• Demonstrated experience managing operational performance, budgets, labor, waste, productivity, and manufacturing KPIs.
• Experience leading continuous improvement, organizational change, and complex cross‑functional initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of food safety, GMP, regulatory, and manufacturing safety requirements.
• High‑volume food manufacturing experience, bakery automation, capital project experience, and Lean or Six Sigma expertise are a plus.

What Success Looks Like

Bakery operations consistently deliver strong results across safety, quality, service, productivity, cost, and engagement. Bakery Managers effectively own their operations and develop strong teams. Product quality and bakery processes are consistent across shifts and platforms, and data‑driven problem solving drives sustained improvements in waste, efficiency, reliability, and cost. The bakery organization is building the leadership, equipment, technology, and process capability needed to support Palermo’s future growth.

How To Join Our Team

At Palermo’s, you’ll have the opportunity to lead a critical part of our manufacturing operation while helping shape what comes next. We combine the energy and opportunity of a growing business with the values and personal connection of a family‑owned company. If you’re energized by developing people, improving operations, solving complex bakery challenges, and seeing the impact of your work firsthand, we’d love to hear from you.