Warehouse/Inventory Manager

About the role

We are a fast‑growing direct‑to‑consumer frozen‑meal company seeking an operations leader who builds systems. You will own the kitchen and the processes that make it run, turning daily meal production and inventory into a predictable, measurable operation. The role requires strong hands‑on production leadership, proactive communication, and the ability to provide consistent visibility to remote executive leadership.

Location: On‑site in Logan, UT (with an anticipated move to an upgraded facility in Ogden or Salt Lake County within 6‑12 months).

Responsibilities

• Production planning & inventory
  • Plan daily and weekly production to match open orders, sales trends, and modifications.
  • Maintain accurate counts, par levels, and reorder triggers for raw goods, ingredients, packaging, and finished Ready‑to‑Ship meals.
  • Stand up and run a dependable inventory/production system (currently Shopify, evaluating tools such as Fishbowl).
  • Organize freezers and staging areas to enable “shop the shelf and ship” fulfillment.
• Fulfillment & shipping
  • Own on‑time fulfillment against a 5‑7 business‑day SLA (goal: 3‑day “pay‑to‑porch”).
  • Ensure complete, correct, and allergen‑safe orders; prevent partial shipments.
  • Manage packaging quality, box sizes, cold‑chain integrity (ice packs/dry ice), and brand‑consistent inserts.
• Food cost, labor & throughput
  • Control food cost/COGS to stay under 40‑50% and minimize waste.
  • Track and improve labor efficiency (cost per meal, meals per labor hour) and daily throughput.
  • Negotiate with vendors on ingredients, proteins, and packaging.
• Facilities, fleet & building
  • Schedule and manage building maintenance and repair vendors (HVAC, refrigeration, plumbing, electrical, waste, pest control).
  • Serve as point of contact with landlord/property manager for building issues.
  • Maintain company delivery van(s): routine service, registration/insurance, cleanliness, and availability.
  • Run preventive‑maintenance schedules on major kitchen equipment to catch issues early.
• Quality, allergen & food safety
  • Implement and uphold HACCP/ServSafe standards; keep the facility audit‑ready.
  • Own allergen‑safe workflow and accurate labeling.
  • Maintain recipe, portioning, and packaging standards across shifts.
• People leadership
  • Schedule, hire, train, and lead kitchen team and shift leads; build a dependable bench, including gig/temp staff as needed.
  • Set daily plans, communicate priorities, and ensure execution.
  • Delegate operational tasks to shift leads to focus on COGS, reporting, and strategic improvements.
• Systems, data & communication
  • Provide reliable start‑of‑day and end‑of‑day visibility to remote leadership (production, shipments, inventory).
  • Document SOPs to prevent knowledge silos.
  • Communicate proactively, flag problems early, and coordinate across ops, R&D, and customer service.

Success Metrics (first 90 days)

• 30 days: Accurate raw‑goods and RTS inventory counts; clear daily/weekly production plan tied to open orders; reliable start/end‑of‑day reporting.
• 60 days: Consistent on‑time, complete shipments against SLA; inventory/production system selected and operational; documented food‑safety and allergen SOPs.
• 90 days: Predictable, sustainable throughput at target food cost and labor efficiency; trained, stable crew; kitchen operating on process rather than heroics.

Requirements

• Hands‑on production or culinary operations leadership in a high‑volume kitchen, commissary, meal‑prep, or food‑manufacturing environment.
• Proven ability to build systems and turn chaotic/manual processes into documented, measurable ones.
• Strong inventory management and production planning experience, preferably with inventory software.
• Experience owning facilities and light fleet logistics (vendor coordination, landlord interaction, vehicle maintenance).
• Cost‑conscious with fluency in food cost, labor efficiency, and waste reduction.
• Food‑safety certification (ServSafe/HACCP) or willingness to obtain quickly.
• Effective people leadership; calm and decisive under pressure.
• Excellent proactive communication and escalation skills.

Nice to Have

• Experience in direct‑to‑consumer/e‑commerce food (frozen or fresh) and cold‑chain shipping.
• Familiarity with Shopify and inventory tools such as Fishbowl.
• Experience with AI tools (Claude, Gemini, ChatGPT) and willingness to learn.
• Background standing up SOPs or scaling a commercial kitchen/production facility.
• Negotiation experience with vendors on scope, price, and delivery deadlines.
• Allergen‑program or dietary‑modification expertise.

Schedule

Full‑time, on‑site; early mornings (production starts around 7‑8 am) with occasional Fridays as volume requires.