Operations Manager

Role Summary
This role is the operational backbone of Pearl's Plant Kitchen — the person who plans, produces, purchases, and ships so the founder can focus on sales and growth. It starts hands-on (batching, ordering, stocking, deliveries) and is built to grow into full independent ownership of day-to-day production as PPK scales, including eventually supervising additional production staff.
Who Thrives Here
We're looking for someone who wants to help build something, not just fill a shift. Ideal candidates have started their own food business or worked in an early-stage or fast-growing food/beverage company where they wore multiple hats. You should bring an entrepreneurial mindset — comfortable with ambiguity, quick to spot and fix problems without being asked, and genuinely invested in PPK's growth and success, not just the day-to-day task list. We're looking for real expertise here — someone who brings more production and operations know-how than we currently have in-house, and can help us scale the operation, not just free up the founder's time.

Key Responsibilities
Production Planning & Batching
• Ensure Pearl's Plant Kitchen has the right product available at the right time by planning production around demand, executing consistent batches, and keeping reliable production records.
• Protect product quality and customer trust by maintaining food safety, sanitation, and recipe standards on the production floor.
Purchasing & Vendor Management
• Keep production moving without supply interruptions by sourcing dependable ingredients, packaging, and supplies within PPK's budget and quality standards.
• Protect margins as the business grows by managing vendor relationships, negotiating terms, tracking cost changes, and identifying better supply options.
Inventory & Fulfillment
• Keep the operation retail- and account-ready by maintaining accurate inventory, organized storage, and clear reorder points.
• Ensure customers and accounts receive complete, accurate orders by preparing fulfillment efficiently and managing local delivery execution.
Operations Leadership (as PPK scales)
• Turn day-to-day production into a repeatable, well-run operation by taking increasing ownership of decisions, staffing, and workflow as PPK scales.
• Create more founder capacity by leading production updates, surfacing risks early, and solving operational issues without requiring constant hands-on oversight.