Who Is Hiring a Director of Food Production in West Valley City, Utah?
Published on: Sep 16, 2026
An established specialty grocery retail organization in West Valley City, Utah, in the Salt Lake City metro, is hiring a Director of Food Production on a direct hire basis through Frontline Source Group to lead a high-volume central kitchen that prepares food for distribution statewide, with full health, life, vision, and dental insurance, generous PTO, and a 401(k) match. The placement is backed by Frontline's 5-Year Placement Warranty and is recruited by Mike Cook, known across the industry as Grocery Store Mike, a grocery executive recruiter with 35 plus years in the business. Frontline Source Group has completed 5,619 plus placements and holds a 5.0-star Trustpilot rating across 678 plus verified reviews.
What does the Director of Food Production role in West Valley City involve?
The Director of Food Production leads a production facility and ensures the safe, efficient, and consistent preparation of high-quality food distributed to the retailer's locations statewide. This senior leadership role oversees large-scale food production, quality assurance, food safety, staff development, inventory, equipment, packaging, and distribution coordination. It suits an experienced operations leader who is passionate about food quality, continuous improvement, and building high-performing teams.
Central kitchen production and scheduling
- Lead and oversee all central food production activities, ensuring products are prepared safely, consistently, efficiently, and on schedule.
- Manage the production of prepared foods for distribution.
- Create and maintain production schedules that support demand, inventory needs, product freshness, and delivery deadlines.
- Manage product assortment, ingredient availability, inventory levels, and production capacity across departments.
Food safety, HACCP, and quality assurance
- Develop, implement, and enforce standard operating procedures for food production, sanitation, quality control, packaging, and equipment use.
- Maintain high standards for food quality, freshness, taste, presentation, safety, and regulatory compliance.
- Conduct routine production audits, quality checks, taste tests, and sanitation inspections.
- Investigate and resolve food quality, safety, equipment, inventory, or production issues effectively.
- Ensure compliance with HACCP standards, food safety regulations, sanitation requirements, and company policies.
Product development and cross-functional partnership
- Partner with culinary leadership and product development teams to launch new menu items, seasonal products, and retail-ready offerings.
- Collaborate with purchasing and procurement teams to optimize ingredient and supply costs while maintaining product quality.
- Coordinate with fleet and distribution teams to ensure accurate delivery of products to all locations.
- Establish packaging standards that protect food quality, safety, freshness, and presentation during transportation.
Team leadership and development
- Lead, coach, train, and develop production supervisors, line cooks, prep staff, packaging associates, and other food production team members.
- Provide direct, constructive performance feedback and support employee development, accountability, promotion, and corrective action processes.
- Set a professional, positive, hands-on example for team members and support the overall success of the department.
Equipment, efficiency, and KPIs
- Oversee equipment maintenance, sanitation, safe operation, and replacement planning.
- Identify opportunities for equipment upgrades, workflow improvements, automation, cost reduction, and increased production efficiency.
- Track and analyze production KPIs, including output, waste, labor, product quality, cost, inventory, and on-time delivery performance.
What background does the Director of Food Production need?
The ideal candidate is an experienced food production, central kitchen, commissary kitchen, culinary manufacturing, or retail food operations leader who can manage high-volume production while maintaining uncompromising food safety and quality standards.
- Five or more years of leadership experience in food production, central kitchen operations, commissary kitchens, food manufacturing, retail food production, or a related environment.
- Experience leading large-scale food production for distribution or multi-location operations.
- Strong knowledge of food safety, sanitation, quality assurance, HACCP standards, and regulatory compliance.
- Current Food Handler's Permit or the ability to obtain and maintain required food safety credentials.
- Experience managing production schedules, labor, inventory, ingredient purchasing, and operational budgets.
- Experience with inventory management systems and production planning software.
- Proven ability to lead, coach, develop, and hold accountable diverse production teams.
- Strong understanding of food production equipment, maintenance, sanitation, and safe equipment operation.
- Ability to analyze operational data, identify inefficiencies, and implement process improvements.
- Excellent communication, organization, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, with strong attention to detail and a consistent commitment to quality, food safety, and customer satisfaction.
- Basic computer proficiency, including Microsoft Office Suite.
- Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Business, Culinary Arts, Operations, or a related field is a plus.
- Availability to work weekends, evenings, and holidays as business needs require.
What benefits does the specialty grocery employer offer?
- Comprehensive health, life, vision, and dental insurance plans.
- Generous paid time off.
- 401(k) with company match.
- Career development and advancement opportunities.
The employer is an established specialty grocery retail organization with a strong market presence, a collaborative and team-oriented workplace culture, and a focus on quality, service, and community. The company name is shared with qualified candidates during the recruiting process.
Where is the job located?
The role is based at the retailer's central production facility in West Valley City, Utah, the second-largest city in the state and part of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area in Salt Lake County. It is an on-site leadership position, and the food produced at the facility is distributed to the retailer's locations across Utah, which is why the director coordinates closely with fleet and distribution teams.
Who is the recruiter for this Utah food production job?
Mike Cook, Grocery, Retail, and Pharmacy Executive Recruiter at Frontline Source Group, leads this search. Known across the industry as Grocery Store Mike, he brings 35 plus years of grocery experience, including store, district, and perimeter department leadership, before transitioning to executive search. He recruits store managers, district and regional managers, category managers, fresh and prepared foods leaders, and vice presidents of operations for grocery, supermarket, and specialty food retailers through Frontline's grocery and retail executive search practice.
Why work with Frontline Source Group on this placement?
Frontline Source Group is a Forbes Best Professional Recruiting Firm for 9 consecutive years (2018 to 2026), Forbes Best Executive Recruiting Firms #148 (2026), 9-time ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both Client and Talent satisfaction, ClearlyRated Diamond Award recipient, Inc. 5000 honoree, and Expertise.com Best Staffing Agency. The firm is a member of the American Staffing Association (ASA), operates 32 plus offices nationwide, and maintains a 98.94% executive placement retention rate against an industry average of 70 percent. Every direct hire, including this one, is backed by the 5-Year Placement Warranty, 20 times longer than the 90-day industry standard. Candidates pay nothing to work with Frontline. People. Process. Service.
How do you apply for the Director of Food Production job in West Valley City?
Apply through the how to apply page. Mike Cook reviews every submission for this search and contacts qualified candidates directly to discuss the role and the employer. Grocery and food production professionals who know a strong central kitchen leader can also use Frontline's referral program. Browse other openings on the recent placements page.
Frequently Asked Questions: Director of Food Production Job in West Valley City, Utah
Who is hiring a Director of Food Production in West Valley City, Utah?
An established specialty grocery retail organization in West Valley City, in the Salt Lake City metro, is hiring through Frontline Source Group. The employer name is shared with qualified candidates during the recruiting process led by Mike Cook, Grocery, Retail, and Pharmacy Executive Recruiter.
Is the Director of Food Production job a direct hire position?
Yes. This is a full-time, direct hire placement with the grocery retailer, and it is backed by Frontline Source Group's 5-Year Placement Warranty, 20 times longer than the 90-day industry standard.
What experience is required for the Director of Food Production role?
Five or more years of leadership experience in food production, central kitchen operations, commissary kitchens, food manufacturing, or retail food production, including experience leading large-scale production for distribution or multi-location operations, strong HACCP and food safety knowledge, and experience managing production schedules, labor, inventory, purchasing, and budgets.
Is a degree required for the Director of Food Production job?
A bachelor's degree in Food Science, Business, Culinary Arts, Operations, or a related field is a plus but not required. A current Food Handler's Permit, or the ability to obtain and maintain required food safety credentials, is required.
What benefits come with the Director of Food Production position?
Comprehensive health, life, vision, and dental insurance plans, generous paid time off, a 401(k) with company match, and career development and advancement opportunities.
What is a central kitchen or commissary in grocery retail?
A central kitchen or commissary is a single production facility that prepares food at high volume for distribution to multiple retail locations rather than cooking in each store. In this role, the director oversees production, HACCP compliance, packaging standards, and coordination with fleet and distribution teams so products arrive at every store fresh and on schedule.
What is the work schedule for the Director of Food Production?
The role is an on-site senior leadership position that requires availability to work weekends, evenings, and holidays as business needs require, with the director setting a hands-on example on the production floor.
Who is the recruiter for this Utah grocery job?
Mike Cook, known as Grocery Store Mike, Grocery, Retail, and Pharmacy Executive Recruiter at Frontline Source Group, leads this search. He has 35 plus years of grocery industry experience. His bio is at frontlinesourcegroup.com/mike-cook-staffing-services.html.
How do I apply for the Director of Food Production job in West Valley City?
Apply through Frontline Source Group's how to apply page at frontlinesourcegroup.com/how-to-apply.html. Mike Cook reviews every submission and contacts qualified candidates directly.
Do candidates pay a fee to work with Frontline Source Group?
No. Candidates never pay a fee to work with Frontline Source Group. The employer engages Frontline for the search, and the placement is backed by the 5-Year Placement Warranty.
What is the 5-Year Placement Warranty?
The 5-Year Placement Warranty is Frontline Source Group's commitment on every direct hire placement, 20 times longer than the 90-day guarantee that is standard in the staffing industry. Full terms are published at frontlinesourcegroup.com/5year-placement-guarantee.html.
What other grocery and retail management jobs does Frontline Source Group recruit for?
Frontline's grocery and retail executive search practice recruits store managers, district and regional managers, category managers, fresh and prepared foods leaders, pharmacists in charge, and vice presidents of operations for grocery, supermarket, and specialty food retailers. Details are at frontlinesourcegroup.com/executive-search-grocery-store-and-retail.html.
