Director, Store Leadership
Central Market is a specialty grocery that started in Austin, Texas in 1994 and has grown to multiple locations across the state. We offer a curated selection of cheeses, wines, produce, and more, delivering high‑quality, food‑forward experiences.
Position Summary
Central Market is seeking exceptional leadership talent across specialty grocery, fresh foods, culinary operations, merchandising, and customer experience. The role is designed for proven operators, merchants, and food leaders who thrive in experiential retail environments and can lead large, complex teams while delivering extraordinary customer experiences.
What You’ll Influence
Fresh & Perishable Operations
- Lead high‑volume fresh departments with an uncompromising commitment to quality.
- Drive innovation across Produce, Meat, Seafood, Bakery, Deli, Cheese, Floral, and Prepared Foods.
- Build food‑forward merchandising and seasonal strategies.
- Develop strong operational disciplines around shrink, labor, food safety, and execution.
Culinary & Food Service Leadership
- Elevate restaurant‑quality food experiences inside retail.
- Lead culinary teams focused on innovation, hospitality, and scratch‑made quality.
- Drive prepared foods, catering, coffee, beverage, and experiential dining programs.
- Create differentiated food experiences that inspire customer loyalty.
Center Store & Specialty Merchandising
- Curate compelling assortments across grocery, beverage, wellness, and specialty categories.
- Identify trends, emerging brands, and evolving customer preferences.
- Drive sales growth through storytelling, merchandising, and product discovery.
- Balance operational excellence with creativity and innovation.
Leadership & Culture
- Build and develop high‑performing teams and future leaders.
- Create environments where people feel inspired, challenged, and connected to the mission.
- Lead with authenticity, accountability, and a customer‑first mindset.
- Partner cross‑functionally across operations, merchandising, culinary, and support teams.
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.
What Success Looks Like
- 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.
This is not a traditional grocery leadership environment. Central Market leaders are expected to think beyond transactions and operations. We are looking for leaders who are deeply curious about food, passionate about people, and energized by creating experiences customers cannot find anywhere else.
If you see food as culture, retail as theater, and leadership as service, we would love to connect with you.
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