This range is provided by The Common Market. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.
Base pay range
$100,000.00/yr - $100,000.00/yr
Context:
The Common Market is a nonprofit social enterprise working to build a more resilient and equitable food system. Through a network of regional chapters, we connect family farmers to the institutions that need their food most, including schools, hospitals, universities, and community organizations.
As our national network continues to grow, our ability to deliver on this mission depends on strong, reliable, and values-aligned operations. From warehouse teams and drivers to customer support and sales, our operational performance is critical to ensuring consistent, high-quality service.
To support the continued growth and performance of our Philadelphia market, The Common Market is seeking a General Manager to lead site operations, develop frontline teams, and ensure excellence across warehouse, trucking, and food safety systems. This role will play a critical part in ensuring we consistently deliver on our commitments to customers, farmers, and communities.
Role Description:
The General Manager is responsible for leading and owning the day-to-day and long-term performance of The Common Market's Philadelphia distribution facility, with oversight of warehouse operations, trucking, food safety, and frontline team leadership.
This role sits at the intersection of operations, people, and performance. The General Manager ensures that systems are executed with consistency and discipline, while also building the structure, accountability, and team capability needed to support growth.
Working in close partnership with the Executive Director, Sales, Customer Support, and National Operations, this role owns execution through others while ensuring alignment across teams. The General Manager is responsible for delivering operational results while continuously improving systems, processes, and team performance.
This is a highly hands-on leadership role for someone who is energized by building strong teams, improving operations, and driving consistent execution in a fast-paced distribution environment.
The General Manager holds primary accountability for site-level performance, including operational execution, team effectiveness, and cost management. This role is expected to operate with a high degree of autonomy in day-to-day decision-making, ensuring the facility and fleet run effectively without requiring constant executive oversight.
Candidate Profile:
The ideal candidate is an experienced operations leader who combines strong execution with the ability to build structure, develop people, and drive performance across a complex, multi-function operation.
They are comfortable leading frontline teams, managing competing priorities, and ensuring that daily operations run smoothly while also identifying and implementing improvements.
They are equally comfortable on the warehouse floor, reviewing performance metrics, directing staff, coordinating with cross-functional partners, scheduling repairs, and making real-time decisions that impact service, cost, and safety.
Snapshot of the Ideal Candidate:
Operational Leader & Owner: Leads full-site operations with accountability for performance, safety, and execution
Frontline Team Builder: Develops supervisors and hourly staff, building a culture of accountability, safety, and strong performance
Business-Minded Operator: Understands cost, service levels, and operational tradeoffs
Problem Solver & Decision Maker: Navigates shifting priorities with strong follow-through
Professional Foundation: 7-12+ years relevant experience; 3-5+ years team leadership
Who This Role Is Not for:
This role may not be the right fit for candidates who:
Prefer Strategy Over Execution
Avoid Direct People Management
Lack Food or Operational Experience
Prefer Predictable Environments
Are Seeking Remote Roles
Position Description:
Site Leadership & Operational Ownership
Own overall performance of the Philadelphia facility.
Own overall performance of the Philadelphia facility, including safety, service levels, productivity, and cost control, with accountability for meeting defined operational and financial targets
Ensure alignment between daily operations and organizational goals
Identify risks and implement solutions to improve performance and reliability
Maintain accountability for operational standards across all functions
Warehouse Operations
Oversee all warehouse activities to ensure efficient and accurate product flow.
Oversee receiving, picking, packing, staging, and shipping operations
Ensure inventory accuracy through disciplined processes and controls
Maintain efficient warehouse layout and material flow
Enforce SOP adherence and continuous process improvement
Transportation & Fleet Oversight
Ensure reliable, safe, and efficient delivery operations.
Oversee routing execution, delivery performance, and driver scheduling
Manage fleet operations (8-truck fleet), including preventative maintenance coordination and repairs
Ensure DOT compliance, driver safety, and route efficiency
Food Safety & Quality (SQF Program Owner)
Maintain strong food safety systems and compliance.
Serve as site lead for the SQF Food Safety program
Ensure compliance with SQF, HACCP, FSMA, and customer requirements
Lead audits, corrective actions, and continuous improvement efforts
Maintain audit readiness at all times
People Leadership & Team Development
Build strong teams and consistent performance across staff.
Lead, coach, and develop supervisors, warehouse associates, and drivers
Build effective staffing plans and schedules aligned with workload
Drive performance management, accountability, and recognition
Support hiring, onboarding, and ongoing staff development
Lead hiring decisions, staffing structure, and performance management for all site-based roles, ensuring alignment with operational needs
Financial & Performance Management
Ensure operational performance aligns with cost and efficiency goals.
Manage labor and operating costs in alignment with budget targets
Track KPIs: productivity, accuracy, safety, service level, and labor efficiency
Use data to drive decisions and continuous improvement
Develop and manage site-level labor and operating budgets in partnership with leadership, with accountability for cost performance and efficiency improvements
Cross-Functional Leadership
Ensure alignment across teams to support operational success.
Partner with Sales and Customer Support
Collaborate with National Operations on process improvements
Serve as the primary operational leader for the Philadelphia market
Serve as the primary decision-maker for site-level operational priorities, balancing customer needs, operational capacity, and organizational goals
Success in This Role Looks Like
The site consistently meets or exceeds service, safety, and accuracy targets
Labor and operating costs are managed effectively against plan
The team operates with strong accountability and low turnover
Food safety audits are passed with minimal corrective actions
Operational issues are identified and resolved proactively without escalation
Requirements:
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
7-12+ years of experience in operations, logistics, or distribution environments
3-5+ years managing frontline or supervisory teams
Experience in food handling environments required
Experience managing a trucking fleet and drivers. Refrigerated trucking preferred
SQF, HACCP, FSMA, or equivalent experience required
Strong organizational and communication skills
Location & Travel
This role is based in Philadelphia and requires full-time onsite presence at the distribution facility.
Compensation & Benefits
Salary: $100,000 annually
Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
Retirement Plan (SIMPLE IRA with 100% employer match)
Life Insurance (100% Employer Paid Life, AD&D, Short and Long-Term Disability)
Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
Seniority level
Mid-Senior level
Employment type
Full-time
Job function
Other
Industries
IT Services and IT Consulting
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