The role:

We're looking for a Director of Supply Chain Operations & Vendor Management to lead and develop key governance initiatives that enhance supply chain efficiency, ingredient and vendor management, and operational workflows. This role will be instrumental in building structured supplier and ingredient management programs, ensuring seamless cross-functional collaboration between Procurement, Finance, Culinary Operations, and Logistics.

The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of supply chain processes, ingredient data governance, and vendor relationship management, with a proven track record of building and scaling operational frameworks that drive efficiency and accuracy across the business.

This role will partner closely with the FSQA function to ensure that the supply chain governance and controls meet and exceed requirements of local, state, and federal regulations and are reflected within the CookUnity Food Safety Plan.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement a Supplier and Ingredient Management Program that ensures seamless onboarding, approval, and data integrity for all suppliers and ingredients, integrating with procurement, finance, and culinary workflows.
• Establish rigorous supplier documentation, verification, and risk assessment processes to ensure compliance, quality, and alignment with operational needs.
• Partner with Procurement and Finance to streamline vendor management, ensuring smooth communication on credit terms, payment processes, and operational requirements.
• Build and maintain a structured ingredient data management system, ensuring accuracy in pricing, sourcing, and operational feasibility before ingredients enter production.
• Oversee ingredient and packaging data accuracy, creating workflows that drive efficient inventory and recipe management across the supply chain.
• Design and implement a stage gate process for ingredient onboarding, ensuring supply chain, procurement, and culinary teams are aligned before approval.
• Lead ingredient data governance initiatives, maintaining accurate inventory, cost controls, and traceability for efficient operations.
• Work with IT and Operations to implement digital supply chain tools for streamlined vendor and ingredient management.

Minimum Requirements:

• 7+ years of experience in Supply Chain Operations, Ingredient & Vendor Management, or Food Manufacturing/Distribution.
• Experience building supplier management programs, ingredient databases, or procurement workflows.
• Strong understanding of supply chain processes, procurement strategies, and inventory management best practices.
• Excellent data management and analytical skills, with a track record of implementing structured workflows and process improvements.
• Ability to work cross-functionally and drive alignment between Supply Chain, Finance, Culinary, and Procurement teams.
• Proficiency in ERP, supply chain software, or digital vendor management tools is preferred.
• Ability to travel up to 25% domestically and internationally.

Preferred requirements:

• Experience working with or managing a supplier approval program for an FDA and/or USDA-registered food manufacturing operation.
• Experience building and/or collecting and reviewing ingredient specifications for raw materials and finished foods.
• Strong understanding of supply chain traceability requirements with a focus on FSMA compliance.

Benefits

🩺  Health Insurance coverage

🌅 401k Plan

📈 We grow, you grow: Stock Options Plan granted on Day 1

🌟 Eligible for a bi-annual performance bonus

⛱ Unlimited PTO

🗓️ 5- year Sabbatical: After 5 years with CookUnity, you get a 4-week paid sabbatical

🐣 Paid Family leave

🕯 Compassionate Leave: 3-5 days each time the need arises

🥘 A generous amount of CookUnity credits to enjoy our amazing meals, added to your account, monthly

🧘🏽‍♀️ Wellness perks: access to a nutritional coach and fitness subsidies to build a healthy lifestyle

👩🏾‍🏫 Personalized Spanish coach

🌟 Awesome opportunity to join a company that is looking to change how we eat and how chefs work!