General Manager / COO

Kinsa is recruiting for a: General Manager

Location: Connecticut

Summary: Our client is seeking an experienced and driven General Manager to lead a $10 million revenue wholesale bakery business specializing in high-quality baked goods. Our client markets and sells frozen bakery products to supermarkets, food service operators, and natural foods channels.

Compensation & Benefits:

   ??????200-220K (plus bonus)
   ???????Health, Vision, Dental insurance
   401k
   Other perks

Key Responsibilities:
   Sales & Customer Management

• Lead the sales strategy, including direct sales and management of food brokers.
• Revenue Generation – playing role as CRO, pricing, promotions, etc.
• Set broker performance targets, track results, and manage commission structures.
• Develop pricing strategies, promotional plans, and channel-specific programs.

   Operations & Supply Chain Management

• Provide hands-on leadership of daily bakery production, ensuring consistent quality, on-time fulfillment, and food safety compliance (SQF).
• Direct supply chain operations, including raw material procurement, supplier relationships, inventory control, warehousing, and distribution.
• Oversee production scheduling, demand planning, and logistics
• Optimize supply chain costs, negotiate with ingredient and packaging suppliers, and ensure reliable inbound and outbound transportation.

   Team Leadership & Culture

• Lead, coach, and develop the full team (production, supply chain/logistics, sales/brokers, quality, and admin staff).
• Manage 5 direct reports
  • (1) Production Manager – Leads Production, FSQA, and Maintenance
  • (1) R&D Director – Leads product development from concept to commercialization.  Recipe management and bill of materials, ingredient strategies, collaboration with Sales and Retailers
  • (1) Supply Chain Manager – leads all warehouse and logistics functions
  • (1) Procurement Manager – Leads all procurement of supplies, ingredients (Raws) and packaging
  • (1) Sales Manager – Manage Broker and Accounts
  • Works hand in hand with Corporate Controller who leads all finance, balance sheet, cash flow, AR, AP and payroll
• Foster a culture of safety, quality, accountability, and continuous improvement.

      Finance & Administration

• Manage full P&L, cash flow, operating expenses, and margin improvement initiatives.
• Drive cost control across production and supply chain.
• Knowledge of ERP (Enterprise, Resource, and Planning) Systems like SAP, Oracle, Net Suite

   Qualifications:

• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in food manufacturing (bakery, snacks, or perishables preferred).
• Strong P&L ownership for a $5M–$25M business.
• Proven experience managing food brokers and multi-channel sales.
• Hands-on experience in supply chain management and procurement in a food production environment.
• Deep knowledge of food safety, GMP, and quality systems
• Strong background in production planning, lean manufacturing, and cost controls
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Food Science, or related field.

Recruiter Information:
Dave Rothe
daver@kinsa.com