Chief Operating Officer

Job Title: Chief Operating Officer

Location:
Phoenix, AZ Employment Type: Full Time Reports To: Chief Executive Officer Travel: 40-50% Work Schedule: Mon-Fri 8am-5pm Compensation & Benefits Pay Range: Competitive base salary plus bonus, 401K profit sharing, and benefits Benefits Summary: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401(k) profit sharing, Vacation, Holidays, Floating Holidays, Company-paid LTD and life insurance, and Sick leave The Role Our portfolio spans brands at very different stages, from a ground-up launch to a scaling platform to an established licensing program. We need one accountable executive to run all of it, build the operating system underneath it, and grow our leadership bench. This is a build role with real decision rights. You will own the operating P&L, supply chain and contract manufacturing network, commercialization, food safety and quality systems, and operational technology, and you will be accountable for whether FSB can launch faster, land margin, and run without heroics. What You Will Own
• Enterprise performance: The operating P&L across the portfolio (COGS, yield, freight, warehousing), the annual operating plan, and the monthly business review cadence that holds the company to it.
• Supply chain and manufacturing: End-to-end supply chain and the co-manufacturing network, including sourcing, negotiation, onboarding, performance management, and dual-sourcing for critical SKUs.
• Commercialization: A stage-gate engine that moves concepts from R&D through pilot, scale-up, and first production on a predictable timeline.
• Food safety and quality: Uncompromising standards across FDA, USDA, SQF, HACCP, and customer requirements, with a strong, independent FSQA function and a tested recall playbook.
• Systems and technology: ERP, planning, and data infrastructure, plus practical use of AI and automation so a lean team can carry a growing portfolio.
• People and organization: A team of leaders across Operations, Supply Chain, FSQA, R&D, and Commercialization, and the culture that makes it work.
• Commercial partnership: Operational terms in customer, co-manufacturer, and supplier agreements, and the operating voice with retail, licensing, and brand partners. Your First Year
• Concept-to-first-production cycle time is measurably shorter, with no compromise to food safety or margin.
• Stage-gate commercialization, S&OP, and a brand-level KPI cadence are running and producing decisions.
• The co-manufacturing network is qualified, performance-managed, and redundant where it matters.
• Main Event ships on its committed date, and Mad Genius and Upper Cut hit their volume plans.
• The operating team runs the business day to day, with successors identified for each leader. What You Bring
• 15+ years in food and beverage or CPG operations, including 5+ years at the executive level (C-suite, GM, or SVP Operations) with full P&L ownership.
• A record of leading operations across multiple brands at launch, scale, and steady state at the same time.
• Deep, hands-on command of contract manufacturing: sourcing, qualification, negotiation, scale-up, cost modeling, and performance governance.
• Proven success taking structural cost out while improving service and quality.
• Strong financial acumen: margin architecture, standard costing, trade and freight economics, working capital, and capital requests.
• Direct accountability for food safety and compliance outcomes (FDA, USDA, SQF, HACCP) and audit readiness.
• A track record of building teams, systems, and processes from an unstructured start.
• Bachelor's degree required; MBA or advanced degree in Operations, Supply Chain, or Food Science preferred.
• Preferred: experience in high-protein, refrigerated, or snack/bar formats; time in an incubator, private equity, family-owned, or founder-led business moving to a professional operating model; licensing or brand partnership experience; and ERP implementation experience. Who Thrives Here Structure builders who impose order on ambiguity. Leaders who can hold the enterprise view and still go three levels deep on a co-manufacturer line issue. People who are candid about risk, think like owners about where the growth is, and believe how a team operates is inseparable from how the business performs. Why FoodStory Brands Entrepreneurial build, real authority, and direct exposure to ownership-level decisions, with a national brand launch backed by a global sports and entertainment partner as your first proving ground. You will work alongside a passionate, creative, execution-focused team that moves fast and celebrates big wins together. Hiring Process Our process may include application review, interviews, assessments, reference checks, and a conditional offer. Equal Opportunity Employer Statement The Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of any legally protected status. Accommodation Statement Applicants needing accommodation during the hiring process may contact human resources @ hr@nxtphz.com. Work Authorization Employment is contingent upon the ability to work lawfully in the United States and completion of employment eligibility verification after hire. Background Check / Drug Testing Employment offers may be contingent upon job-related screening, where permitted by law. At Will Employment Employment with FoodStory Brands is at-will, meaning either the employee or the company may end the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or notice, unless otherwise required by applicable law. This job postings not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the role. The company reserves the right to modify this description at any time.