Strategic Consultant (Food Services)

Healthy Planet is seeking a strategic and highly experienced Strategic Consultant (Food Services) to support and elevate our commissary and bakery operations. In this advisory role, you will lead a one‑year transformation initiative focused on culinary strategy, operational excellence, recipe innovation, product quality, pricing, and margin optimization.

This position blends strategic oversight, culinary expertise, and operational consulting, helping Healthy Planet build scalable systems, strengthen quality standards, and support long‑term growth across stores and production facilities.

You will work closely with leadership, store teams, procurement, finance, and product development to create sustainable frameworks that improve consistency, efficiency, and profitability.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership & Operations
• Lead and guide commissary and bakery teams with a focus on collaboration, accountability, and wellness, acting as a strategic advisor rather than a day‑to‑day manager.
• Develop strategic roadmaps for recipe innovation, menu development, and emerging food trends that align with Healthy Planet’s wellness vision.
• Evaluate existing operational practices and collaborate with Procurement and Category teams to ensure compliance, efficiency, and consistency.
• Strengthen operational standards across production, packaging, labeling, and distribution to support scalability.
• Provide strategic insights on pricing models, cost control, margin improvement, and menu mix optimization.
• Ensure alignment with Healthy Planet’s food quality, recipe accuracy, and presentation benchmarks.
• Lead strategic innovation for prepared foods and bakery products, including trend forecasting, competitive analysis, and product modernization.
• Oversee adherence to all food safety and sanitation regulations and recommend improvements to SOPs and monitoring systems.
• Conduct scheduled quality assurance audits across commissary, bakery, and store execution to ensure consistency and excellence.
• Financial & Inventory Strategy
• Evaluate financial performance of commissary and bakery operations, recommending cost‑saving opportunities and waste‑reduction strategies.
• Analyze production metrics, workflow efficiency, and capacity utilization to identify improvement areas.
• Partner with Finance and Operations to enhance forecasting models, ordering practices, and ingredient cost management.
• Team Development, Coaching & Standards
• Coach kitchen and bakery leaders on best practices, culinary skills, and operational leadership.
• Define success metrics and performance frameworks for commissary and bakery roles from a strategic, future‑oriented lens.
• Support development of training content for culinary standards, recipe guides, and SOPs (not basic onboarding modules).
• Cross‑Functional Collaboration & Communication
• Partner with different stakeholders to support new product launches and product enhancement strategies.
• Conduct strategic store visits to assess product consistency, execution, and customer experience.
• Ensure seamless communication between commissary, bakery, and retail teams to support alignment and growth.
• Participate in leadership meetings and provide recommendations for long‑term culinary innovation, efficiency, and system improvements.
• Advise on equipment needs, production best practices, workflow layout, and technology opportunities.

Qualifications and Skill Requirements

• Minimum 5+ years of leadership experience in a commissary, central kitchen, commercial bakery, or large‑scale food production environment.
• Strong expertise in food production systems, bakery operations, and food safety protocols.
• Proven experience leading operational improvements and strategic initiatives.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and analytical skills.
• Strong financial acumen with experience in cost control, pricing, and inventory strategy.
• Ability and willingness to travel to Healthy Planet stores across Ontario.
• Food Handler’s Certificate required.
• Access to a car and valid Ontario driver’s license required.
• Genuine passion for wellness, nutrition, and elevated food experiences.

You’ll Thrive Here If You Are

• A strategic thinker who excels at diagnosing operational challenges and translating insights into solutions.
• Passionate about culinary innovation, quality, and continuous improvement.
• A proactive problem‑solver who thrives in dynamic environments.
• Collaborative, open‑minded, and inspired by Healthy Planet’s purpose‑driven culture.
• A leader