Chief Operating Officer Greater Los Angeles, CA Area

Chief Operating Officer

Food Manufacturing | CEO Succession Opportunity

Tina’s Burritos | Camino Real Foods, Inc.

Vernon, California | Full-time | Onsite

Annual base salary: $300,000–$350,000 | Target annual bonus: 30% of base salary

Reports to the Chief Executive Officer

The Opportunity

Tina’s Burritos is hiring a Chief Operating Officer to lead day-to-day operations and prepare to succeed the current CEO. You’ll take responsibility for operating performance from day one and work closely with the CEO to learn the business, build relationships with employees and key partners, and assume broader executive responsibilities over time. We expect the CEO transition to occur in approximately two years, with the timing tied to the CEO’s retirement plans and your readiness to step into the role.

As the senior executive onsite at our USDA-inspected frozen food facility in Vernon, you will lead production, maintenance and engineering, purchasing, supply chain, production planning, warehousing, and logistics. You will partner closely with Finance, Human Resources, and Food Safety/Quality to deliver the annual operating, financial, and organizational objectives established by the CEO and Board.

You must currently live in Greater Los Angeles and work full-time onsite in Vernon. Food manufacturing leadership and direct production experience are required. Frozen food and USDA facility experience, along with bilingual English/Spanish skills, are strongly preferred.

About Tina’s Burritos

Camino Real Foods, manufacturer of Tina’s Burritos, produces frozen burritos and other prepared foods for retail customers. This role offers the opportunity to make an immediate operating impact and develop into broader company leadership while working directly with the current CEO.

What You Will Lead

Operating results and accountability: Translate CEO and Board objectives into budgets, departmental goals, action plans, and clear ownership. Lead weekly and monthly reviews and report results, risks, and decisions to the CEO.

Production and reliability: Maintain a regular presence on the plant floor across shifts. Improve throughput, labor productivity, yield, waste, sanitation execution, schedule attainment, and equipment reliability.

Financial performance: Own operations against budget and partner with Finance on manufacturing costs, labor and overhead variances, material usage, inventory, working capital, and capital investments.

Purchasing and supply chain: Lead sourcing and supplier negotiations, production planning, material availability, warehousing, cold storage, freight, and on-time delivery.

People and compliance: Develop managers, address performance gaps, and hold teams accountable for safety, food safety, and execution. Partner with HR, technical leaders, and counsel on California employment and regulatory matters.

What You Bring

Substantial progressive leadership experience in food manufacturing, typically 15 or more years, including at least five years leading multiple functions as a COO, VP of Operations, General Manager, or comparable executive.

Direct responsibility for high-volume food production in a multi-shift plant, with measurable improvements in productivity, cost, yield, reliability, and customer service.

Leadership beyond production, including purchasing, planning, warehousing, logistics, and operating financial performance.

Strong command of operating budgets, financial statements, manufacturing costs, capital justification, and performance analysis.

Practical experience managing California manufacturing operations and working with HR and counsel on employment practices, employee relations, staffing agencies, wage-and-hour compliance, and workers’ compensation.

Experience overseeing regulatory readiness, workplace safety, food safety, audits, and corrective actions with appropriate internal specialists and outside advisers.

Ability to lead salaried managers and a substantial hourly workforce, use ERP and operating data, and follow recurring problems through to resolution.

Current residence in Greater Los Angeles and availability to work full-time onsite in Vernon, engage with multiple shifts, and respond to critical operating issues.

Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to address employees across shifts, explain complex operating and financial issues clearly, communicate expectations, listen thoughtfully, and lead difficult conversations with professionalism and respect. Must communicate effectively with frontline employees, managers, executive leadership, customers, and external partners.

Preferred Experience

Frozen or refrigerated prepared foods and USDA-inspected manufacturing facilities.

Bilingual English/Spanish communication skills.

HACCP, sanitation, and recognized food safety certification programs.

Privately held, middle-market food businesses supplying major retailers.

Continuous improvement, preventive maintenance systems, automation, and ERP improvements.

Bachelor’s degree in operations, engineering, business, food science, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.

Compensation

The annual base salary range is $300,000–$350,000, depending on relevant experience, qualifications, and demonstrated leadership. The position is eligible for an annual performance bonus with a target of 30% of base salary, subject to incentive plan terms and achievement of established objectives.

Work Environment

This role works in both office and food manufacturing environments, including refrigerated areas and areas with operating equipment. Compliance with facility hygiene, food safety, and personal protective equipment requirements is essential. Essential functions may be performed with reasonable accommodation.

How to Apply

Submit your resume and a brief summary of the food manufacturing operations and business functions you have led. Include specific operating and financial improvements you delivered and confirm your current Greater Los Angeles location.

To be considered, applicants must also submit a video response of up to three minutes to the leadership question provided in the application. A simple phone or computer recording is sufficient; professional production and editing are unnecessary. This response will help us evaluate communication skills and leadership judgment.

Camino Real Foods is an equal opportunity employer. We consider qualified applicants without regard to legally protected characteristics and provide reasonable accommodation in the application process. Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered in accordance with applicable law.