CM Director

Central Market is a renowned specialty grocery store that began in Austin, Texas in 1994 and has since expanded to multiple locations across the state. Known for its exceptional commitment to freshness and quality, Central Market offers an extensive and diverse selection of food and beverages sourced directly from the finest producers worldwide. With a vast array of hundreds of cheeses, thousands of wines, acres of fresh produce, and aisles filled with expert staff, Central Market serves as a paradise for food enthusiasts and gourmets alike. The company believes that food is not just sustenance but a powerful way to connect families and communities, preserve cultural heritage, and initiate new traditions. Each store acts as a vibrant marketplace where goods, services, and ideas converge to celebrate culinary passion.

The role of Director, Store Leadership at Central Market is a prestigious opportunity designed for exceptional leaders within the specialty grocery, fresh food, culinary operations, merchandising, and customer experience sectors. This leadership position is ideal for individuals who are passionate about food culture, hospitality, and innovation while possessing the business acumen to drive large, complex teams toward outstanding performance. Directors at Central Market play a crucial role in shaping the customer experience by overseeing various essential functions including fresh and perishable operations, culinary and food service leadership, center store and specialty merchandising, and cultivating a strong company culture.

Candidates who excel in this role demonstrate unwavering dedication to quality and creativity, operational expertise, and an ability to inspire and develop high-performing teams. The scope of influence includes leading high-volume fresh food departments such as produce, meat, seafood, bakery, deli, cheese, floral, and prepared foods, all while maintaining strict operational discipline concerning labor, food safety, shrinkage, and execution. The Director also drives innovation in culinary teams focused on hospitality and delivering restaurant-quality experiences within a retail context. This includes managing programs relating to prepared foods, catering, coffee, beverages, and enhancing experiential dining offerings.

Additionally, this leadership role encompasses curating compelling assortments across grocery, beverage, wellness, and specialty categories. Strong trend identification, brand scouting, and customer preference understanding are critical to driving sales growth through effective merchandising, storytelling, and product discovery. Beyond operational expertise, the Director champions a culture where team members feel inspired, challenged, and connected to Central Market's mission. This involves leading authentically with accountability and a customer-first approach, collaborating cross-functionally across operations, merchandising, culinary, and support teams to foster a unified vision.

Overall, the Director, Store Leadership acts as a visionary who appreciates food as culture, retail as theater, and leadership as service. They are expected to think creatively beyond traditional grocery operations to create unparalleled experiences that customers cannot find anywhere else. Central Market values leaders who are passionate about food and hospitality, skilled at managing multi-faceted teams, and committed to preserving the unique, food-first identity that makes the market a beloved destination. This role offers an exciting challenge to drive growth, innovation, and operational discipline while upholding the high standards and distinctive culture that define Central Market.