Director of Retail - Value-Add (Fresh Cut Fruits & Vegetables)

Vice President of Retail – Fresh Cut & Value-Added Products

Location: Richmond, VA or Hyattsville, MD | Schedule: On-site, Full-Time

Compensation: $120,000 – $160,000 (flexible to $170,000–$180,000 for exceptional candidates)

Overview

A growing food distribution company is expanding into value-added retail offerings and seeking a Vice President of Retail – Fresh Cut to spearhead this strategic initiative. This role will be responsible for launching and growing a line of fresh-cut products—such as fruit cups, salad bowls, snack boxes, and parfaits—designed for retail and grab-and-go channels.

This is a startup-style role within a larger organization: ideal for a hands-on leader who has built or scaled fresh cut programs from the ground up and is eager to take full ownership of production operations, merchandising strategy, and distribution planning.

What You’ll Do

• Design, launch, and grow a value-added retail line from scratch, including product selection, packaging, pricing, and positioning
• Oversee all aspects of fresh cut production: cutting, labeling, portioning, and packaging
• Develop merchandising and go-to-market strategies for retail and grab-and-go formats
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams in operations, procurement, QA, and sales to build internal alignment and support
• Identify and establish distribution channels and retail placement strategies
• Set up systems and workflows for production planning, inventory management, and fulfillment
• Drive product quality, food safety, and packaging compliance across all SKUs
• Work closely with leadership to build out long-term staffing and infrastructure around this new division

What We’re Looking For

Required Experience

• Experience in value-add/fresh cut fruits and vegetables, with clear ownership of product execution
• Background in production operations, including packaging, labeling, and throughput management
• Proven ability to launch and scale fresh cut or ready-to-eat lines in a retail or hybrid environment
• Experience with merchandising strategy—including pricing, placement, packaging formats, and branding
• Understanding of retail distribution, including contacts and prior placement success
• Hands-on leader with a build-from-scratch mindset
• Currently at a Director or Sr. Manager level; VP titles considered only if heavily involved in operational execution
• Willingness to be fully on-site at either the Richmond or Hyattsville location

Preferred Experience

• Product development experience with snack boxes, parfaits, bento-style packs, or grab-and-go formats
• Familiarity with retail food trends in convenience, health, or away-from-home channels
• Background working in both production and merchandising functions
• Knowledge of pricing strategy, SKU mix, and channel-specific product design
• Existing relationships in the fresh cut retail space

Work Environment & Culture

• Location Options: Richmond, VA (preferred) or Hyattsville, MD
• Schedule: On-site, Monday through Friday
• Relocation: Candidates open to relocating will be considered; remote work is not an option
• This is a high-autonomy position with visibility across leadership
• The role has no direct reports initially, but offers clear potential to build a team and infrastructure over time
• Candidates will interview with both senior leadership and operating managers

Why This Role?

This position is ideal for a growth-minded operator who wants to build something new inside a company with a strong foundation. If you've had success launching value-add products, understand how to get them into distribution, and are looking for a role where you can leave your mark—this is your opportunity.

You’ll be part of a company that values innovation, execution, and steady growth—one that is prepared to “walk before it runs” and is looking for the right leader to take them into the next phase of retail development.

Ready to make an impact? Apply now or reach out to learn more about this opportunity.