Operations Manager Jobs in Ohio

Copia Farm is looking for a strong, grounded, hands-on manager to lead the daily operation of our farm store, warehouse, fulfillment, inventory, and team.

This is not a desk-only management position.

We need someone who can lead from the floor, think clearly, communicate directly, solve problems quickly, and work right alongside the team when needed. The right person is physically capable, experienced, mature, hardworking, and genuinely trustworthy.

We are growing quickly and need someone who can bring structure, accountability, and steady leadership to a busy real-world operation.

What You’ll Own

• Daily farm store and warehouse operations
• Team direction, accountability, and follow-through
• Inventory organization and accuracy
• Fulfillment and order flow
• Driver and delivery coordination
• Stocking and freezer/cooler organization
• Customer-service escalations
• Training and onboarding employees
• Daily priorities and work assignments
• Keeping systems, lists, SOPs, and recurring tasks organized
• Noticing problems before they become bigger problems
• Making sure work is actually completed, not simply assigned
• Helping improve systems as the farm grows

You will need to understand the operation deeply enough to step into the work yourself, troubleshoot problems, teach others, and eventually delegate effectively.

Who We’re Looking For

We are looking for an adult leader with real-world experience — someone who has already had meaningful responsibility and knows what it feels like to be accountable for people, deadlines, equipment, inventory, customers, or operations.

You should be:

• Comfortable with the physical demands of an active, hands-on role.— this job involves walking, lifting, stocking, moving product, working in coolers/freezers, and helping wherever the operation needs you
• Experienced in operations, management, logistics, retail, warehousing, production, military leadership, trades, agriculture, hospitality, or another demanding environment
• Able to lead through doing, not just directing
• Comfortable being vocal and clear when something needs to be addressed
• Smart, observant, and able to understand how multiple moving pieces affect each other
• Calm and decisive when something goes wrong
• Able to hold people accountable without creating unnecessary drama
• Organized enough to build and maintain systems
• Willing to learn the operation from the ground up
• Dependable and consistent
• Comfortable with technology, schedules, apps, lists, and basic reporting

Character Matters

Skill alone is not enough for this role.

We want someone who is fundamentally a good, trustworthy person — someone we feel good about representing Copia to employees, customers, vendors, and the community.

That means:

• honest
• authentic
• likable and approachable
• fair
• respectful
• accountable
• discreet
• willing to admit mistakes
• someone people can genuinely root for

You do not need to be flashy or charismatic. You do need to be someone people trust and want to follow.

Grit & Commitment

Copia is a real working farm and growing small business. Things break. Plans change. Busy seasons get intense. Sometimes the work is physically demanding and inconvenient.

We need someone with skin in the game.

Someone who:

• shows up
• works hard
• stays when things are difficult
• does not disappear when pressure increases
• finishes what they start
• takes ownership instead of explaining why something could not be done
• wants to build something over time

This is not a good fit for someone who wants a comfortable supervisory job where other people do the hard parts.

Leadership Style

The strongest candidate will be a player-coach.

You should be able to:

• jump into the work when needed
• give clear direction
• speak up when standards are slipping
• teach people how to do something correctly
• make decisions without waiting for constant approval
• communicate problems early
• follow up until something is actually finished
• earn authority through competence, consistency, and character

30–60–90 Day Onboarding & Trial Period

We believe expectations should be very clear from the beginning.

This position includes a structured 90-day onboarding and evaluation period with specific expectations at each stage.

First 30 Days — Learn & Execute

By 30 days, you should be able to:

• understand the daily flow of the store and warehouse
• learn the major inventory locations and product categories
• understand fulfillment, stocking, deliveries, and recurring tasks
• use our scheduling and operational systems
• follow existing SOPs accurately
• work effectively alongside the team
• demonstrate reliability, professionalism, and strong follow-through
• identify problems and communicate them promptly

The emphasis during the first month is learning the operation thoroughly and proving that you can execute consistently.

By 60 Days — Lead the Daily Operation

By 60 days, you should be able to:

• independently direct normal daily workflow
• assign and prioritize work
• answer routine staff questions
• handle common customer and delivery problems
• maintain inventory and freezer/cooler organization
• identify when someone is falling behind or a standard is slipping
• coach employees directly and respectfully
• communicate clearly with ownership about what needs attention
• take responsibility for the operation rather than waiting to be told what to do

By 90 Days — Own & Improve

By 90 days, you should be able to:

• confidently run the daily operation
• maintain team accountability
• keep recurring systems and tasks from falling through the cracks
• independently solve most normal operational problems
• identify inefficiencies and improve at least one meaningful system
• demonstrate strong judgment about what you can handle independently and what needs owner involvement
• maintain clear reporting and communication
• earn the trust of the team and ownership through consistency, competence, and character

At 90 days, we will review whether the role is working well for both sides and whether the required standards have been met.

Continuation in the role depends on successfully meeting the expectations of the 30–60–90 day plan.

What Success Looks Like

A successful manager at Copia makes the operation feel calmer, clearer, and more dependable.

The team knows what they are doing.
Inventory is organized.
Problems are addressed early.
Customers are taken care of.
Work gets finished.
Owners are not pulled into every routine decision.
Standards stay high even when things get busy.

We are looking for someone who takes genuine pride in creating that kind of operation.

Experience

Strong candidates will typically have:

• 3+ years of relevant operational or leadership experience
• experience leading a team or being directly responsible for other people’s work
• experience in a physically active environment
• demonstrated reliability and long-term commitment in previous roles
• experience with inventory, logistics, retail, warehousing, production, agriculture, hospitality, military service, trades, or similar work

Formal management titles are less important than real responsibility and proven leadership.

Physical Requirements

This is an active position.

You must be comfortable:

• being on your feet much of the day
• lifting approximately 40–50 lbs
• moving product repeatedly
• working in walk-in coolers and freezers
• helping stock, organize, load, and move product
• working at a steady physical pace when needed

Pay: $90,000.00 - $110,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Employee discount
• Health insurance

Application Question(s):

• Tell us about the most demanding operation, team, or work environment you have been responsible for. What were you personally accountable for, how many people did you lead, and what happened if things did not get done correctly?
• Give an example of a time you had to address an employee who was not meeting expectations. What was the issue, exactly what did you say or do, and what was the outcome?
• Describe a system, workflow, or daily process you inherited that was inefficient or disorganized. How did you identify the problem, what did you change, and how did you know the change actually improved things?
• Tell us about a period in your career when the job became unusually difficult, stressful, or inconvenient. What made it difficult, and what kept you committed rather than leaving or disengaging?
• What about a position causes you to stay long term?
• Where are you currently employed and why are you considering leaving?
• What are your goals for the next 3-5 years?

Work Location: In person