Distribution Operations Manager

The Distribution Operations Manager is responsible for overseeing all aspects of operations within a distribution facility, including managing employees, subordinate supervisors, and coordinating across functional areas (both internal and external). This role requires deep operational expertise, strategic thinking, and strong leadership capabilities. The manager ensures the tactical execution of daily tasks, contributes to strategic planning, drives continuous improvement, and fosters a high-performing and inclusive team culture. The role is critical to achieving service excellence, operational efficiency, and compliance with company and regulatory standards. Primary Duties: Operational Leadership - Direct and oversee end-to-end distribution operations---including receiving, storage, order fulfillment, returns, and shipping---by implementing and continuously improving standard operating procedures to ensure consistency, quality, and regulatory compliance. - Develop and execute tactical operating plans to achieve service level agreements (SLAs), productivity targets, and customer expectations, using KPI analysis and cross-functional coordination with transportation, inventory, and customer service teams to drive performance and seamless logistics execution. Strategic Contribution - Partners with senior distribution center leadership to align operational objectives with enterprise strategy by developing systems, tools, and performance dashboards; leading strategic planning and reporting; and supporting long-range initiatives, including capacity planning, technology adoption, and business continuity and risk mitigation. Continuous Improvement and Innovation - Leads cross-functional continuous improvement and operational innovation initiatives to streamline workflows, reduce waste, and improve service levels by applying data-driven analysis and collaborative problem-solving, while driving efficiency and cost-reduction opportunities and researching, piloting, and implementing new technologies, automation, and digital solutions to modernize distribution operations. Team Leadership - Lead, mentor, and develop supervisors, leads, and associates by providing clear direction, performance feedback, coaching, and development opportunities, while fostering an inclusive, safety-focused, and high-engagement culture that promotes accountability and continuous learning. - Drive workforce planning and talent strategy by aligning staffing levels and labor plans with business needs, partnering with HR on recruiting and hiring, and supporting retention, succession planning, and career development programs to build a sustainable, high-performing organization. Budget, Compliance, and Safety - Develop and manage the operating budget by monitoring labor, equipment, operational expenses, and capital investments to ensure fiscal discipline, cost control, and alignment with business objectives and financial targets. - Lead safety and compliance programs by ensuring adherence to company policies and regulatory requirements (including OSHA and DOT), driving safety culture initiatives, overseeing audits and inspections, implementing corrective actions, and maintaining accurate compliance and safety documentation. Inventory & Quality Assurance - Oversee inventory accuracy and quality by managing counts and audits, addressing discrepancies and damages, and supporting continuous improvement efforts to maintain accurate inventory and efficient product flow. Decision-Making & Communication Exercise independent, high-level decision-making to resolve complex operational issues, manage critical situations, and drive results, while facilit