VP, Supply Chain

About the role

The VP, Supply Chain provides strategic leadership and drives continuous improvement in operational performance to support the company’s continued aggressive growth trajectory and create a competitive advantage within the various competing market segments. This position is responsible for the overall management, direction, and coordination of all distribution operations, sourcing, logistics, and contract manufacturing partners globally for Fortified Brands. The role owns the 3-year operational strategy to deliver on efficiencies, cost, quality, capacity, safety, and customer service for both internal and external customers. The VP, Supply Chain must possess a customer-first orientation, lean mindset, high mechanical aptitude, and passion for continuous improvement. This position is based in the Dallas, TX area headquarters and reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer.

Essential duties and responsibilities

• Owns and optimizes the operational efficiency, quality, and safety for the entire supply chain including sourcing, supplier management, distribution, order management, demand planning, inventory planning, and logistics for all products.
• Assures efficient order fulfillment from multiple warehouse locations and direct from contract manufacturing partners in China, Mexico, and the US.
• Ensures optimized warehouse operations for owned warehouses ensuring proper handling, material flow, and fulfillment of large and long-length building materials products using a warehouse management system (WMS).
• Ensures effective management of the SIOP process across the organization and with contract manufacturing partners.
• Develops Operations KPIs and establishes appropriate tracking and communication processes.
• Ensures that delivery schedules are meeting customer service, cost, and quality expectations.
• Owns the 3-year operational strategy and annual planning process for space, equipment, capacity, and related labor to support the company’s aggressive growth plans; reviews and updates annually.
• Owns relationships with outside vendors and requires high-value partnerships (e.g., manufacturing agreements and productivity enhancements).
• Seeks operational excellence as a competitive advantage (lead times, quality, cost, service flexibility, etc.).
• Leads, manages, and holds the team accountable for operational excellence, inventory management, logistics, order management, global sourcing, and supplier management.
• Holds manufacturing partners accountable to specifications and encourages delivery of innovation and productivity.
• Provides leadership around identifying and implementing global productivity improvement measures, country-of-origin diversification, and developing and tracking supplier KPIs.
• Leads the evaluation and qualification of all manufacturing partners.
• Establishes and improves sourcing processes and procedures to support management of supplier performance, supplier selection strategy, capacity planning, cost negotiations, and analysis of profitability.
• Directs the planning, attraction, selection, retention, and development of staff to ensure the availability of required talent across Operations teams.

Supervisory responsibilities

• Direct responsibility to lead, manage, and hold accountable:
  • Director, Innovations & Engineering
  • Associate Director, Supply Chain
  • Senior Manager, Warehouse Operations
  • Logistics & Trade Compliance Manager
  • Asia Operations Manager
• Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and developing direct reports; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints; and resolving problems.

Competencies

• Achievement Focus: Sets and achieves challenging goals; demonstrates persistence and overcomes obstacles; measures self against standards of excellence; recognizes and acts on opportunities; takes calculated risks.
• Business Acumen: Understands business implications of decisions; displays orientation to profitability; demonstrates knowledge of market and competition; aligns work with strategic goals.
• Business Ethics: Treats people with respect; keeps commitments; inspires the trust of others; works with integrity and principles; upholds organizational values.
• Communications: Expresses ideas and thoughts verbally and in writing; exhibits good listening and comprehension; keeps others adequately informed; selects and uses appropriate communication methods.
• Financial Management: Responsibly allocates and accounts for fiscal resources; works within budget; considers cost implications of decisions; seeks ways to reduce costs; exercises cost control.
• Managing Customer Focus: Promotes customer focus; ensures organizational resources support meeting customer needs; holds others accountable; establishes relationships with key customers; monitors customer satisfaction.
• Managing People: Includes staff in planning and decision-making; takes responsibility for subordinates’ activities; provides regular performance feedback; develops subordinates’ skills; solicits and applies feedback; fosters quality focus.
• Performance Coaching: Defines responsibilities and expectations; sets goals and objectives; gives performance feedback; motivates for increased results; recognizes contributions; encourages training and development.
• Planning/Organizing: Prioritizes and plans work activities; uses time efficiently; sets goals and objectives; develops realistic action plans.
• Quality Management: Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness.
• Quantity: Meets productivity standards; completes work in a timely manner; strives to increase productivity; works quickly.
• Safety and Security: Observes safety and security procedures; determines appropriate action beyond guidelines; reports potentially unsafe conditions; uses equipment and materials properly.
• Strategic Thinking: Develops strategies to achieve organizational goals; understands organization’s strengths and weaknesses; analyzes market and competition; identifies external threats and opportunities; adapts strategy to changing conditions.
• Technical Expertise: Effectively applies technical knowledge to solve problems; develops solutions to problems that cannot be solved using existing methods; is sought out for advice; keeps informed about current developments.
• Visionary Leadership: Displays passion and optimism; inspires respect and trust; mobilizes others to fulfill the vision; provides vision and inspiration to peers and subordinates.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Distribution, Supply Chain Management, Mechanical or Industrial Engineering, or related field required.
• Minimum of 15 years progressive operations management experience with strong experience/background in all related disciplines.
• Minimum of 2 years in a senior leadership role.
• Minimum of 5 years in related industry experience preferred; experience with lumber or building materials a strong plus.
• Direct Customer Care functional management experience required.
• Warehouse and distribution operations experience including order processing, packaging, shipping, use of warehouse management systems, multi-site distribution, and facility optimization required.
• Logistics experience required, ideally including intermodal (ocean freight, trucking, rail, etc.).
• Experience in order fulfillment/delivery in multiple distribution channels, including 1-Step, 2-Step, Retail, and eCommerce highly preferred.
• Experience with international contract manufacturing, particularly in China and Mexico, preferred.
• Experience with eCommerce fulfillment operations preferred.
• High mechanical aptitude; ability to develop strong working knowledge of products.
• A forward-thinker with a solid understanding of how to formulate long-term business strategies.
• Demonstrated success in the execution of continuous improvement initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to manage sites/people remotely and lead/manage change.
• Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma experience preferred.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, Microsoft Visio, and Microsoft Project.
• Up to 30% travel, including international.
• Lean Certification or Six Sigma Certification a plus but not required.

Work environment

This job operates in a warehouse environment. Some of the work may require usage of required personal protective equipment including steel-toe shoes, hearing protection, etc.

Physical demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, talk, hear, and use hands and fingers. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision requirements. Light to moderate lifting is required. Ability to manage the physical demands and stress of traveling is required.