SUMMARY

The Vice President of Operations will plan, direct, coordinate, and oversee operational activities including warehouse and delivery functions in the organization, ensuring development and implementation of efficient operations and cost-effective systems to meet current and future needs of the organization.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Establishes, implements, and communicates the strategic direction of the organization’s operations division.
  • Inventory/Warehouse
    • Working in conjunction with the VP Sales to ensure proper inventory levels are maintained for all products, adjusting as needed for specials, promotions, and seasonality.
    • Monitor close coding for all packages and work closely with Sales to effectively manage both close-to-code and out-of-code product.
    • Manage all aspects involving inventory control procedures including cycle counts. Develop strategies to tighten controls and ensure inventory adjustment reports are complete and accurate.
    • Ensure the timely completion of monthly Cooperage Reviews and formal, annual Cooperage Audits for all Suppliers.
    • Ensure adequate warehouse staffing at all times in order to meet receiving and loading efficiency goals as established in the Company annual plan.
    • Conduct weekly/monthly meetings with the Operations Managers to review Company KPIs and to ensure adherence to performance standards as established in the Company annual plan.
    • Maintain Company formal procedures for check out and check in of delivery trucks.
    • Work with sales to optimize inventory investment in terms of appropriate selection, margin optimization, product availability, and turns (ROI).
    • Enforce operations safety programs within the regulations of all OSHA local and state regulations.
  • Delivery
    • Responsible for reviewing Company’s customer base and order requirements in order to maximize routing and delivery efficiencies.
    • Review delivery performance trends including average cases per route and average cases per account. Develop action plans for changes in routing procedures that would improve productivity or reduce costs.
    • Ensure adherence to the formal Company Service Policy, including delivery minimums and off-day deliveries.
    • Ensure proper delivery staffing to safely and efficiently deliver daily volume according to delivery goals as established in the Company annual plan.
    • Ensure all delivery personnel meet CDL and DOT requirements. Maintain CDL and DOT files ensuring they are complete and up-to-date.
  • Fleet/Facility
    • Provide leadership and direction for fleet and facility maintenance.
    • Manage the ordering, purchasing, leasing, refurbing, and disposing of company fleet vehicles, including trucks, trailers, cars, vans, and any equipment required for facility operation in order to maintain the quality of Company’s operational excellence and desired image.
    • Maintain knowledge of the policies and procedures of Supplier equity agreements pertaining to fleet and building operations to ensure appropriate compliance.
    • Review, maintain, and renegotiate on a regular basis, all contracts for fuel system management, fleet equipment, facility furnishings, and facility repair and construction.
    • Ensure adequate and up-to-date records are kept on all equipment repairs, fuel usage and taxes, licensing, and taxes.
• Identifies, recommends, and implements new processes, technologies, and systems to improve and streamline organizational processes and use of resources and materials.
• Ensures that departmental decisions and project plans for staffing, development, material efficiency, and facilities are in line with the organization’s business plan and vision.
• Establishes, communicates, and implements operations-related policies, practices, standards, and security measures to ensure effective and consistent support and execution.
• Reviews and approves cost-control reports, cost estimates, and staffing requirements for projects.
• Establishes and administers the department’s budget.
• Presents periodic performance reports and metrics to the Executive Team.
• Maintains knowledge of emerging technologies and trends in operations management.
• Identifies training needs and ensures proper training is developed and provided.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

COMPETENCIES REQUIRED

• Analytical – Synthesizes complex or diverse information; uses intuition and experience to complement data.
• Problem Solving – Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; develops alternative solutions; uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.
• Technical Skills – Strives to continuously build knowledge and skills; Shares expertise with others.
• Interpersonal – Listens to others without interrupting; remains open to others’ ideas and tries new things.
• Oral Communication – Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; responds well to questions; participates actively in all company meetings.
• Teamwork – Puts success of team above own interests; able to build morale and group commitments to goals and objectives; recognizes accomplishments of other team members.
• Change Management – communicates changes effectively; monitors transition and evaluates results.
• Leadership – Exhibits confidence in self and others; inspires and motivates others to perform well; accepts feedback from others.
• Managing People – Includes staff in planning, decision-making, facilitating and process improvement; takes responsibility for subordinates’ activities; makes self available to staff; continually works to improve supervisory skills.
• Business Acumen – Understands business implications of decisions; demonstrates knowledge of market and competition; aligns work with strategic goals.
• Cost Consciousness – Works within approved budget; contributes to profits and revenue.
• Organizational Support – Follows policies and procedures; supports organization’s goals and values; benefits organization through outside activities.
• Judgement – Displays willingness to make decisions; supports and explains reasoning for decisions.
• Motivation – Sets and achieves challenging goals; measures self against standard of excellence.
• Professionalism – Treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position.
• Safety and Security – Observes safety and security procedures.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Logistics, Operations, or a related field and at least ten or more years of proven leadership experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Preference will be given to individuals with Master’s Degree in Business or related field.

COMPLEXITY OF DUTIES

Wide variety of duties involving an overall general knowledge of inter-related company operations, policies, and procedures and their application to cases not previously covered. Duties require considerable judgment, originality and creative thinking to work independently toward general results; to apply logical thought processes to define problems, collect and interpret data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions; to devise new and modify and adapt existing methods, techniques and procedures in order to meet new or unusual requirements and to make related decisions guided by precedent and within limits of established policies.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED

Under administrative direction. Establish own standard of performance within overall policy or budgetary limits and with direct accountably for results. Virtually self-supervising.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR ERRORS

Probable errors may be serious involving losses such as improper costs, failure to take discounts, overpayment, loss or holding up of productions, waste of material, damage to equipment, loss of employee, supplier, or customer goodwill, etc. Errors could result in confusion and delay causing lost time in more than a limited phase of company operations. Errors would become apparent in normal business cycles, however, correcting and adjusting could involve considerable expense. Most of work performed is not directly verified or checked.

CONTACT WITH OTHERS

Outside and/or inside contacts with employees, major suppliers, customers, or general public involving use of influence, tactful judgment and proper conduct to negotiate matters and carry out policies and programs for the best interests of the company where improper handling will have a marked effect on operating results. Dealing with persons of substantially higher rank on matters requiring explanation, discussion, persuasion, and obtaining approvals. Considerable tact required.

CONFIDENTIAL DATA

Full and complete access to reports, records, plans, and programs of the company, where utmost integrity is required to safeguard the company’s competitive position.

MENTAL / VISUAL / AUDITORY DEMAND

Routinely required close application of thought processes for sustained periods. May involve problems of correlation or application of reports, statistics, or other data.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.Somewhat undesirable work conditions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions and sometimes exposed to dust, dirt, heat, fumes, cold, noise, vibration, water, oil, etc.; but with none present to the extent of being disagreeable.

EQUIPMENT

Ability to operate standard office machines such as copier, computer, fax, calculator, etc. Proficient with Microsoft Office programs.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to read, analyze and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and training manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, employees and customers.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs. Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume. Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described represent those that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essentialduties.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move more than 100 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and ability to adjust focus. Ability to travel between company locations.

A job description, by its nature, can only include some aspects of the job. Because of this, any function that would reasonably fall under the responsibility of the VP, Operations is assumed and it is expected that the VP, Operations will act accordingly. The VP, Operations will be expected to perform any other task not included in this job description requested by management.