What are the responsibilities and job description for the Chief Operating Officer position at Max Distributing?
Our organization operates both a distribution company and a manufacturing company under common ownership. We are seeking a Chief Operating Officer to join our leadership team and serve as the critical bridge between sales, purchasing, and operations - ensuring alignment across both entities and driving operational efficiency and execution at every level. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who can connect the dots between what's being sold, what's being bought, and what's actually happening on the ground, across a growing, multi-entity organization.
Key Responsibilities- Serve as a member of the leadership team, contributing to company-wide strategy and decision-making
- Serve as Chief Operating Officer for both the distribution and manufacturing companies, with full accountability for daily operations across each
- Work directly with sales and purchasing leadership to align demand signals, inventory planning, and buying decisions
- Act as the operational bridge between sales and purchasing - ensuring commitments made to customers translate into executable purchasing and operational plans
- Own operations across the distribution business's item catalog, warehousing, purchasing, and vendor relationships (2,300 SKUs across 100 vendors)
- Serve as operational lead on major retail partnerships, including sales and shrink reporting, account management, and issue resolution
- Oversee manufacturing operations, including production planning, quality control, vendor/supplier coordination, and output efficiency
- Drive execution discipline across the organization - translating strategy and sales commitments into operational reality
- Build and manage operational reporting and KPIs across both entities - inventory accuracy, order fulfillment, production output, and loss/shrink trends
- Identify and execute on operational synergies between the distribution and manufacturing sides of the business
- Lead process improvement initiatives across procurement, fulfillment, production, and logistics
- Manage, develop, and hold accountable operations, warehouse, and production staff
- Support facilities and capacity planning decisions (site consolidation, expansion, lease vs. buy analysis)
- Partner with the President and leadership team on budgeting, cost control, and operational risk management
- 7 years in operations leadership, with experience spanning distribution and/or manufacturing environments
- Proven ability to bridge sales, purchasing, and operations functions - not just manage operations in isolation
- Experience working as part of a senior leadership team
- Track record managing multi-SKU inventory, vendor relationships, and retail account operations
- Experience overseeing production or manufacturing operations, including quality and efficiency management
- Strong analytical skills - comfortable with reporting, forecasting, and KPI-driven management
- Experience managing warehouse, logistics, and/or production teams
- Demonstrated ability to operate effectively across multiple business units or entities
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations, Supply Chain, or related field (or equivalent experience)
- Direct, hands-on experience leading a warehouse or production facility - this is a strong plus
- Experience in regulated or scrutiny-prone product categories
- Experience working with convenience store/retail distribution channels
- Familiarity with manufacturing compliance and quality standards relevant to the industry