Vice President of Operations

If you are not already on the Imperial Beverage career page, apply here:

Sure, you could provide direction and vision for any company, but how much more fun would it be to be a leader at one of the top beverage sales companies in Michigan? Our team is statewide and we are dedicated to excellent customer service, hiring and developing knowledgeable people, maintaining a diverse and innovative portfolio and our employees say the best parts about working here are the awesome people and the family atmosphere. If you would love to lead our Operations initiatives, keep reading!

Will work for beer? Great! Working for a beverage distributor has its perks:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus HSAs, FSAs, and more 
• 401(k) with Traditional and Roth options, employer match, and immediate vesting
• 3.5 weeks of PTO starting in year one, accruing from day one with rollover
• Ongoing training and career development opportunities
• Paid volunteer time to give back to the community
• Paid parental leave to welcome your newest family member
• Weekly pay
• Uber, Lyft, or taxi reimbursement when you need a safe ride home
• Kick ass events and fun across Michigan
• Domestic and international trip opportunities to learn about the beverage industry
• Referral bonuses for bringing great people to the Imperial Beverage family

The minimum compensation range for this role is listed below; pay will be determined based on experience:

$125,000 - $170,000

Eat. Sleep. Lead with Vision. Repeat: Our VP of Operations leads, manages and holds the Operations Management team accountable. This position is based out of Kalamazoo, Michigan and is responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations to support the growth and profit of Imperial Beverage, while improving operational efficiency and focusing on strategic planning. We take great pride in choosing leaders who can handle the hard work, think strategically and create solutions, motivate their team to achieve goals, and show a passion for leading and developing others.

A Day in the Life

• Be a positive example of working hard and having fun
• Lead and manage the Operations Management team
• Participate in the development of the organization's plans and programs as a strategic partner, but particularly from the perspective of the impact on Operations
• Oversee activities related to warehouse and logistics functions and help to improve and develop effective processes
• Develop department goals that are aligned with company objectives, measure progress and adjust processes accordingly
• Ensure appropriate resources to support the implementation, development, maintenance and ongoing improvements of operational projects and initiatives
• Direct the development and execution of short and long-term operational plans by establishing project metrics and timelines, and drive a sense of urgency to keep projects on track
• Regularly review effectiveness of plans and initiate appropriate action to mitigate emerging risks or secure emerging opportunities
• Prepare and analyze department budget to identify budget needs and/or reductions, and may allocate operating budget funds
• Encourage a safety-focused work environment by updating practices in accordance with new laws and regulations and monitoring injury levels, equipment /product damage levels and compliance with Department of Transportation rules and regulations
• Participate in vendor negotiations to ensure product relevance and cost-efficiency
• Attend all Leadership Development Training that Imperial provides

Requirements

• Enjoy a work hard/play hard culture
• Bachelor's Degree (or equivalent education and experience) in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management or related field
• 7+ years' experience in warehouse management
• Demonstrated leadership, people management, and change management skills including the ability to build collaboration and teamwork among the workforce to continually look for opportunities to improve
• Experience developing and managing projects
• An aptitude for creating systems to identify and assign tasks
• Experience developing and enforcing safety programs
• Strong financial acumen including an understanding of financial information related to distribution operations, logistics and procurement
• Experience with performance metrics, process improvements and lean techniques
• Ability to coordinate processes and work well with various departments
• Strong negotiating skills
• Excellent distribution software system knowledge
• Flexibility to work with varying hours

Like a fine wine, Imperial Beverage has been getting better with age since 1933. We are a Michigan family-owned beverage distributor and we are passionate about helping others succeed – at work and in the community. We only hire those with passion, integrity, customer focus and the desire for hard work. Once all the work is done at our fast-paced company, we also like to have fun and lots of it!