Vice President Operations

Vice President of Operations Report to: COO Location: San Diego, CA 3 days a week onsite in San Diego. Job Summary The Vice President of Operations leads our brand's end-to-end supply chain, including contract manufacturing, procurement, planning, customer fulfillment, and logistics. This executive is responsible for building a resilient, scalable, and cost‑competitive supply network that supports rapid growth and delivers best‑in‑class customer service. This leader partners cross‑functionally to align priorities, optimize resources, and execute initiatives that enhance service performance, margin expansion, and operational resilience. As a trusted advisor to senior leadership, the Vice President provides visibility into performance, risk, and long‑term operational strategy. Given the company’s international supply network, success in this role requires cultural fluency and experience building strong cross‑border partnerships, particularly in Mexico. Responsibilities Enterprise Operations Leader Lead and scale a high‑performing operations organization spanning procurement, contract manufacturing, planning, fulfillment, and logistics. Provide strategic counsel and operational insight to the COO and executive team. Deliver clear performance reporting, risk visibility, and forward‑looking operational planning. Drive a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and execution excellence. Build organizational capability through talent development, succession planning, and leadership coaching. Lead operational scalability initiatives to support accelerated growth and margin expansion. Partner with Finance, Commercial, and executive leadership to deliver annual and long‑range operating plans that enable scalable growth and margin improvement. Lead cross‑functional initiatives across Operations, Finance, and Commercial to align execution with business objectives and drive enterprise performance. Customer Fulfillment & Logistics Excellence Provide strategic leadership for the full order‑to‑delivery lifecycle. Establish a control tower operating model for end‑to‑end visibility and execution discipline. Lead 3PL sourcing, contract governance, and performance management. Optimize transportation network strategy to reduce landed cost while protecting service performance. Improve OTIF performance and elevate customer experience. Ensure logistics financial stewardship, invoice accuracy, and cost productivity. Supply Planning & Inventory Optimization Lead supply planning strategy to align demand forecasts with production and inventory optimization. Ensure planning discipline, execution reliability, and inventory health across the network. Optimize working capital through improved inventory turns and safety stock strategies. Support and strengthen S&OP / IBP processes to enhance decision‑making and forecast alignment. Contract Manufacturing & Supply Network Strategy Lead the strategy, selection, and governance of contract manufacturing partners. Establish performance scorecards and structured review cadences to ensure quality, service, and cost targets are met. Negotiate commercial agreements and capacity commitments aligned with company growth objectives. Drive continuous improvement initiatives including waste reduction, root cause analysis, and corrective actions. Strengthen network resilience through redundancy planning and risk mitigation strategies. Build strong, culturally aware partnerships with international manufacturing partners, ensuring effective communication, mutual accountability, and long‑term collaboration. Strategic Procurement & Sourcing Lead procurement strategy to ensure supply continuity, cost competitiveness, and risk mitigation. Provide market intelligence and cost forecasting for key inputs (e.g., avocados, eggs, aluminum, glass) to support pricing and margin management. Develop strategic sourcing initiatives that reduce cost volatility and improve supplier performance. Establish sourcing contingency plans for critical materials and packaging. Strengthen supplier partnerships and contract governance. Success in This Role Will Be Measured By Service performance and OTIF improvement Supply continuity and network resilience Cost productivity and margin expansion Inventory optimization and working capital efficiency Quality and food safety performance Operational scalability to support growth Team engagement and leadership development Leadership Scope Direct Reports: Contract Manufacturing (2) Procurement Manager Director of Network Supply Sr. Manager of Customer Fulfillment & Logistics Total Team: ~25+ Professional Qualifications BS/MS in Supply Chain or Business Management 12–15+ years progressive operations leadership experience Experience leading complex outsourced manufacturing networks Food, beverage, CPG, or regulated manufacturing experience strongly preferred Proven success scaling operations in a high‑growth environment Experience driving cost improvement and supply chain resilience Deep experience with ERP, planning systems, WMS, TMS, and procurement platforms Professional certifications (APICS, CSCP, CPIM) a plus Experience operating in international supply chains and managing cross‑cultural supplier relationships; Mexico / LATAM experience strongly preferred. Leadership & Functional Competencies Strategic thinker with strong execution discipline Data‑driven decision maker with strong analytical capability Proven ability to lead cross‑functional organizations and influence at the executive level Strong negotiation and supplier management skills Excellent communication skills across executive, operational, and external stakeholders Ability to lead through complexity and change Demonstrated success building high‑performing teams. Demonstrated cultural intelligence and effectiveness working across international teams and supplier partners. Travel Requirements Ability to travel approximately 20–25%, including visits to contract manufacturers, suppliers, and 3PL partners in the US, Mexico, and Canada. #J-18808-Ljbffr ForceBrands