Head of Operations **URGENT**

Travel: Up to 20%

A growing, privately held distribution and logistics organization is conducting a confidential search for an accomplished Director of Operations to provide senior operational leadership across multiple facilities in the Denver metropolitan area.

Reporting to the Vice President & GM, this leader will lead a significant, highly visible customer operation and oversee multi-site distribution, inventory management, fulfillment, workforce performance, safety, quality, compliance, and financial results.

This is more than a traditional warehouse leadership position. The Director will lead site leadership teams, establish operating discipline and accountability, and ensure consistent execution across a complex, high-volume distribution environment. This individual will also serve as the senior operational relationship leader for a major strategic customer, ensuring contractual commitments, service expectations, and performance standards are consistently achieved.

The successful candidate must move comfortably between executive customer relationships, strategic planning, and hands‑on facility leadership while identifying opportunities to improve operations and expand an important customer relationship.

Multi‑Site Operational Leadership

Provide overall leadership and accountability across multiple Denver‑area facilities.

Lead site managers and teams responsible for receiving, storage, inventory control, fulfillment, assembly, staging, shipping, and facility performance.

Translate customer commitments and company objectives into operating plans, labor plans, budgets, schedules, and measurable performance standards.

Maintain business continuity plans addressing labor, transportation, systems, weather, safety, and other operational disruptions.

Maintain a visible leadership presence and proactively identify and resolve operational risks.

Program & Contract Execution

Ensure reliable execution of large‑scale distribution programs, including receipt, storage, inventory rotation, order assembly, staging, shipment and documentation.

Maintain strong working knowledge of customer requirements, statements of work, contractual commitments, reporting obligations and performance standards.

Coordinate across internal teams, customers and external partners to ensure accurate and timely fulfillment.

Lead operational readiness for volume changes, program transitions, seasonal requirements and future contract periods.

Anticipate capacity, labor, equipment and operational requirements as customer needs evolve.

Strategic Customer Relationship Management

Serve as the organization's principal operational contact and relationship leader for a major strategic customer.

Lead business reviews, operational meetings, site visits, performance discussions and executive communications.

Take ownership of complex customer issues and ensure timely resolution and corrective action.

Develop a deep understanding of customer priorities and evolving requirements.

Business Growth & Expansion

Identify unmet customer needs and opportunities to expand services and capabilities.

Partner with the Vice President & GM and executive leadership on strategies to grow key customer relationships.

Support contract renewals, extensions, proposals, pricing, solution design and implementation of new business.

Partner with business development, finance, legal, supply chain and operations on new opportunities.

Evaluate operational requirements associated with new business and ensure solutions can be successfully executed.

Compliance, Safety & Audit Readiness

Ensure compliance with contractual requirements and applicable federal, state and local regulations.

Maintain continuous audit and inspection readiness across assigned facilities.

Lead corrective and preventive actions, root‑cause analysis and training when service, quality, inventory, safety or compliance issues occur.

Reinforce a culture in which employee safety, product integrity, ethical conduct and contractual compliance are non‑negotiable.

Inventory, Quality & Performance

Maintain exceptional inventory accuracy through disciplined receiving, storage, cycle counting, reconciliation, rotation and variance resolution.

Establish and manage KPIs including inventory accuracy, order accuracy, on‑time service, productivity, labor efficiency, cost, safety, quality, claims and customer satisfaction.

Analyze operating performance across locations and implement sustainable improvements.

Develop dashboards providing leadership clear visibility into performance and risk.

Provide timely reporting on performance, corrective actions, customer priorities and growth opportunities.

Own operating budgets for assigned facilities and maintain accountability for financial performance.

Manage labor, equipment, supplies, maintenance and third‑party services within approved plans.

Improve productivity and cost performance without compromising safety, compliance or service quality.

Develop labor plans based on volume, productivity and customer requirements.

Evaluate capital, equipment, systems and technology requirements.

Identify opportunities to improve cost‑to‑serve, operating leverage and capacity.

Establish a culture of continuous improvement.

Analyze workflows, operating data and performance trends to improve efficiency and service.

Standardize best practices across facilities.

Leverage warehouse management systems, analytics, automation and technology to improve inventory integrity, productivity and visibility.

Lead process‑improvement initiatives from identification through implementation and measurement.

Build, coach and retain a high‑performing leadership team across assigned facilities.

Establish clear expectations, accountability, succession planning and employee‑development priorities.

Maintain a visible, hands‑on leadership style and credibility with frontline employees and management.

Partner closely with Transportation, Customer Service, Quality, Safety, IT, Human Resources, Finance, Supply Chain and other functions.

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, Operations Management, Business or related discipline preferred; 10+ years of progressively responsible warehouse, distribution, supply chain or logistics experience.

Significant experience leading multi‑site operations .

Demonstrated success leading complex, high‑volume warehouse or distribution environments.

Strong record across safety, service, inventory accuracy, quality, productivity and cost performance.

Experience managing a major institutional, government, public‑sector or highly regulated customer relationship strongly preferred.

Experience within contractual, compliance‑intensive or highly regulated environments strongly preferred.

Ability to translate complex contractual requirements into successful day‑to‑day operations.

Strong knowledge of WMS, inventory controls, analytics, labor planning and operational reporting.

Demonstrated continuous‑improvement and process‑optimization experience.

Proven ability to lead executive customer business reviews and resolve complex operational issues.

Experience supporting contract renewals, customer expansion or new‑business implementation highly desirable.

Exceptional communication, judgment, analytical, problem‑solving and relationship‑management skills.

Ability to regularly work across multiple Denver metropolitan‑area facilities and travel up to 20%.

The successful candidate will be a visible, hands‑on operational leader equally comfortable walking a distribution floor, analyzing a P&L, coaching facility leaders and meeting with senior customer executives. This individual will be highly accountable, customer‑focused, decisive and calm under pressure; financially disciplined and data‑driven; comfortable in complex contractual and regulatory environments; and capable of balancing immediate operational requirements with longer‑term strategy and growth.

High personal integrity, sound judgment, adaptability and an ownership mentality are essential.

Annual Performance Bonus: Target opportunity of approximately 20%-25% , based on individual and company performance.

Medical, dental and vision benefits effective on the first day of employment.

Paid time off and company holidays.