The Associate Director, Regional Warehouse Operations leads the execution and performance of a regional warehouse network, including plant-attached warehouses and third-party logistics (3PL) distribution centers.

This role is accountable for delivering operational excellence across safety, service, cost, and quality, while driving standardized processes, KPI performance, and financial outcomes.

The Associate Director operates within a matrixed environment, partnering with Plant Operations, Transportation, DSD, Finance, and Commercial teams to enable a high-performing, cost-effective distribution network with clear ownership boundaries and accountability.
What you will do...

Warehouse Operations Leadership
• Lead multi-site warehouse operations (plant and 3PL) to deliver consistent service, cost, and productivity outcomes
• Ensure adherence to standardized operating models, processes, and systems across all locations
• Drive execution discipline across inventory management, throughput, labor productivity, and service performance

Plant Warehouse Operating Model Ownership
• Own the transition and ongoing governance of plant warehouse reporting structures into the Logistics organization
• Establish clear accountability for plant warehouse performance (safety, cost, service, inventory)
• Standardize roles, expectations, and operating rhythms across plant warehouse leadership
• Implement consistent financial ownership, budgeting, and performance tracking mechanisms
• Drive capability improvements and consistency across plant warehouse operations

3PL Performance & Partner Management
• Lead operational and strategic management of 3PL partners across the region
• Establish service-level agreements, cost expectations, and performance governance routines
• Monitor performance against KPIs and drive corrective actions and continuous improvement
• Partner with Procurement and Finance on sourcing, contracts, and cost optimization

KPI & Performance Management
• Own and govern warehouse performance metrics, including:

o Service (OTIF, fill rate, order accuracy)

o Cost (cost per unit, labor productivity, budget adherence)

o Safety (incident rates, compliance)

o Quality (inventory accuracy, damage, shrink)
• Lead regular operating reviews, root cause analysis, and action planning
• Drive data-driven decision-making across warehouse operations

Financial Management
• Own regional warehouse operating budget, inclusive of plant and 3PL spend
• Lead monthly financial reviews (plan vs. actuals), variance analysis, and forecast updates
• Deliver productivity savings and cost-to-serve improvements aligned to Annual Operating Plan
• Partner with Finance to ensure strong controls, transparency, and performance visibility

Continuous Improvement & Network Optimization
• Identify and implement operational improvements to drive productivity, service, and cost performance
• Standardize best practices across plant and 3PL networks
• Support network optimization initiatives (footprint, automation, system enhancements)
• Leverage analytics and performance insights to drive measurable improvement

Who you will work with...
• Partner with DSD leadership to enable strong field execution while maintaining clear ownership boundaries
• Align on service expectations, inventory positioning, and warehouse support requirements for the DSD network
• Provide cost-to-serve and network performance visibility to inform DSD decision-making
• Establish governance routines to ensure alignment and issue resolution across Logistics and DSD
• Reinforce a model where Logistics owns warehouse performance, cost, and standards, while DSD owns in-market execution
• Lead and develop a team of multi-site warehouse leaders (direct and indirect)
• Drive performance management, talent development, and succession planning
• Build leadership capability and operational discipline across the organization
• Foster a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement

What you bring to the table (must haves)...
• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, Engineering, or related field
• 10+ years of progressive experience in warehouse operations or logistics
• Experience managing multi-site operations, including 3PL environments

It would be great to have (nice to haves)...
• MBA or advanced degree
• Demonstrated financial acumen, including budget ownership and cost management
• Proven leadership experience in a matrixed, geographically dispersed organization
• Experience in CPG, food, or regulated environments
• Experience with WMS platforms (e.g., SAP EWM) and analytics tools
• Lean / Six Sigma or continuous improvement certification
• Leads multi-site operations or a significant functional area with broad impact on business performance
• Operates with full accountability for results, including safety, service, cost, and financial outcomes
• Demonstrates strong cross-functional leadership and influence without direct authority
• Builds and develops high-performing teams and future leaders
• Translates strategy into executional plans and measurable results
• Regional responsibility spanning multiple plant-attached and 3PL warehouse locations
• Direct ownership of warehouse operating spend and performance outcomes

Significant influence on service, cost-to-serve, and working capital performance