The Director of Operations & Fulfillment is responsible for leading all operational functions that ensure the efficient procurement, production, storage, fulfillment, and delivery of industrial valve products and engineered assemblies. This role oversees warehousing, inventory management, purchasing, procurement, pick-pack-ship operations, valve assembly, electrical control panel assembly, facilities management, and continuous process improvement.

The Director will establish operational excellence by optimizing inventory, improving throughput, maintaining high-quality standards, controlling costs, and developing a high-performing operations team that consistently delivers exceptional customer service.
Key Responsibilities
Operations & Fulfillment

• Lead all warehouse and fulfillment operations.
• Oversee receiving, storage, picking, packing, shipping, and freight coordination.
• Ensure on-time, accurate customer order fulfillment.
• Optimize warehouse layout, material flow, and space utilization.
• Develop KPIs for order accuracy, shipping performance, and productivity.
• Maintain compliance with shipping regulations and customer requirements.

Inventory Management

• Develop and execute inventory control strategies to maximize inventory accuracy while minimizing carrying costs.
• Oversee cycle counting and annual physical inventories.
• Establish inventory replenishment strategies.
• Monitor inventory turns, obsolete inventory, shortages, and excess stock.
• Maintain accurate ERP inventory transactions.
• Ensure proper lot traceability and product identification where required.

Purchasing & Procurement

• Lead purchasing activities for valves, automation components, electrical components, fabricated materials, and operating supplies.
• Develop supplier relationships and negotiate pricing, lead times, and contracts.
• Monitor supplier performance, including quality and on-time delivery.
• Identify cost-reduction opportunities through strategic sourcing.
• Manage the purchase-order process and procurement policies.
• Coordinate purchasing priorities with sales forecasts and production schedules.

Valve Assembly Operations

• Direct valve assembly operations, including automated valve packages.
• Ensure assembly procedures meet customer specifications and quality standards.
• Improve manufacturing efficiency through lean practices.
• Coordinate production scheduling with customer demand.
• Maintain productivity and labor-efficiency metrics.

Electrical Panel Assembly

• Manage electrical panel fabrication and assembly operations.
• Ensure compliance with UL, NEC, customer specifications, and applicable standards.
• Coordinate engineering, procurement, and production activities.
• Maintain quality documentation and testing procedures.
• Drive continuous improvement in panel manufacturing processes.

Facilities Management

• Oversee maintenance and operation of company facilities.
• Manage equipment maintenance programs.
• Coordinate facility improvements and capital projects.
• Ensure OSHA compliance and workplace safety.
• Maintain security, environmental, and emergency-preparedness programs.
• Manage outside contractors and facility service providers.

Leadership

• Recruit, develop, coach, and evaluate operations personnel.
• Build a culture focused on accountability, teamwork, safety, and continuous improvement.
• Develop succession plans for key operational positions.
• Conduct regular performance reviews.
• Foster collaboration among Operations, Engineering, Sales, Customer Service, and Finance.

Continuous Improvement

• Implement Lean Manufacturing and Lean Warehouse principles.
• Lead Kaizen initiatives.
• Improve workflow efficiency through automation and process standardization.
• Reduce operational costs while maintaining service levels.
• Use KPIs and data analytics to drive decision-making.

Key Performance Indicators

The Director will be accountable for measurable improvement in the following areas:

• On-time shipment performance
• Order accuracy
• Inventory accuracy
• Inventory turns
• Warehouse productivity
• Assembly throughput
• Supplier on-time delivery
• Procurement cost savings
• Safety performance and OSHA recordables
• Labor efficiency
• Customer satisfaction
• Operating cost reduction

Required Qualifications
Education

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field.
• MBA or advanced degree preferred.

Experience

• 10+ years of progressive operations leadership experience.
• 5+ years managing multi-functional operations teams.
• Experience in industrial distribution, valve automation, manufacturing, or engineered products.
• Strong background in warehouse operations, procurement, and inventory management.
• Experience leading production or assembly operations.
• Demonstrated success implementing Lean Manufacturing or continuous-improvement initiatives.

Preferred Qualifications

• APICS CPIM or CSCP certification
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt
• PMP certification
• Experience with ERP systems such as Epicor, NetSuite, SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, or similar
• Experience with industrial valves, automation products, or process-control equipment
• Experience with ISO 9001 quality systems

Technical Skills

• ERP systems
• Inventory management systems
• MRP planning
• Supply-chain analytics
• Microsoft Excel and Power BI
• Warehouse Management Systems (WMS)
• KPI dashboard development
• Procurement analytics

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic thinking
• Operational excellence
• Financial acumen
• Team development
• Change management
• Problem solving
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Customer focus
• Negotiation
• Decision-making
• Accountability
• Continuous-improvement mindset

Physical Requirements

• Ability to regularly walk warehouse and production areas.
• Ability to occasionally lift up to 30 pounds.
• Ability to inspect warehouse racks, production equipment, and facilities.
• Ability to travel occasionally to supplier and customer locations, approximately 10-20%.

Success Profile

The ideal candidate is a hands-on operational leader who can balance strategic planning with daily execution. They are equally comfortable leading warehouse operations, optimizing supply chains, improving manufacturing efficiency, negotiating with suppliers, and developing people. They use data to drive decisions, embrace continuous improvement, and create a culture of accountability, safety, and customer satisfaction.

This role is critical to ensuring the organization delivers exceptional service through efficient procurement, world-class inventory management, high-quality assembly operations, and reliable order fulfillment while supporting future growth and operational scalability.