Job Title: Supply Chain Expert
Duration : 12+ Months
Location : Miami, FL, Lafayette, LA, Knoxville, TN, Belton, TX
Work Mode : Hybrid (3 Days Onsite - 2 Days Remote)
Years Of Exp : 10+ Yrs

We are seeking a senior operating model and distribution center launch expert to design and implement a scalable Hypercare support model for warehouse and distribution center launches across North America.

This role will define the strategy, governance, staffing model, launch readiness framework, economics, and execution playbook required to transform distribution center launch support from an ad hoc staffing challenge into a repeatable, high performing service offering. The successful candidate will help shape how new distribution centers are prepared, launched, stabilized, and transitioned into steady state operations. This includes supporting operational readiness, technology go live, workforce mobilization, command center governance, issue triage, floor support, performance stabilization, and post launch continuous improvement.

This is a high impact opportunity to build a strategic capability that improves launch predictability, operational stability, labor readiness, system adoption, throughput performance, and business outcomes for supply chain, logistics, manufacturing, and retail clients.

Your future duties and responsibilities
The selected candidate will be responsible for designing, piloting, and scaling an operating model that supports the successful launch, ramp up, stabilization, and transition of new warehouse and distribution center operations.

Operating Model Design

• Design and implement a scalable Hypercare operating model that supports warehouse and distribution center launches across North America.
• Define the end-to-end launch support lifecycle, including pre-launch readiness, cutover, go live command center, floor support, Hypercare stabilization, exit criteria, and transition to steady state support.
• Define the organizational structure, governance framework, roles, responsibilities, decision rights, and escalation paths required to deliver consistent launch support.
• Establish a repeatable launch playbook covering readiness assessment, mobilization, staffing, issue management, communications, performance monitoring, and post launch improvement.
• Develop a service catalog for launch and Hypercare support services, including standard, surge, extended hours, and emergency support models.
• Partner with leadership to evolve the Hypercare capability into a repeatable managed service offering for supply chain and manufacturing clients.

Distribution Center Launch Readiness

• Develop launch readiness assessment frameworks for new distribution centers, including operational readiness, systems readiness, workforce readiness, facilities readiness, process readiness, training readiness, vendor readiness, and cutover readiness.
• Support planning for key distribution centers start up activities, including receiving, put away, replenishment, picking, packing, shipping, returns, inventory control, cycle counting, dock operations, yard operations, and exception management.
• Define readiness checkpoints for warehouse management systems, handheld/RF devices, material handling equipment, automation, label printing, integrations, master data, inventory setup, order flows, and user access.
• Establish launch checklists, cutover plans, go/no go criteria, contingency plans, stabilization gates, and Hypercare exit criteria.
• Coordinate with operations, IT, engineering, facilities, transportation, HR, training, finance, vendors, and site leadership to ensure cross functional launch alignment.
• Identify operational risks before launch and develop mitigation plans for labor readiness, training gaps, process defects, system defects, inventory accuracy, throughput constraints, and support coverage.

Demand Forecasting, Staffing, and Workforce Mobilization

• Develop demand forecasting and capacity planning models to align support staffing with launch complexity, facility size, geography, shift structure, operating hours, volume ramp, automation level, and technology deployment scope.
• Create launch complexity scoring models to determine the level of support required for each distribution center opening.
• Establish resource mobilization strategies for planned launches, surge requirements, emergency support, weekend coverage, extended hours operations, and travel ready staffing pools.
• Design workforce management processes, including shift scheduling, rotation planning, floor coverage, handoffs, fatigue management, knowledge transfer, and coverage continuity.
• Establish scalable labor strategies that incorporate dedicated resources, flex staffing, partner supported capacity, local sourcing, nearshore/offshore support where appropriate, and conversion to hire pathways.
• Partner with recruiting, training, and delivery leaders to establish onboarding, certification, upskilling, and workforce development programs.

Hypercare Command Center and Stabilization

• Design and implement command center structures for launch support, including issue intake, triage, prioritization, escalation, resolution ownership, daily stand ups, executive reporting, and decision governance.
• Establish cross functional escalation models across L1 IT support, L2/L3 solution support, warehouse operations, automation support, facilities, transportation, vendors, and leadership.
• Define issue management processes for operational defects, system defects, training issues, master data defects, integration failures, device issues, process compliance gaps, and throughput constraints.
• Build launch performance dashboards to track operational stability, system performance, ticket volumes, ticket aging, backlog, throughput, order cycle time, inventory accuracy, productivity, service levels, and launch readiness.
• Lead daily launch governance routines, including shift handoffs, readiness reviews, issue review meetings, risk reviews, executive checkpoints, and post launch retrospectives.
• Establish Hypercare exit criteria based on ticket trends, operational stability, process adherence, system performance, service levels, staffing maturity, and site leadership readiness.

Talent, Training, and Capability Development

• Develop role definitions, competency models, skills matrices, and career progression pathways for L1 support, L2/L3 solution support, floor support, site leads, command center leads, and launch managers.
• Define training curricula for warehouse processes, system workflows, ticket management, escalation protocols, operational troubleshooting, client communications, and launch governance.
• Create certification models for launch support resources, including readiness to support specific warehouse processes, systems, shifts, and operational scenarios.
• Establish knowledge management practices, including launch playbooks, SOPs, troubleshooting guides, runbooks, FAQs, lessons learned, and reusable templates.
• Build communities of practice to improve launch support consistency, capture lessons learned, and scale best practices across future distribution center openings.

Required qualifications to be successful in this role

• 10+ years of experience in supply chain transformation, operations consulting, technology consulting, service delivery, or operating model design.
• Experience supporting warehouse launches, technology deployments, hyper care programs, or large-scale operational implementations.
• Proven experience designing and implementing scalable operating models, managed services, support organizations, or deployment capabilities
• Demonstrated ability to develop demand forecasting, capacity planning, resource modeling, and staffing strategies for variable operational needs.
• Experience defining governance models, command structures, escalation paths, communication cadences, and cross-functional decision rights.
• Strong program management experience across multiple workstreams, stakeholders, locations, and delivery teams.
• Experience developing talent models, including role definitions, onboarding plans, training programs, upskilling paths, and career progression frameworks.
• Excellent executive communication, facilitation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Proven ability to work across operations, IT, HR, finance, vendors, and senior leadership to align complex operating models.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to convert ambiguous business challenges into practical, executable solutions.
• Bachelor's degree required in Business, Supply Chain, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field.
• Ability and willingness to travel to distribution centers, and warehouse launch locations as needed.
  
  Preferred

• Strong understanding of warehouse operations, distribution center processes, logistics, fulfillment, manufacturing supply chains, and post-go-live stabilization needs.
• Experience with new distribution center openings, greenfield facility start-ups, brownfield conversions, network expansions, or large-scale warehouse transformation programs.
• Working knowledge of warehouse management systems such as Manhattan SCALE, Manhattan Active WM, SAP EWM, Blue Yonder, Oracle WMS, Körber, or similar platforms.
• Experience supporting WMS go-lives, system cutovers, data validation, user acceptance testing, integration testing, device readiness, and operational floor support.
• Familiarity with material handling equipment, warehouse automation, conveyor systems, sortation, RF devices, label printing, scanners, pick technologies, and warehouse control systems.
• Experience with labor management systems, engineered labor standards, productivity tracking, workforce scheduling, and labor planning.
• Experience developing SOPs, process maps, training materials, runbooks, operational playbooks, and knowledge management repositories.
• Familiarity with Lean, Six Sigma, value stream mapping, root cause analysis, continuous improvement, and operational performance management.
• Experience in retail, e-commerce, consumer goods, manufacturing, logistics, 3PL, grocery, cold chain, or high-volume distribution environments.
• Experience designing managed service offerings, including service catalogs, staffing models, SLAs, KPIs, governance structures, pricing assumptions, and delivery economics.
• Certifications such as PMP, Lean Six Sigma, APICS CSCP/CPIM, Prosci, or relevant supply chain/operations credentials.

Ref: #404-IT Pittsburgh