Senior Vice President of Operations, Supply Chain, and Logistics

RHH202511

Senior Vice President of Operations, Supply Chain, and Logistics

Food Distribution

THE COMPANY

Our client is a leading food and beverage service provider in the Midwest. The company specializes in a wide range of workplace dining and refreshment solutions, including corporate café services, micro-markets, catering, vending services, and office coffee and water services. They focus on delivering high-quality, customizable food experiences to enhance workplace culture and productivity. With a deep-rooted commitment to hospitality, they develop experiences designed to connect people and delight guests. Their culture is based on customer service, integrity, innovation, and collaboration. The company is experiencing rapid growth, driven in part by a steady pace of acquisitions, and is expanding its leadership team to support continued scale and integration.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Our client seeks a Senior Vice President of Operations Supply Chain and Logistics for their largest Group. This newly created position will lead all operations with a particular emphasis on supply chain and logistics. The SVP will be responsible for the entire supply chain process, ensuring the efficient and timely movement of food and beverages from distribution centers, warehouses, and culinary centers. The position will be responsible for warehouse management, fleet management, logistics, and distribution. It will work cross-functionally with other areas. In a strategic role, the SVP will create and develop, in partnership with the company’s management, the company’s operations and supply chain strategy to optimize footprint, efficiency, cost, and service levels, with the customer always in mind. This is an opportunity to have a significant impact on an already successful company, helping to scale operations and take it to the next level.

This position reports to the Group President and has one direct report with a team of ten currently.

JOB DEFINITION

The SVP will manage the transportation, warehousing, and distribution of food products to ensure timely and safe delivery to customers. This role is crucial for maintaining product quality, ensuring regulatory compliance, and delivering excellent customer service. This leader will be expected to identify and implement best practices, processes, technologies, and automation to enhance supply chain performance. The successful candidate will come from a supply chain background with experience growing and optimizing a team and a company. The ideal candidate will be strategic, emotionally intelligent, resourceful, collaborative, and approachable. Our client seeks a genuine leader who leads with authenticity, integrity, and sincerity. An excellent and transparent communicator with all levels, they must be capable of making true connections and have strong change management skills. Building strong relationships is paramount.

SKILLS

The SVP will oversee the distribution network’s design, optimization, and management. They will develop and implement a comprehensive long-term operations, supply chain, and logistics strategy that aligns with the company’s business objectives and supports sustainable scaling and geographic expansion.

Responsible for operations as it relates to warehouse, inventory, and fleet management.
Recruit, develop, manage, and sustain high-performing team leadership. Provide employees with coaching, development, and growth opportunities to support current operational objectives and future succession requirements. Get the right people in the right places.
Foster a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and innovation.
Assess the multi-state footprint of distribution centers, creating a plan for optimizing efficiency and standardization of processes, procedures, and systems.
Continuously evaluate and improve logistics processes, systems, and infrastructure to maximize efficiency, minimize costs and reduce lead times while maintaining product quality and integrity.
Identify and implement best practices, processes, and, where appropriate and with supporting business cases, technologies, or automation, to enhance supply chain performance.
Implement key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to track logistics performance, analyze data, and provide regular reports to Senior Leadership, highlighting areas for improvement and recommending actionable strategies.
Support operational excellence by leveraging performance insights and cross-functional collaboration to drive continuous improvement in service quality, efficiency, and cost control. Guide the development and management of logistics spending for the entire organization. Prepare and actively manage annual budgets, capital improvement plans, and operating goals/objectives.
Work closely with other departments, such as operations, finance, and sales, to ensure seamless supply chain integration and support overall business performance.
Build and foster relationships with key stakeholders, partners, and vendors.
Ensure sound inventory management, product movement reconciliation, and control processes to maximize inventory accuracy (quantity and value) to meet client expectations.
Lead the assessment of need and selection and implementation of logistics management and warehouse management programs and systems and ensure a strong working partnership with IT to support system performance.
Responsible for the fleet efficiency of use and vehicle maintenance, optimized route mapping, and sequencing of shuttles. Lead Fleet spending to ensure operational effectiveness and cost-effectiveness.
Directly responsible for the ordering process and reconciliation of resale items.
Work with Corporate Risk Management to implement and consistently manage driver, warehouse, field safety, and route food safety protocols.

BACKGROUND EXPERIENCE

10+ years of experience in the logistics industry, including 5+ years in a senior management role.
Demonstrated success in optimizing end-to-end logistics operations, including distribution network design, inventory management, and transportation.
Strong knowledge of multi-state, multi-site supply chain and logistics principles, practices, and trends.
Ability to develop logistics strategies, models, and processes that reduce cost and optimize customer service.
Strong analytical skills with the ability to demonstrate data-driven leadership.
Knowledge of budgeting techniques and ability to monitor, manage, forecast, and control costs/cost trends.
Experience presenting to Executive leadership.
Experience leading the operational integration of newly acquired businesses, including aligning systems, processes, and teams across multiple sites.
Experience working with Enterprise Resource Planning and Warehouse Management systems, including data analytics. Proficiency in using logistics management systems and technologies.
Experience in business process design and implementation, including problem-solving, negotiations, and team building with non-direct reports.
APICS/ASCM certifications, including CPIM, CLTD, and CSCP, are highly valued.
Thorough knowledge of all applicable laws and regulations impacting logistics.
Ability to travel to various locations up to 25%-50% of the time based on needs and territory expansion.
A bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, transportation, or a related field is preferred.

If you have these qualifications and are looking for a challenging career, please submit your Resume using the button below.

Sam Frank

Vice President, Executive Search & Lead Consultant

Kate Scott

Director, Executive Recruitment