Chief Operating Officer

Max Distributing; Little Rock (AR); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Max Distributing seeks a Chief Operating Officer to unite sales, purchasing, and operations across its distribution and manufacturing arms. This hands-on role drives operational excellence, aligns demand signals with procurement, and delivers measurable improvements in inventory, fulfillment, and production efficiency.

The COO will lead multi-entity operations, develop KPI dashboards, manage staff, and partner with the President on budgeting and risk management.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in operations leadership spanning distribution and/or manufacturing.
• Experience bridging sales, purchasing, and operations functions.
• Experience on senior leadership team.
• Track record managing multi-SKU inventory and vendor relationships.
• Oversight of production or manufacturing operations with quality/efficiency focus.
• Strong analytical, forecasting, and KPI-driven management.
• Experience managing warehouse, logistics, and production teams.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations, Supply Chain, or related field (or equivalent).

Responsibilities

• Join leadership team and contribute to company-wide strategy.
• Oversee operations across distribution and manufacturing with full accountability.
• Align demand signals, inventory planning, and procurement with sales.
• Translate commitments into executable purchasing and operations plans.
• Manage 2,300+ SKUs across 100+ vendors; optimize inventory and vendor relations.
• Lead retail partnerships, including reporting and issue resolution.
• Drive production planning, quality control, and supplier coordination.
• Translate strategy into operational execution and KPI reporting.
• Identify synergies between distribution and manufacturing.
• Lead process improvement across procurement, fulfillment, production, logistics.
• Develop and manage staff; capacity planning and budgeting support.
• Collaborate with President on budgeting and cost control.

Skills

Operations leadership

Cross-functional leadership

Analytical skills

Strategic planning

Budgeting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations, Supply Chain, or related field

Job description

Our organization operates both a distribution company and a manufacturing company under common ownership. We are seeking a Chief Operating Officer to join our leadership team and serve as the critical bridge between sales, purchasing, and operations - ensuring alignment across both entities and driving operational efficiency and execution at every level. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who can connect the dots between what's being sold, what's being bought, and what's actually happening on the ground, across a growing, multi-entity organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as a member of the leadership team, contributing to company-wide strategy and decision-making
• Serve as Chief Operating Officer for both the distribution and manufacturing companies, with full accountability for daily operations across each
• Work directly with sales and purchasing leadership to align demand signals, inventory planning, and buying decisions
• Act as the operational bridge between sales and purchasing - ensuring commitments made to customers translate into executable purchasing and operational plans
• Own operations across the distribution business's item catalog, warehousing, purchasing, and vendor relationships (2,300+ SKUs across 100+ vendors)
• Serve as operational lead on major retail partnerships, including sales and shrink reporting, account management, and issue resolution
• Oversee manufacturing operations, including production planning, quality control, vendor/supplier coordination, and output efficiency
• Drive execution discipline across the organization - translating strategy and sales commitments into operational reality
• Build and manage operational reporting and KPIs across both entities - inventory accuracy, order fulfillment, production output, and loss/shrink trends
• Identify and execute on operational synergies between the distribution and manufacturing sides of the business
• Lead process improvement initiatives across procurement, fulfillment, production, and logistics
• Manage, develop, and hold accountable operations, warehouse, and production staff
• Support facilities and capacity planning decisions (site consolidation, expansion, lease vs. buy analysis)
• Partner with the President and leadership team on budgeting, cost control, and operational risk management

Qualifications

• 7+ years in operations leadership, with experience spanning distribution and/or manufacturing environments
• Proven ability to bridge sales, purchasing, and operations functions - not just manage operations in isolation
• Experience working as part of a senior leadership team
• Track record managing multi-SKU inventory, vendor relationships, and retail account operations
• Experience overseeing production or manufacturing operations, including quality and efficiency management
• Strong analytical skills - comfortable with reporting, forecasting, and KPI-driven management
• Experience managing warehouse, logistics, and/or production teams
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively across multiple business units or entities
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations, Supply Chain, or related field (or equivalent experience)

Preferred

• Direct, hands-on experience leading a warehouse or production facility - this is a strong plus
• Experience in regulated or scrutiny-prone product categories
• Experience working with convenience store/retail distribution channels
• Familiarity with manufacturing compliance and quality standards relevant to the industry