Director, Distribution

Ventura Foods; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 198,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Prescription, Dental, &Vision

Profit Sharing

401(k) matching

Paid Vacation, Sick Time, and Holidays

Job summary

Ventura Foods seeks a Director of Distribution to lead all distribution functions, oversee corporate and plant teams, and drive a new operating model across a nationwide network. The role emphasizes continuous improvement, technology enablement, and talent development to deliver superior customer experience while lowering costs.

The ideal candidate will have 10+ years in warehousing and distribution leadership, multi-site ops experience, and success implementing WMS/ERP and related systems.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years of warehousing and distribution leadership.
• Experience with multi-site warehouse operations.
• Experience implementing continuous improvement tools and systems (WMS/ERP/LMS).
• Strong project management and staff development history.
• 3PL experience preferred; travel 50–75% in NA.
• Ideal candidates live near Irvine, CA; Dallas, TX; Chambersburg, PA or Atlanta, GA.

Responsibilities

• Lead distribution to deliver exceptional customer experience.
• Develop and execute corporate distribution operating model.
• Identify opportunities to optimize processes, capacity, and technology.
• Oversee 3PLs to meet service, cost, and capacity goals.
• Develop distribution teams and plant leadership.
• Manage distribution budget and variances.
• Reduce distribution complaint rate.

Skills

Supply chain strategy

Matrix organization

Multi-site leadership

Team development

Project management

WMS/ERP systems knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Tools

WMS

ERP

Labor management systems

Warehouse storage systems

Job description

Location: Irvine, CA, US, 92618

Director, Distribution

Position Summary:

Lead the company’s Distribution functions with direct responsibilities of the Corporate Distribution team and dotted line oversight of the Plant Distribution Teams. This role will develop and execute a Corporate Distribution Operating Model to improve service and reduce cost across our nationwide network of plants and 3PL partners. This is a highly influential role, accountable for modernizing our distribution methodology, identifying and accelerating process improvements, facilitating technological change, and developing distribution talent across the network. The ideal candidate lives near Irvine, CA; Dallas, TX; Chambersburg, PA or Atlanta, GA.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead the entire Distribution function to deliver extraordinary customer experience through efficient and effective operations. Direct oversight responsibility over corporate Distribution team and dotted line oversight over the plant Distribution teams. Accountable for improvement of overall distribution metrics and responsible for supporting the plants as needed. Collaborate with plant leadership to ensure stable operations capable of progressing corporate initiatives.
• Develop and execute a Corporate Distribution Operating Model in a matrixed organization where continuous improvement and stakeholder communication are critical to success. Build strong internal partnerships to ensure the operating model is broadly understood and results are clearly communicated. Drive waste reduction through Continuous Improvement initiatives, at a plant and network level.
• Identify, evaluate, prioritize, and execute opportunities to optimize operating processes, warehouse capacity, distribution labor, material handling equipment, inventory storage strategies, warehouse layouts, distribution technology, and safe food handling practices. Develop long term plans to improve service, reduce cost, and expand capacity.
• Own all outsourced distribution providers (3PLs) to meet customer experience, inventory management, cost, and capacity objectives. Implement 3PL Management Program to optimize service providers, contracts, locations, and oversight in alignment with plant needs and corporate initiatives. Responsible for overall 3PL performance and cost.
• Develop corporate distribution team into process improvement accelerators who develop and implement best practices for distribution activities such as receiving, put away, picking, staging, loading, etc. Define the right metrics to measure performance, build tools to measure results consistently, and support improvement where needed to sustain operational excellence. Support and develop plant-level distribution leadership teams to build careers and improve plant self-reliance.
• Accountable for meeting entire Distribution budget including both internal costs and 3P/L costs. Partner with plant and finance leadership to develop distribution budgets and lead resolution/communication of major variances.
• Accountable for the overall distribution complaint rate performance of the company. Responsible for setting targets, understanding performance deviations, and defining improvement plans to deliver extraordinary customer experience.
• Additional responsibilities as assigned.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in warehousing and distribution environments, with significant time spent inside a warehouse leading large teams required
• Full operational responsibility for multi-site, warehouse operations experience required
• Experience implementing and managing continuous improvement tools along with a variety of management systems, such as: WMS, ERP, labor management systems, material handling equipment or warehouse storage systems is required
• Demonstrated record of successful project management in distribution and fulfillment operations is required
• Demonstrated history in managing and developing professional level staff is required
• 3PL experience is strongly preferred
• Food distribution experience is helpful
• Travel ranges between 50-75% in North America
• The ideal candidate lives near Irvine, CA; Dallas, TX; Chambersburg, PA or Atlanta, GA

Knowledge and Skills:

• Demonstrated knowledge of current supply chain strategies, efficiency improvement methodologies, operating processes, and warehouse layout design
• Ability to effectively manage multiple staff resources in delivering VF products and services across multiple channels of distribution
• Capable of working successfully in a matrixed organization at all levels influencing decision making and performance
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams across multiple sites including direct and dotted line reporting structures
• Direct complex multiple activities and projects, providing appropriate balance of personnel and other resources to meet deliverables in timely fashion
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Effective presentation and technical skills

Why Join Us:

Ventura Foods innovates and manufactures food solutions for foodservice and retail businesses. We make exclusive products for the world's most iconic restaurants and retailers, we provision ready-to-go product solutions for professional kitchens, and we make consumer brands everyone knows and loves. When you work for Ventura Foods, you get a strong foundation of training, a manager who cares about you and celebrates your success, a safe environment, and challenging work. As part of our team, your future is limited only by how much you’re willing to push yourself to get there. We invest in your growth because you invest in ours.

Ventura Foods offers career growth opportunities as well as competitive compensation and benefits:

• Medical, Prescription, Dental, & Vision – coverage beginning on your 1st day for eligible employees
• Profit Sharing and 401(k) matching (after eligible criteria is met)
• Paid Vacation, Sick Time, and Holidays
• Employee Appreciation Events and Employee Assistance Programs
• Salary Base Range of$124,904.10-$198,298.61*
• Annual bonus (based on the incentive program terms and conditions)

*The “base salary range” provided above is a good faith estimate of what we expect to pay for this position in the specified markets. Ventura Foods reserves the right to pay outside of the given range based on a variety of factors including but not limited to: candidate skills and experience, complexity of the job, budgetary factors, and location/geography. Ventura Foods conducts regular reviews of compensation ranges and therefore reserves the right to alter this range at any given time.

Our Culture
Our Culture reflects our commitment to treating every employee with respect and creating an environment where people can do their best work. We rely on a variety of strengths, backgrounds, and experiences across our teams to help us innovate, grow, and deliver for our customers. By fostering a workplace that is supportive, collaborative, and grounded in integrity, we continue to attract strong talent and meet the high expectations of a rapidly evolving marketplace.

Ventura Foods is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

Ventura Foods may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) assisted tools at certain stages of our hiring process, including identifying & sourcing candidates, reviewing applications and matched candidates on job boards and websites, and generating screening questions to help us work more efficiently and consistently. We regularly review our tools to promote fairness and reduce the risk of bias. However, while these tools support our process, every hiring decision is made by a real person on our team. Applicants in the State of New York may request an alternative process by contacting us at [e-mail] .

Nearest Major Market: Irvine California
Nearest Secondary Market: Los Angeles