Director of Distribution

Naviga Recruiting & Executive Search; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

ESOP

401(k)

Health benefits

Paid time off

Tuition assistance

Gym reimbursements

Employee purchase program

Job summary

Naviga Recruiting & Executive Search is seeking a Director of Distribution to launch and scale a brand-new Indianapolis distribution center. You will build the leadership team, establish processes, and align with enterprise standards to deliver service, productivity, inventory, safety, and financial goals.

You will own the budget, labor models, and KPI program while partnering with Quality, HR, Finance, Transportation, and customer teams.

Qualifications

• Lead and scale a new distribution center startup.
• Build and mentor a multi-level leadership team.
• Establish operating rhythm and baseline performance metrics.
• Drive facility KPI performance and data-driven decisions.
• Own facility budgeting, labor modeling and cost management.
• Partner with Quality/HR/Finance/Transportation/Inventory/Customer teams.
• Ensure safety, quality and regulatory compliance.
• Lead tours with customers and executives.

Responsibilities

• Lead startup and launch of the Indianapolis DC.
• Hire and mentor senior ops leaders and supervisors.
• Establish KPIs, inventory controls, and labor plans.
• Drive cost management and financial performance.
• Collaborate across functions to meet enterprise standards.
• Ensure compliance with safety and quality requirements.

Skills

Ops leadership

Startup experience

Team development

KPI tracking

P&L management

Stakeholder mgmt

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s in SCM

Job description

The Opportunity

This is a high-visibility leadership opportunity to launch and scale a brand-new distribution center as our company expands its operational footprint. As Director of Distribution, you will lead the facility startup from the ground up, establishing operational processes, building leadership structures, and hiring high-performing teams for traditional distribution, e-commerce fulfillment, value-added services, and national returns. This role was intentionally created to drive operational execution for a newly opened hub supporting our expanding national supply chain network.

About the Company

The company is a premier, nationally recognized supply chain partner and logistics powerhouse. By combining deep industry expertise with cutting-edge e-commerce fulfillment and third-party logistics (3PL) solutions, they manage complex client accounts under rigorous customer service level agreements (SLAs). The workforce is driven by an employee-ownership model that fosters a highly collaborative culture focused on long-term growth, sustainable business practices, and operational excellence.

Location

This position is based fully onsite at our new facility serving the broader Indianapolis Metro Area market. As a brand-new operational hub, this flagship facility will serve as a cornerstone for regional growth, requiring an active onsite executive presence to establish team culture, launch infrastructure, and interface with visiting leadership and key enterprise clients. Travel is expected to be approximately 10%, primarily for corporate alignment initiatives and network-wide leadership meetings.

What You Will Do

• Lead the end-to-end operational startup and launch of the new Indianapolis distribution center, establishing foundational processes to achieve service, productivity, inventory, safety, and financial objectives.
• Build, hire, and mentor a multi-level leadership team from the ground up, including Senior Operations Managers, Operations Managers, and Supervisors.
• Establish a strong operating rhythm, baseline performance management metrics, and an onsite culture of accountability.
• Drive facility KPI performance through data-driven decision making, root cause analysis, and operational stabilization initiatives.
• Own facility-level financial performance, budgeting, labor modeling, and cost management for the new location.
• Partner cross-functionally with Quality, HR, Finance, Transportation, Inventory Control, and Customer-facing teams to align operational setup with enterprise standards.
• Establish and enforce compliance across all facility safety, quality, and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure initial operational execution meets and exceeds customer service level agreements (SLAs).
• Lead customer and executive facility tours, representing the new operation with professionalism and clarity.
• Develop long-term talent bench strength and succession planning across all facility operational tiers.

Who You Are

• 10+ years of operational leadership experience within distribution, e-commerce fulfillment, 3PL, logistics, or supply chain operations.
• Proven facility startup experience opening, launching, or scaling new distribution centers from scratch.
• Proven track record of building, coaching, and developing multi-level operations leadership teams from the ground up.
• Extensive experience establishing operational KPIs, inventory controls, labor planning models, and service performance standards in a startup environment.
• Strong financial acumen with direct experience managing facility budgets and P&L performance.
• Proven ability to thrive and establish order within fast-paced, high-volume, dynamic startup environments.
• Exceptional communication, interpersonal, and stakeholder management skills.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a proactive operational leader who thrives in facility startup environments. They combine executive-level strategic vision and financial acumen with a hands-on, visible leadership style on the warehouse floor. Possessing strong emotional intelligence and clear communication skills, they excel at building trust, hiring top talent, and laying a strong cultural foundation of accountability and empowerment.

Education & Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business Administration, or a related field; equivalent executive operational experience in distribution facility startups will be fully considered.

Flexibility & Work-Life Integration

• Work Structure: Fully onsite executive leadership presence required to drive facility launch activities.
• Schedule: Standard executive leadership schedule with flexibility required to support operational shifts, startup milestones, and business priorities.
• Environment: Fast-paced, dynamic new distribution center environment.

Why Join the Team?

Beyond the unique opportunity to build and shape a new facility from day one, this role offers direct participation in the financial success of the organization through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) and a comprehensive 401(k) structure. The company's deep commitment to its workforce is reflected in an extensive benefits package including comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, tuition assistance, gym reimbursements, and an employee purchase program. By joining the team, you will lead a key expansion market within a supportive, collaborative environment built on long-term growth and sustainable operational excellence.

About Naviga Recruiting & Executive Search

Naviga Recruiting & Executive Search is a leading provider of Executive Search, Leadership, Individual Contributor, and Contingent Workforce Solutions, empowering businesses to achieve their strategic objectives through expert talent acquisition. Our specialties include sales, marketing, finance/accounting and operations hiring. With a commitment to excellence and a deep understanding of market trends, Naviga Recruiting & Executive Search helps organizations build high-performing teams and navigate complex workforce challenges. Naviga Recruiting & Executive Search specializes in U.S. Hiring for Global Businesses.