Director of Distribution Operations

United Utility Supply; Louisville (KY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

401(k) plan

Pension plan

Paid holidays

Paid time off

Job summary

United Utility Supply, headquartered in Louisville, KY, seeks a strategic Director of Distribution Operations to lead warehouse and dispatch operations across its growing network. You will drive operational excellence, inventory accuracy, and service levels while partnering with sales, procurement, and leadership to support growth.

The role emphasizes establishing standardized procedures, fostering a safety culture, and delivering measurable improvements across Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Operations Management, Business Administration, or related field preferred.
• Six+ years of progressive leadership experience in warehouse, distribution, logistics, or supply chain operations.
• Four+ years of multi-site leadership experience preferred.
• Experience in utility distribution, industrial distribution, construction supply, electrical products, or similar industry preferred.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with KPI development experience.
• Experience with warehouse management systems, ERP systems, and inventory control processes preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead warehouse and distribution operations across multiple locations, including receiving, storage, material handling, shipping, order fulfillment, and dispatch.
• Collaborate with leadership, sales and procurement teams to meet customer needs.
• Direct, coach and develop warehouse leadership and supervisors at each location.
• Establish and standardize operating procedures for consistent execution across all facilities.
• Promote safety culture and ensure compliance with policies, OSHA, DOT, and standards.
• Oversee dispatch to support timely, accurate customer deliveries.
• Monitor capacity, labor planning, productivity, budgets, and performance across locations.
• Develop and track KPIs, analyze data, and implement corrective actions.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on productivity, service, cost reduction, and network optimization.

Skills

Leadership

KPI development

Analytical thinking

Communication

Stakeholder management

Safety and compliance

Cross-functional collaboration

Data-driven decision making

Problem solving

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in supply chain/logistics/ops

Tools

ERP systems

WMS

Job description

United Utility Supply is recognized as one of the leading not-for-profit material supply organizations serving the rural electric market. UUS is headquartered in Louisville, KY and has five (soon to be six) satellite warehouses in Virginia, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana (later this year) and is owned by member cooperatives in 20 states. As a full line stocking distributor, UUS supplies a complete line of materials critical to the electric utility industry. Over the last several years, we have shown continued growth. Our organization specializes in the distribution of Transformers, Conductor, Poleline Hardware, Lighting, Underground Accessories, Grounding Equipment, Guying, Insulators, Protective Equipment, Distribution and Transmission Poles, Utility Tools, and Safety Supplies.

We are seeking a strategic, hands-on Director of Distribution Operations to lead warehouse and dispatch operations across our distribution network. This role is responsible for driving operational excellence, safety, productivity, service levels, inventory accuracy, and consistent processes across all of our warehouse locations, including facilities in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Illinois, Alabama, Indiana and Kentucky. The Director will partner closely with leaders across the organization to support customer fulfillment, business growth, and continuous improvement.

What You’ll Do

• Lead warehouse and distribution operations across multiple locations, including receiving, storage, material handling, shipping, order fulfillment, and dispatch.
• Collaborate with many areas of the organization to efficiently meet customers’ needs including but not limited to leadership, sales and procurement teams.
• Direct, coach, and develop warehouse leadership and team members, including warehouse supervisors at each location.
• Establish, standardize, and reinforce operating procedures to ensure consistent execution across all facilities.
• Promote a strong safety culture and ensure compliance with company policies, OSHA regulations, DOT requirements, and applicable industry standards.
• Oversee dispatch operations to support timely, accurate, and reliable customer deliveries.
• Partner cross-functionally to support customer fulfillment, project requirements, inbound material flow, supplier and company deliveries, receiving capacity, and inventory accuracy.
• Monitor warehouse capacity, labor planning, productivity, budgets, and operational performance across all locations.
• Develop and track key performance indicators, analyze operational data, and implement corrective actions and process improvements as needed.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on productivity, service excellence, cost reduction, inventory positioning, network optimization, and operational efficiency.

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Operations Management, Business Administration, or a related field preferred.
• Six or more years of progressive leadership experience in warehouse, distribution, logistics, or supply chain operations.
• Four or more years of multi-site leadership experience preferred.
• Experience in utility distribution, industrial distribution, construction supply, electrical products, or a similar industry strongly preferred.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including experience developing KPIs and managing performance outcomes.
• Experience with warehouse management systems, ERP systems, and inventory control processes preferred.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to travel up to 50% as needed.

Why Join Us

This is an opportunity to make a meaningful impact by leading critical distribution operations, strengthening processes across multiple locations, and helping build scalable systems that support continued business growth. The successful candidate will be a collaborative leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is committed to safety, service, accountability, and continuous improvement.

If you are seeking a purposeful role that values collaboration and teamwork, this opportunity may be a great fit for you. We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, and life insurance; paid holidays; paid time off; and retirement benefits after one year of employment, including a 401(k) plan and company-funded pension plan.