Director of Operations

Unico Supply Holdings, Inc.; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 85,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Unico Supply Holdings, Inc. in Houston, TX is seeking a Director of Operations – Millwork to lead and continuously improve all aspects of the millwork operation.

This is a hands-on leadership role responsible for production, purchasing, inventory, warehouse, delivery, quality, scheduling, and profitability. The Director will partner with Sales and Finance to meet revenue and gross margin targets while building a high-performing team and ensuring customer commitments are met.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading operations in millwork or building materials.
• Strong knowledge of production, purchasing, inventory, warehouse, and scheduling.
• Experience managing department leaders and teams.
• Understanding of gross margin, labor costs, and profitability.
• Ability to develop and manage KPIs and reporting.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily millwork, door, trim, and related production operations.
• Establish production schedules and ensure orders are completed accurately and on time.
• Improve workflow, productivity, labor utilization, and overall operational efficiency.
• Establish, document, and enforce SOPs.
• Monitor production capacity and identify bottlenecks before they impact customers.
• Maintain accountability for quality, output, and on-time completion.
• Oversee purchasing activities and supplier relationships.
• Maintain appropriate inventory levels while minimizing excess and slow-moving inventory.
• Monitor material costs and negotiate pricing with key suppliers.
• Improve inventory accuracy and establish accountability for inventory control.
• Identify opportunities to reduce purchasing costs while maintaining product availability and quality.
• Manage warehouse receiving, picking, staging, loading, and shipping operations.
• Ensure deliveries are accurate, timely, and cost-effective.
• Establish and maintain delivery and routing standards.
• Reduce damage, returns, delivery errors, and customer complaints.
• Improve warehouse organization, accuracy, and accountability.
• Own operational performance and work toward established P&L targets.
• Monitor sales, gross profit, labor costs, inventory turns, purchasing costs, overtime, delivery costs, and operating expenses.
• Develop and maintain KPI reporting.
• Identify performance variances and implement corrective actions.
• Continuously identify opportunities to reduce operating costs without sacrificing customer service or quality.
• Work closely with Finance to understand operational impact on profitability.
• Lead department managers and supervisors.
• Establish clear expectations, performance goals, and accountability.
• Develop employees and build a high-performing operations team.
• Address performance issues promptly and fairly.
• Promote safety, teamwork, communication, and continuous improvement.
• Create structure and discipline across operational departments.
• Partner with Sales to ensure operational capacity supports customer commitments.
• Establish realistic lead times and ensure they are communicated and maintained.
• Resolve major customer service, fulfillment, and delivery issues.
• Work with Sales to identify opportunities to improve service and support additional business.
• Balance customer expectations with operational capacity and profitability.

Skills

Operational leadership

KPIs & metrics

P&L management

Cross-functional leadership

Supply chain

Job description

Director of Operations – Millwork

Unico Supply Holdings, Inc.

Houston, TX

At a Glance

• Salary: $85,000–$100,000 annually, commensurate with experience
• Employment Type: Full-Time
• Industry: Millwork, Doors, Trim & Building Materials
• Schedule: [Insert Schedule]
• Work Environment: Hands-on operational leadership role
• Leadership Scope: Production, purchasing, inventory, warehouse, delivery, quality, scheduling, and operational profitability

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced Director of Operations to lead and continuously improve all aspects of our millwork operation.

This is a hands‑on leadership role responsible for production, purchasing, inventory, warehouse, delivery, quality control, scheduling, and overall operational profitability.

The Director of Operations is expected to lead by example and remain actively involved in the day‑to‑day operation. This includes stepping into areas of responsibility when needed, working alongside production, warehouse, purchasing, delivery, and other operational teams to support the business and ensure customer commitments are met.

This position will work closely with Sales and Finance to ensure the company meets its revenue, gross margin, service, productivity, and profitability objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Operations & Production

• Oversee daily millwork, door, trim, and related production operations.
• Establish production schedules and ensure orders are completed accurately and on time.
• Improve workflow, productivity, labor utilization, and overall operational efficiency.
• Establish, document, and enforce standard operating procedures.
• Monitor production capacity and identify bottlenecks before they impact customers.
• Maintain strong accountability for quality, output, and on‑time completion.

Purchasing & Inventory

• Oversee purchasing activities and supplier relationships.
• Maintain appropriate inventory levels while minimizing excess and slow‑moving inventory.
• Monitor material costs and negotiate pricing with key suppliers.
• Improve inventory accuracy and establish clear accountability for inventory control.
• Identify opportunities to reduce purchasing costs while maintaining product availability and quality.

Warehouse & Delivery

• Manage warehouse receiving, picking, staging, loading, and shipping operations.
• Ensure deliveries are accurate, timely, and cost‑effective.
• Establish and maintain delivery and routing standards.
• Reduce damage, returns, delivery errors, and customer complaints.
• Improve warehouse organization, accuracy, and accountability.

Financial & KPI Management

• Own operational performance and work toward established P&L targets.
• Monitor sales, gross profit, labor costs, inventory turns, purchasing costs, overtime, delivery costs, and operating expenses.
• Develop and maintain weekly and monthly KPI reporting.
• Identify performance variances and implement corrective actions.
• Continuously identify opportunities to reduce operating costs without sacrificing customer service or quality.
• Work closely with Finance to understand operational impact on profitability.

Leadership & Accountability

• Lead department managers and supervisors.
• Establish clear expectations, performance goals, and accountability.
• Develop employees and build a high‑performing operations team.
• Address performance issues promptly and fairly.
• Promote safety, teamwork, communication, and continuous improvement.
• Create structure and discipline across operational departments.

Sales & Customer Service

• Partner with Sales to ensure operational capacity supports customer commitments.
• Establish realistic lead times and ensure they are communicated and maintained.
• Resolve major customer service, fulfillment, and delivery issues.
• Work with Sales to identify opportunities to improve service and support additional business.
• Balance customer expectations with operational capacity and profitability.

Required Qualifications

• Proven experience leading operations within millwork, lumber, building materials, manufacturing, distribution, or a closely related industry.
• Strong understanding of production, purchasing, inventory, warehouse, delivery, and scheduling functions.
• Experience managing department leaders, supervisors, and operational teams.
• Strong knowledge of operational financials, including gross margin, labor costs, inventory, expenses, and profitability.
• Experience developing and managing KPIs and performance reporting.
• Strong problem‑solving and decision‑making skills.
• Ability to identify operational issues, establish priorities, and implement corrective action.
• Comfortable working in a hands‑on leadership environment.
• Strong communication, leadership, and accountability skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience in millwork, doors, trim, lumber, or building materials operations.
• Experience managing a multi‑department operation.
• Experience improving SOPs, workflow, labor efficiency, inventory controls, and delivery performance.
• Experience working closely with Sales and Finance leadership.

What Success Looks Like

The successful Director of Operations will bring structure, accountability, and discipline to the operation.

They should be able to walk into the facility, quickly understand where money is being made or lost, identify the most significant operational challenges, establish clear priorities, and lead the team toward measurable results.

Success in this role will be reflected in improved productivity, stronger accountability, better inventory control, consistent customer service, reduced operating costs, and improved operational profitability.

Why Join Unico!

This is an opportunity to take ownership of a critical leadership function within a growing organization.

The Director of Operations will have the ability to directly influence operational performance, team development, customer service, and profitability while building stronger systems and processes across the business.