Distribution & Fulfillment Director

Confidential; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 165,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential search for a Distribution & Fulfillment Director based in the Chicago area. Leads warehousing, distribution, maintenance, and logistics teams, driving safety, quality, cost, and delivery performance.

Partners with HR on workforce planning and employee development, while implementing Lean and continuous improvement strategies. The role requires 7+ years in leadership within plastics manufacturing or related fields, a Bachelor’s degree, and strong ERP proficiency (Epicor preferred).

Qualifications

• 7+ years of related work experience with 2+ years in site/plant management.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Engineering, Operations, or related field.
• Strong communication and collaboration across all organizational levels.
• Proficiency with ERP systems (Epicor a plus) and MS Office.

Responsibilities

• Lead cross-functional warehousing and distribution teams including maintenance, order pickers, shipping, and logistics.
• Drive talent development, coaching, and performance management of direct reports.
• Partner with HR on workforce planning, succession, and engagement initiatives.
• Ensure safety, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement across SQCDM metrics.
• Oversee annual budgeting, cost savings initiatives, and Lean initiatives such as Kaizen and 5S.

Skills

Leadership

Lean manufacturing

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a related field (Engineering/Operations) or equivalent

Tools

Epicor ERP

Microsoft Office

Job description

This is a confidential search for a Distribution & Fulfillment Director position within the manufacturing industry based in the suburbs near the O'Hare Airport area.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES/ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Leadership

• Manages a cross-functional team in warehousing and distribution facilities including Maintenance, Order Pickers, Assembly Operators, Shipping, Receiving, and Logistics professionals.
• Responsible for identifying talent, coaching, developing, motivating, and managing the performance of assigned direct reports.
• Partners closely with Human Resources to design and implement workforce planning, succession planning, employee engagement, training, and development initiatives.
• Fosters a strong, collaborative, and high-performing team environment through clear communication, accountability, and engagement and modeling the Company’s values and leadership expectations.

Environmental, Health, Safety, and Compliance

• Champions a safety-first culture across all departments; ensure strict adherence to all EHS policies and OSHA regulations.
• Promotes sustainability and waste minimization efforts in line with corporate environmental goals.
• Maintains compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations (e.g. OSHA, EAP, Employment laws) and Company policies.

Operational Execution & Strategy

• Defines and executes site prioritization to achieve maximum performance impact (e.g. safety, quality, delivery, and cost) in support of corporate strategies.
• Accountable for coordinating daily operation activities of the team to achieve plant KPI targets (e.g. Safety incident rates, On-Time Delivery, OEE, Capacity utilization, Inventory accuracy, Labor productivity, and Employee Turnover, etc.) related to Safety, Quality, Cost, Delivery, and Morale (SQCDM).
• Oversees the annual business planning and budgeting of the facilities and manages spending against budget and in relation to changes in production volume.
• Creates local site accountability, ownership, and execution of cost savings initiatives and active critical project completion to drive EBITDA performance to meet or exceed goals.
• Evaluate & optimize captive & third-party logistics (3PL) distribution models to improve network performance, service, & cost efficiency
• Lead analysis & execution of distribution network & facility consolidation opportunities to improve operational efficiency & customer service
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Supply Chain, Operations, Customer Service, & Finance teams to align distribution strategy with company growth objectives
• Drives a zero-defect mindset and ensure adherence quality procedures.
• Provides leadership for the formal standardization of policies, procedures, and work instructions.
• Partners with cross-functional teams to identify develop opportunities for waste reduction, process standardization, and productivity improvements and implement Lean manufacturing strategies that improve cycle time, reduce scrap, and improve labor efficiency.
• Utilizes lean manufacturing practices such as Kaizen events, Gemba walks, and 5S implementation and root cause methodologies (e.g., 5 Whys, Fishbone Diagrams) to proactively solve operational challenges.

POSITION REQUIRMENTS:

• 7+ years of related work experience including progressive leadership experience with 2+ years of site or plant management experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field (e.g. Engineering, Operations Management, etc.) or equivalent related work experience in plastics manufacturing and site leadership.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and strong ability to collaborate effectively with all levels of the organization (e.g. entry level to executives).
• Intermediate to advanced knowledge of ERP systems (Epicor experience is a plus) and proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, SharePoint, etc.)
• Experience in lean manufacturing and operational excellence methodologies.
• Self-starter with excellent problem solving, decision making, attention to detail, and project management skills.
• Strong business acumen.

PREFERRED KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS:

• Related work experience in plastics manufacturing and/or engineering (blow molding, injection molding, and/or extrusion), highly preferred.
• Bi-lingual English/Spanish, is a plus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT/ PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Works in an office environment with moderate noise levels, prolonged periods of sitting at a desk, and working on a computer.
• Frequently (multiple times a day) will spend time in Production and Warehouse areas which includes prolonged periods of standing and walking. Must wear required PPE in the designated operations areas
• Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds
• Regular travel between warehousing and distribution sites required. Potential for occasional additional travel, up to 10%
• Compensation: $165,000 - $190,000 + annual target bonus + benefits

This Job Description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee and may be revised at any time by the Company.