Distribution Supervisor

empirical Foods; Garden City (KS); On-site; USD 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

empirical Foods in Garden City, Kansas, is looking for an Operations Leader to oversee shift operations, ensuring timely production and fulfillment of sales orders. The ideal candidate will have at least one year of plant operations experience and proven leadership skills. This role requires excellent communication abilities and emphasizes staff training, inventory control, and operational excellence. A high school diploma is required, while a bachelor’s degree in operations or supply chain is preferred. The company offers a dynamic work environment with a focus on problem-solving and teamwork.

Qualifications

• 1 year or more of plant operations experience is preferred along with proven leadership skills.
• Ability to perform all essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation.

Responsibilities

• Provide direction and decision support to shift employees to ensure sales orders are built and loaded on time.
• Develop and use best practices to implement operational changes and provide training to employees.
• Oversee and assist in all inbound and outbound dock activities.
• Manage the yard and ensure inventory control processes are established.

Skills

General computer knowledge and proficiency

Education

High School diploma or equivalent

Bachelor’s degree in operations or supply chain management

Job description

The focus areas of this position include being the primary contact and leader for the shift, making sure all products are available for production, and ensuring accurate fulfillment of sales orders and shipping orders. Additionally, this person will ensure that supporting processes such as slacking, or blast freezing are monitored and executed properly. This position will also lead and assist in asset and facility stewardship. This role ensures the right staff are present at the right time and aligned with business objectives. They are responsible for the management of the people, facility, trailers in the yard, and inventory control processes.

Overview

To be successful, this person will need to be an expert at using our Warehouse Management System (WMS) as a tool, including teaching others to use it properly. This role is mission oriented and leads by communicating priorities to staff, being resourceful, helping to solve problems, being “hands on” when appropriate, and ensuring that employees are competent in their roles. This operations role is “where the action is” and thrives on “finding a way to win” during the daily routine of shifting priorities and problem-solving. This role is key in selection, training, and retention of employees. This person is mission oriented and thinks beyond their shift.

Responsibilities

• Provide direction and decision support to shift employees to ensure sales orders are built and loaded on time. Ensure the correct raw materials are delivered to the production line on time.
• Clarify goals and make both schedule and task changes for personnel. Identify and work with all parties to resolve product availability issues.
• Set expectations and lead by example across shifts; thinks beyond their shift.
• Develop and use best practices to implement operational changes and provide training to employees that achieve performance goals. Implement daily tasks and order sequencing. Enable best operational results for freezing, chilling, and thawing raw material.
• Leverage technology as tools in improving processes quality, simplicity, and quantity of work.
• Coordinate and assist in all inbound and outbound dock activities which includes receiving, unloading, induction, slacking, test products, new products, samples, preparing sales orders, sales order staging, and loading shipments.
• Responsible for the management of the yard. Will monitor and evaluate product security/protection services. Establish and maintain inventory control processes and maximize the distribution center efficiently and effectively.
• As appropriate, assist with supervision and coordination of ground beef operations and other business segments.
• Ability to perform all essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

Skills And Abilities

• General computer knowledge and proficiency is preferred.

Demonstrated Competencies

• Must be able to initiate work with minimal supervision, have a sense of urgency, and a demonstrated record of dependability.
• Must have a demonstrated ability to attack and solve complex problems.
• Must have the capability to manage personnel job performance and leverage established company procedures and policies to come to logical and thoughtful conclusions and action plans.
• Must communicate effectively with all levels of employees, in both written and oral form, with people inside and outside of the company (radio communication, initiating emails, and communication with trucking companies).
• Ability to maintain confidential information with professionalism and discretion.
• Must have regular and punctual attendance.

Physical Requirements

• This position requires sitting, standing, walking, climbing, twisting, reaching, bending, and lifting.
• Must be able to lift, push, and pull 60lbs.
• Must be willing and able to work flexible hours, including weekends.

Experience

1 year or more of plant operations experience is preferred along with proven leadership skills.

Education

High School diploma or equivalent, or verifiable ability to perform essential job functions. A Bachelor’s degree in operations or supply chain management or related discipline from a 4-year College or University is preferred. Well-rounded, practical, experience may be substituted in lieu of formal education.

Department

Operations