Senior Manager, Supply Chain (Ascent)

Leprino Foods; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 134,000 - 154,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Profit-sharing & 401(k)

Health insurance (medical, dental, and

Dental and Vision

Job summary

Ascent Protein, part of Leprino Foods, seeks a Senior Manager of Supply Chain in Denver to lead the end-to-end supply chain for 30+ products across e-commerce, D2C, and major retail channels. You will shape inventory planning, work with co-manufacturers and external partners, and build a scalable supply chain to support growth.

Reporting to the General Manager, this role requires strong leadership, demand and production planning, and vendor negotiations to optimize service, cost, and capital.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in supply chain, planning, logistics, operations, or a related field.
• Eight years of progressive supply chain experience spanning multiple areas such as planning, inventory, logistics, operations, external manufacturing, or fulfillment.
• Experience leading supply chain activities within a consumer products, CPG, food and beverage, nutrition, or similarly complex product environment.
• Experience working directly with co-manufacturers, co-packers, third-party warehouses, 3PLs, or other external manufacturing and supply chain partners.
• Strong experience with demand planning, production planning, materials planning, and inventory management.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Ascent's head of supply chain, leading the day-to-day operation and continued development of the function with broad decision-making responsibility.
• Lead Ascent's end-to-end supply chain, with broad responsibility for planning, inventory, external manufacturing, warehousing, fulfillment, and supply chain performance.
• Build and improve supply chain capabilities that support a growing consumer brand while balancing customer service, inventory, cost, quality, and financial goals.
• Lead relationships with co-manufacturers and other external production partners across Ascent's product portfolio, including powder, capsule, gummy, and packaged products.
• Hold external manufacturing partners accountable for quality, production schedules, service expectations, capacity, and reliable delivery while developing strong long-term relationships.
• Lead demand, production, and materials planning across a portfolio of more than 30 products, improving forecast accuracy and visibility to potential inventory shortages.
• Set finished goods and material inventory targets that support product availability while balancing working capital, forecast variability, and changing consumer demand.
• Evaluate Ascent's network of co-manufacturers, warehouses, transportation, fulfillment, and other supply chain partners to identify opportunities to improve service, efficiency, scalability, and cost.
• Lead vendor negotiations and develop commercial relationships that improve supply chain economics across manufacturing, materials, warehousing, fulfillment, transportation, and related services.

Skills

Demand planning

Production planning

Inventory management

Co-manufacturer relations

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in supply chain, planning, logistics, operations

Job description

Within the Ascent Protein team located in Denver - we are seeking a Senior Manager, Supply Chain to lead the end-to-end supply chain for our growing Ascent consumer brand. Reporting directly to Ascent's General Manager, this position will lead and develop the supply chain supporting more than 30 products sold across e-commerce, direct-to-consumer, and major retail channels. You will shape how Ascent plans inventory, works with co-manufacturers and external partners, fulfills customer demand, and builds a scalable supply chain that supports continued growth.

At Leprino, starting compensation for this role typically ranges between $134,000 and $154,000. This position has an annual target bonus of 15%.

What You'll Do:

• Serve as Ascent's functional head of supply chain, leading the day-to-day operation and continued development of the function with broad decision-making responsibility.
• Lead Ascent's end-to-end supply chain, with broad responsibility for planning, inventory, external manufacturing, warehousing, fulfillment, and supply chain performance.
• Build and improve supply chain capabilities that support a growing consumer brand while balancing customer service, inventory, cost, quality, and financial goals.
• Lead relationships with co-manufacturers and other external production partners across Ascent's product portfolio, including powder, capsule, gummy, and packaged products.
• Hold external manufacturing partners accountable for quality, production schedules, service expectations, capacity, and reliable delivery while developing strong long-term relationships.
• Lead demand, production, and materials planning across a portfolio of more than 30 products, improving forecast accuracy and visibility to potential inventory shortages.
• Set finished goods and material inventory targets that support product availability while balancing working capital, forecast variability, and changing consumer demand.
• Evaluate Ascent's network of co-manufacturers, warehouses, transportation, fulfillment, and other supply chain partners to identify opportunities to improve service, efficiency, scalability, and cost.
• Lead vendor negotiations and develop commercial relationships that improve supply chain economics across manufacturing, materials, warehousing, fulfillment, transportation, and related services.
• Partner closely with Ascent leadership and teams across Finance, Quality, IT, Master Data, and Leprino Supply Chain while maintaining primary leadership of Ascent's day-to-day supply chain decisions.
• Support Ascent's e-commerce, direct-to-consumer, and retail channels by developing supply chain solutions that respond to different customer, fulfillment, inventory, and service requirements.
• Build supply chain capabilities that can scale with the business, including evaluating when existing processes and partners remain appropriate and when new approaches are needed.
• Develop and mentor a direct report while strengthening the planning and inventory capabilities needed to support Ascent's continued growth.

You Have At Least (Required Qualifications):

• A bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in supply chain, planning, logistics, operations, or a related field.
• Eight years of progressive supply chain experience spanning multiple areas such as planning, inventory, logistics, operations, external manufacturing, or fulfillment.
• Experience leading supply chain activities within a consumer products, CPG, food and beverage, nutrition, or similarly complex product environment.
• Experience working directly with co-manufacturers, co-packers, third-party warehouses, 3PLs, or other external manufacturing and supply chain partners.
• Strong experience with demand planning, production planning, materials planning, and inventory management.

We Hope You Also Have (Preferred Qualifications):

• Experience building or scaling supply chain capabilities within a growing consumer brand or business.
• Experience leading co-manufacturer relationships involving production performance, quality, capacity, service levels, and commercial negotiations.
• Experience supporting multiple consumer channels, including e-commerce, direct-to-consumer, Amazon, grocery, club, mass retail, or similar channels.
• Experience evaluating and improving outsourced manufacturing, warehousing, transportation, or fulfillment networks to improve service and cost performance.

Offering You In Return:

A chance to be part of a global team of individuals passionate about producing and delivering high-quality products that help feed and nourish families around the world. Ascent/Leprino could not be where it is today without our incredible employees. That is why we share in our success together by rewarding you for your hard work. Hiring great people who are in it for the long run is our goal. Through competitive salaries and bonuses, life, medical/dental/vision coverage, voluntary benefits, employee assistance programs, wellness incentives, tuition assistance, vacation, ten paid holidays, sick time, paid parental leave, annual merit increases, as well as our Profit-Sharing & 401(k) plan. Your impact will be noticed and rewarded, as you seek to further our company, our customers, and one another.

Our Story:

Born from more than 75 years of dairy expertise, Ascent Protein is part of the Leprino family - the world's largest manufacturer of mozzarella and a leading global producer of dairy ingredients like whey protein and lactose. What started in the 1950s as Jim Leprino's small Denver cheese shop has evolved into a worldwide network of innovation and craftsmanship. At Ascent, we carry that legacy forward with clean, trusted sports nutrition made right here in the USA. Backed by science, built on real ingredients, and powered by Leprino's commitment to quality - we're just getting started. Will you join us?

At Ascent/Leprino, we believe in equal employment opportunity and make employment decisions based on each individual's unique talents, experience, skills, and knowledge; we do not discriminate on the basis of any personal characteristics. We know we are better together and are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive culture in which all employees can thrive.