Vice President, Operations

Dan-O's Seasoning, LLC; Louisville (KY); On-site; USD 180,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

Dan-O's seeks an accomplished operations leader to join its Executive Leadership Team as Vice President of Operations. This role oversees R&D, Food Safety & QA, and Supply Chain while partnering with Sales, Brand Marketing, and Finance to scale the business while preserving the entrepreneurial culture.

The position is a high-impact, strategic leadership role focused on building scalable systems, processes and partnerships to sustain fast growth and product excellence across all functions.

Qualifications

• Proven success leading Operations within a growing consumer packaged goods organization.
• Evaluate investments and operational improvements to support long-term growth.
• Experience overseeing multiple operational disciplines including Supply Chain, Manufacturing, R&D and QA.
• Strong strategic thinking with ability to translate vision into execution.
• Experience partnering with Sales, Marketing and Finance leaders.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent executive leadership experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute end-to-end operations strategy to support growth.
• Provide leadership across Procurement, Planning, Manufacturing Partnerships, Warehousing, Logistics and Customer Fulfillment.
• Build relationships with suppliers, contract manufacturers and logistics providers.
• Continuously improve operational capabilities to meet growing demand.
• Leverage data, technology and metrics to drive informed decisions.
• Model Dan-O's values and lead with a people-first mindset.

Skills

Business partnership

Strategic alignment

Annual planning

Cross-functional collaboration

Investments evaluation

Product development

Commercialization

Product launches readiness

Process strengthening

Operations strategy

Procurement leadership

Manufacturing partnerships

Warehousing & logistics

Continuous improvement

Data-driven decision making

Food safety

Quality assurance

Regulatory compliance

Product integrity

Team leadership

Coaching and mentoring

Succession planning

Change management

Innovation and partnership

Dan-O's values

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent leadership experience

Job description

Description

The Vice President of Operations is a key member of the Executive Leadership Team and serves as the operational architect for Dan-O's continued growth.

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, this leader provides strategic oversight of Research & Development, Food Safety & Quality Assurance as well as Supply Chain while partnering closely with leaders across Sales, Brand Marketing and Finance to ensure the business continues to scale effectively.

This role extends beyond leading operational functions. It is responsible for strengthening the systems, processes, partnerships and organizational capabilities that enable Dan-O's to grow while preserving the entrepreneurial culture that has made the company successful.

Requirements

Cross Functional Business Leadership

• Serve as a trusted business partner to leaders across Sales, Brand Marketing, Finance and other functional areas.


• Align operational capabilities with commercial priorities to support sustainable business growth.


• Participate in annual planning, strategic initiatives and company-wide business planning.


• Foster collaboration across departments to ensure teams remain aligned around shard priorities and company objectives.


• Help evaluate investments, organizational capabilities and operational improvements that support long-term growth.

Product Development & Commercialization

• Partner with Brand Marketing, Sales and Finance to successfully bring new products from concept to commercialization.


• Lead the Research & Development organization translating product concepts into scalable, commercially successful products.


• Ensure operational readiness for product launches through thoughtful planning, disciplined execution and cross-functional collaboration.


• Strengthen commercialization processes that support innovation while maintaining speed, quality and operational excellence.


• Balance consumer expectations, business objectives and operational capabilities throughout the product development cycle.

Supply Chain & Operations

• Develop and execute an end-to-end operations strategy that supports the company's continued growth.


• Provide leadership across Procurement, Planning, Manufacturing Partnerships, Warehousing, Logistics and Customer Fulfillment.


• Build strong relationships with suppliers, contract manufacturing partners and logistics providers.


• Continuously improve operational capabilities to support increasing customer demand and evolving business needs.


• Leverage data, technology and operational metrics to improve performance and drive informed decision-making.


• Ensure the organization remains agile, resilient and well-positioned for future growth.

Quality & Product Excellence

• Lead the Food Safety & Quality Assurance organization maintaining the highest standards of quality, food safety and regulatory compliance.


• Champion a culture where quality is embedded throughout product development, commercialization and manufacturing.


• Protect the integrity of the Dan-O's brand by ensuring every product consistently delivers an exceptional customer experience.


• Support continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen product quality, operational performance and customer satisfaction.

Organizational Leadership

• Build, coach and inspire a high-performing Operations organization.


• Create an environment where accountability, collaboration and continuous learning thrive.


• Develop future leaders through coaching, mentoring and succession planning.


• Lead organizational change with transparency, consistency and a people-first mindset.


• Encourage innovation, thoughtful decision making and cross-functional partnership throughout the organization.


• Model the Dan-O's values in every interaction and decision.

We're looking for an experienced leader who enjoys building organizations, developing people and solving complex business challenges.

Qualifications:

• Proven success leading Operations within a growing consumer packaged goods organization, preferably within the food and beverage industry.


• Experience overseeing multiple operational disciplines, including Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Research & Development and Food Safety & Quality Assurance.


• A track record of building scalable organizations, developing leaders and driving cross-functional alignment.


• Strong strategic thinking with the ability to translate vision into execution.


• Experience partnering effectively with Sales, Marketing and Finance leaders.


• Financial and operational acumen, including experience managing budgets, KPIs and business performance.


• Exceptional communication, relationship building and leadership skills.


• An entrepreneurial mindset and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high growth environment.


• Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant executive leadership experience preferred.

Note

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) incumbent in this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. To perform this job successfully, the incumbents will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an "at will" relationship.