Director of Warehouse & Distribution

Not Every Distribution Leader Is Built For This Role.

Some leaders know how to run a shipping department.

Some know how to manage warehouse flow.

Some know how to keep orders moving when volume is high.

Very few know how to improve the operation while the business is still running at full speed.

That is the opportunity here.

We are conducting a confidential search for a senior distribution leader who can strengthen an established shipping and distribution operation while helping position the organization for its next phase of growth.

This role requires more than keeping product moving, checking shipment status, or making sure trucks leave on time.

The individual selected will be expected to bring structure, improve flow, develop supervisors, strengthen operational discipline, and help create a more scalable distribution and logistics function.

The environment is manufacturing-based, fast-moving, and highly dependent on accurate execution.

Success will require someone who is equally comfortable talking through operational priorities with senior leadership and working through shipping, inventory, staging, loading, or system challenges with teams on the floor.

Lead distribution and logistics for one Indiana-based location

• Improve how product is organized, picked, staged, loaded, shipped, and tracked
• Strengthen the flow of finished goods from production through shipment
• Create better structure around warehouse organization, location logic, picking efficiency, dock flow, trailer utilization, and shipping accuracy
• Identify process and system issues that slow the team down and help build practical solutions
• Improve operating rhythms, reporting, visibility, and accountability across the distribution function
• Partner closely with Sales on order status, shipping timing, customer priorities, and issue resolution
• Develop supervisors and frontline leaders so the operation becomes stronger at every level
• Use data to better understand performance, identify trends, and make stronger operational decisions
• Support a build-on-demand, direct-ship manufacturing environment where consistent execution matters

This is not a broken operation.

There are strong people in place.

There is real business momentum.

There are also systems, processes, and flow challenges that have not fully kept pace with growth.

The opportunity is to build upon the foundation, improve what is not working well enough, and help the operation become more organized, scalable, and consistent.

The strongest candidates will likely bring experience in:

• Distribution leadership
• Shipping and logistics execution
• Warehouse organization and material flow
• Manufacturing environments
• Build-on-demand, made-to-order, or direct-ship operations
• Inventory movement and location strategy
• Picking, staging, loading, dock flow, and trailer utilization
• Supervisor development and frontline leadership
• Cross-functional partnership with Sales, Operations, Planning, Logistics, Customer Experience, IT, or Supply Chain
• Process improvement and operational problem solving
• KPI development, reporting, and performance management
• Experience with ERP, WMS, TMS, labor management, reporting, or analytics tools is highly relevant.
• Analytics experience is a plus, especially experience using data platforms, dashboards, or tools such as Databricks to better understand order flow, inventory movement, labor productivity, shipping performance, or operational trends.

This role is less focused on carrier contract negotiations and more focused on:

• Execution
• Organizing product. Improving flow
• Getting orders picked, staged, loaded, and on a truck accurately, safely, and efficiently

• This is not a role for someone who needs everything to be perfectly built before they can lead.
• It is also not a role for someone who only wants to maintain what already exists.
• The current operation has capable people and meaningful opportunity. It is not a disaster, but it is not yet a well-oiled machine.

For example, there are opportunities to improve how product is located and picked. In some cases, a team member may need to pick multiple items, but the current process or system may send them to several different locations instead of directing them to the most efficient pick path.

That is the kind of challenge this leader will help solve.

The right person will not be discouraged by that.

They will see the opportunity.

They will ask better questions.

They will get close to the work.

They will build trust with the team.

They will help identify what needs to change, what needs to stay, and what needs to be fixed first.

• They are operationally curious.
• They do not lead from a conference room.
• They know how to listen to the people closest to the work.
• They can bring structure without creating unnecessary complexity.
• They understand that shipping performance is not just a shipping issue. It is connected to production flow, inventory accuracy, system discipline, customer expectations,…