Senior Director, Operational Excellence & Projects

Senior Director, Operational Excellence & Projects

United States of America – Remote / Home Office

Job Summary: The Senior Director of Operational Excellence and Projects will be fully responsible for large‑scale Supply Chain projects, including opening and closing fulfillment centers, driving Operational Excellence and Continuous Improvement, and managing iHerb’s third‑party logistics (3PL) network. The role requires opening and closing facilities from both a managerial and operational perspective, initiating strategic projects that impact the Supply Chain organization, managing Labor Management within iHerb facilities, and overseeing the network of 3PL contracts.

The incumbent will establish a culture of process improvement in distribution centers and provide a strong project management foundation within operational teams, focusing on efficiency, labor standards, cost reduction, and national project strategy implementation.

• Planning and Analysis: Manage planning, develop, and deploy supply chain projects; lead capacity, network modeling, and capital budgeting; assess capacity impacts; assist transportation optimization; analyze cost reductions through process improvements.
• Distribution Center Design, Automation & Implementation: Oversee design of new facilities, retrofits, and material handling changes; maintain vendor relationships; implement design changes for efficiency and throughput; recommend layouts and product flows incorporating sustainability; develop standard operating procedures; support labor management programs and software configuration; maintain multi‑variable labor standards using modern WMS data; troubleshoot labor management system interfaces.
• Process Improvement & Engineering: Lead engineering team to identify and implement improvement opportunities; introduce Lean or Six Sigma methodologies; address people, processes, systems, and equipment changes.
• Team Management: Lead direct reports and cross‑functional cross‑project teams; set objectives, encourage teamwork, recognize performance, and communicate openly; guide resolution of complex issues and act as an expert within discipline.

• Proven results in opening and closing fulfillment centers and working with automation vendors, in‑source and outsourced engineering teams, and familiarity with the 3PL landscape.
• Strong analytical, planning, organizational, judgment, decision‑making, and leadership skills; proven project management/leadership abilities.
• Experience with work measurement & performance management programs, conveyor design and optimization, large project management, and warehouse systems.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel and Access) and AutoCAD; experience with WMS integration, Dematic, and Bastian WCS desired.
• Labor management experience and the ability to use labor data to justify capital expenditure and process change ROI.
• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to interact at all organizational levels.
• Ability to conduct ergonomic evaluations and recommend improvements.

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial or Mechanical Engineering;
Master’s degree is a plus.

• Minimum of twelve (12) years of engineering experience in retail and/or e‑commerce distribution.

Able to identify, troubleshoot, and resolve problems quickly using sound judgment, poise, and diplomacy; determine when to escalate issues promptly.

• Requires standing several hours per day for process observations or labor data collection.

• Moderate noise; dynamic, fast‑paced, multi‑level workspace; warehouse environment.

• Multi‑site responsibilities; approximately 30–40% travel expected.

iHerb is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status. iHerb provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment.