Supply Chain Director

This position is based in Los Angeles, CA. No sponsorshi provided. Only candidates legally authorized to work in USA will be considered. Relocation required.

Position Summary

The Supply Chain Director leads the end-to-end supply chain: strategic sourcing, demand and supply planning, manufacturing coordination, warehousing, transportation, and customer service. The role ensures product availability, controls costs, and keeps food safety and regulatory standards intact. The Director also develops the team and drives continuous improvement across the network.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy and Leadership

• Develop and execute the supply chain strategy in line with business growth, margin, and service goals.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a cross-functional team of managers and specialists.
• Set KPIs and budgets, and report performance to executive leadership.

Procurement and Supplier Management

• Oversee sourcing of raw materials, ingredients, packaging, and services.
• Negotiate contracts and manage commodity price risk and volatility.
• Qualify and audit suppliers for quality, food safety, ethical, and sustainability compliance.
• Build supplier diversification and contingency plans to reduce disruption risk.

Planning and Inventory

• Lead the S&OP (Sales and Operations Planning) process with Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Production.
• Improve forecast accuracy and optimize inventory, with attention to shelf life and FIFO/FEFO controls.
• Reduce waste, obsolescence, and write-offs.

Manufacturing and Logistics

• Work with Production and Quality to align capacity, scheduling, and throughput.
• Manage warehousing, distribution, and transportation, including cold chain and temperature-controlled logistics.
• Optimize freight, carrier, and 3PL relationships and network design.
• Ensure on-time, in-full (OTIF) delivery to retailers, distributors, and food service customers.

Compliance and Quality

• Ensure compliance with food safety regulations and standards (e.g., FSMA, HACCP, GFSI/SQF/BRCGS, and local authority requirements).
• Maintain traceability, recall readiness, and audit preparedness.
• Promote sustainable sourcing, packaging, and emissions reduction.

Continuous Improvement and Technology

• Implement Lean, Six Sigma, or similar methods to cut costs and improve efficiency.
• Lead adoption of ERP, WMS, TMS, and planning and analytics tools.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, Industrial Engineering, Business, or a related field.
• 10+ years of supply chain experience, including 5+ years in leadership, preferably in food and beverage or FMCG.
• Proven experience with perishable goods, cold chain, and food safety regulations.
• Strong skills in negotiation, budgeting, and data-driven decision making.
• Experience with ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics) and S&OP processes.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills.

Preferred

• Master's degree or MBA.
• Certifications such as CSCP, CPIM, CLTD, Lean Six Sigma, or PMP.
• Experience with international trade, import/export, and customs.
• Bilingual ability (e.g., English/Spanish) if relevant to the market.