Site Director of Distribution Operations - High Growth Company

Confidential Search | Growing Specialty Product Distribution Company

Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Hands-On, On-Site Distribution Leadership Role

The Avery Point Group has been retained to conduct a confidential search for a Director of Operations for a growing specialty product distribution company. The operation serves a high-mix product environment involving individual-unit and full-case picking, custom kitting, fulfillment, and dedicated fleet distribution. The company seeks an independent, decisive, detail-oriented operations leader who can own daily execution, strengthen operating discipline, and develop the team while supporting continued growth.

This role will lead an approximately 50,000-square-foot distribution site, with responsibility across warehousing, inventory management, kitting, fulfillment, shipping, and logistics. This is a smaller operation where the Director must stay closely involved, spend meaningful time on the floor, and address staffing, workflow, inventory, and customer delivery requirements directly with supervisors and employees. The position requires a leader who moves with urgency while maintaining accuracy, clear standards, and consistent follow-through.

The company is growing through acquisitions, and the role is expected to expand in responsibility as the business scales. The ideal candidate will bring the practical operating experience needed to lead the current site effectively, along with the judgment, adaptability, and people-development skills to assume broader responsibilities as the organization grows.

Position Summary:

The Director of Operations will provide both planning and day-to-day leadership for distribution operations. Working closely with the VP of Operations and cross-functional partners, this leader will translate operational priorities and customer requirements into clear work plans, performance standards, staffing decisions, and improvement initiatives.

The position requires close coordination across inventory availability, each- and case-pick fulfillment, kitting, packing, staging, shipping, and dedicated fleet distribution. The successful candidate will bring a floor-oriented leadership style, sound operational judgment, and the ability to strengthen accountability without adding unnecessary complexity to a smaller business. This leader will also provide operational insight to support client planning, capacity management, resource allocation, and the successful execution of customer programs.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead daily operations across warehousing, inventory management, each- and case-pick fulfillment, kitting, shipping, and logistics.
• Maintain a visible presence on the floor, working directly with supervisors and team members to establish priorities, resolve operating issues, and meet customer commitments.
• Improve operational efficiency, order accuracy, labor productivity, inventory flow, and fulfillment performance while maintaining clear safety and quality standards.
• Plan staffing, capacity, workflow, and resources to accommodate changing demand, varying order requirements, and client-specific programs.
• Strengthen inventory controls and the coordination of replenishment, picking, packing, and staging to support accurate and timely order completion.
• Coordinate dedicated fleet distribution with warehouse execution, aligning order readiness, staging, loading, and delivery schedules.
• Monitor and improve key operating metrics, including inventory accuracy, fulfillment accuracy, on-time shipment and delivery, labor utilization, productivity, and transportation expenses.
• Lead practical continuous improvement efforts to address recurring problems, improve workflows, and strengthen operating systems and controls.
• Coach, train, and develop supervisors and team members, building their ability to plan work, manage performance, and solve problems.
• Partner with sales and client-facing teams to assess operational feasibility, identify resource requirements, and implement customer programs.
• Support foreign-trade zone (FTZ), bonded warehouse, and bonded transportation requirements in coordination with the appropriate internal and external partners.
• Identify capacity constraints, operating risks, and infrastructure needs, and recommend improvements that support current performance and future growth.
• Develop repeatable operating practices and team capabilities that can support the company as it scales through acquisitions.

Ideal Candidate Profile:

The ideal candidate is a hands-on distribution operations leader who takes initiative, accepts responsibility for results, and is comfortable making difficult decisions. This person should be able to assess an operating problem, determine an appropriate course of action, and move the team forward while recognizing when an issue requires consultation or escalation. The company needs someone who can work independently within agreed priorities and provide senior leadership with clear recommendations.

A strong candidate will combine a fast, responsive operating pace with close attention to detail. They will examine inventory discrepancies, fulfillment errors, labor performance, and process breakdowns carefully enough to understand the causes, then put practical corrective actions in place. They must be comfortable navigating change while maintaining the standards and controls needed for reliable execution.

This leader should bring a direct, task-focused communication style and the interpersonal judgment to work effectively with different personalities and levels of the organization. They must be willing to hold people accountable, have difficult conversations, and respectfully challenge senior leadership using facts and sound analysis. Equally important is the ability to listen, consider information that changes the picture, and adjust their approach when appropriate.

The successful candidate will build on the experience of the existing team. They will establish clear leadership authority while recognizing employees’ contributions, preserving institutional knowledge, and developing others’ capabilities. Experience clarifying responsibilities or introducing stronger operating expectations without creating unnecessary friction will be particularly valuable as the business grows.

Required Experience;

• Progressive leadership experience in warehouse, fulfillment, logistics, or distribution operations.
• Direct accountability for operating teams, daily execution, and measurable operational performance.
• Experience with inventory control, shipping, capacity planning, and operational systems.
• Demonstrated ability to develop supervisors and team members through coaching, training, and clear performance expectations.
• A record of improving workflows, resolving recurring operating problems, and strengthening process controls.
• Strong understanding of inventory accuracy, order fulfillment, labor utilization, and the coordination required between warehouse and delivery activities.
• Ability to translate customer requirements and changing demand into practical staffing and resource plans.
• Strong communication, judgment, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work effectively with sales, client-facing teams, and other cross-functional partners.
• A hands-on leadership style suited to an approximately 50,000-square-foot distribution operation, with the adaptability to take on additional responsibility as the company grows.

Preferred Experience:

Experience in high-mix specialty product distribution involving each- and case-pick fulfillment and dedicated fleet delivery is particularly relevant. A background in promotional products, custom kitting, packaging, or client-specific fulfillment is preferred. Familiarity with FTZ, bonded operations, or import/export processes is also preferred.

Compensation and Benefits:

Excellent Base and Bonus compensation