Position Summary

The Distribution Center Operational Excellence Manager leads the operational transformation and continuous improvement strategy for the West Memphis Distribution Center. This role is responsible for building the processes, capabilities, and operating discipline required to improve the overall operational performance of the site while supporting significant planned product-flow growth.

The position partners closely with distribution center leadership and cross-functional stakeholders to improve capacity, throughput, quality, delivery, safety, and cost. The manager establishes a sustainable Lean management system, develops problem-solving capability throughout the organization, and ensures that improvement initiatives deliver measurable operational and financial results.

The role has direct leadership and budget responsibility for approximately two to three exempt employees and provides functional leadership and coaching across the broader distribution center organization.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Transformation and Growth Readiness

• Develop and execute a multi-year continuous improvement roadmap aligned with the distribution center’s growth strategy and 2030 product-flow requirements.

• Translate business-growth forecasts into future requirements for labor, process capacity, warehouse space, material flow, equipment, automation, and systems.

• Identify receiving and shipping constraints and lead initiatives that improve throughput, order-cycle time, on-time shipment performance, and labor productivity.

• Partner with operations, logistics, transportation, planning, IT, quality, and safety teams to design scalable and sustainable distribution processes.

• Evaluate process and technology improvements through operational analysis, business cases, implementation plans, and post-implementation benefit validation.

Lean Management System

• Lead the application and sustained use of Lean, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement principles across end-to-end distribution center operations.

• Establish governance for the site’s continuous improvement portfolio, including project prioritization, ownership, milestones, resource requirements, risks, and expected benefits.

• Implement and sustain standard work, visual management, daily performance management, leader standard work, 6S, PDCA, 5 Whys, root-cause analysis, and structured problem-solving processes.

• Establish daily performance meetings and visible KPI boards throughout the distribution center so teams understand prior-day results, current performance, operational gaps, required actions, and who is responsible for resolution.

• Develop consistent methods for identifying waste, process variation, bottlenecks, quality deviations, and opportunities for productivity improvement.

• Conduct process observations, value-stream analyses, capacity studies, and improvement workshops to identify and eliminate operational constraints.

• Ensure improvements are incorporated into documented processes, training materials, with clear process ownership and control plans to sustain results.

• Keep policies, procedures, standard work, and training materials current; regularly verify process adherence; and ensure deviations are corrected or escalated.

• Define process ownership, decision rights, handoffs, and accountability across functions to ensure consistent execution of end-to-end processes.

Performance and Financial Impact

• Establish baseline performance, targets, and benefit-tracking methods for continuous improvement initiatives.

• Monitor operational measures such as receiving and shipping throughput, labor productivity, cycle time, inventory accuracy, order quality, on-time shipment performance, space utilization, safety, and cost per unit.

• Quantify the operational and financial impact of proposed investments and improvement initiatives.

• Prepare business cases and executive-level presentations supporting capital, technology, equipment, and process-improvement decisions.

• Track realized benefits and implement corrective actions when projects do not achieve expected results.

• Provide clear performance updates to site, regional, and functional leadership.

Leadership and Capability Development

• Lead, develop, and evaluate the continuous improvement team, including goal setting, performance management, succession planning, and skill development.

• Coach distribution center leaders and associates in Lean thinking, structured problem solving, standard work, and data-based decision-making.

• Maintain a strong, hands-on presence on the operational floor through regular process observation, real-time coaching, and direct engagement with frontline leaders and associates.

• Build internal capability so that operational teams can independently identify, solve, and sustain improvements.

• Facilitate cross-functional improvement workshops and create accountability for timely completion of actions.

• Promote collaboration and standardization across receiving, storage, picking, packing, and shipping operations.

• Serve as a change leader by building understanding, ownership, and adoption of new processes and ways of working.

Compliance and Operational Discipline

• Ensure improvement activities comply with applicable standards, site requirements, safety expectations, quality systems, and operational procedures.

• Partner with safety and operations teams to incorporate ergonomic and risk-reduction considerations into process and equipment design.

• Keep policies, procedures, and training materials current; verify they are followed; and address or escalate process deviations.

• Own operational process readiness for internal and external audits; coordinate site preparation, ensure required evidence and documentation are available, lead responses to findings, and verify timely closure of corrective actions.

• Establish change-control requirements to ensure process, system, equipment, and material-flow changes are risk-assessed, documented, approved, communicated, trained, and stabilized before closure.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, supply chain, logistics, operations management, business, or a related field.

• A defined combination of relevant distribution, operations, or continuous improvement experience may be considered in place of the degree requirement, consistent with company policy.

• Significant experience leading Lean, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement initiatives in a high-volume distribution, warehouse, fulfillment, manufacturing, or logistics environment.

• Demonstrated experience delivering measurable improvements in throughput, productivity, quality, lead time, safety, or operating cost.

• Experience leading complex, cross-functional projects from problem definition through implementation and benefit validation.

• Working knowledge of warehouse-management systems such as SAP EWM, JDA/Blue Yonder, or comparable platforms.

• Experience using operational dashboards, data-visualization, process-mining, or analytical tools such as Power BI to identify trends, monitor adherence, and support data-based decisions.

• Strong analytical skills, including the ability to interpret operational data, develop business cases, establish baselines, and measure results.

• Demonstrated ability to influence operational leaders and frontline teams without relying solely on direct reporting authority.

• Strong written, verbal, facilitation, and executive-presentation skills.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and related analytical or reporting tools.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in supply chain, logistics, operations management, or business.

• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, or comparable continuous improvement certification.

• Experience with distribution center automation, warehouse-engineering studies, labor-management systems, or network capacity planning.

• Experience leading operational change in a distribution center undergoing significant volume growth or process transformation.

• Knowledge of ISO-based management systems, quality management, and structured problem-solving methods

Success Measures

Success in the role should be evaluated through a balanced set of measures, including:

• Increased receiving and shipping capacity

• Improved order-cycle time

• Improved on-time and complete shipment performance

• Increased units or lines processed per labor hour

• Reduced cost per unit handled

• Improved inventory and order accuracy

• Reduced product damage, rework, and process deviations

• Improved space, dock, and equipment utilization

• Verified financial benefits from completed initiatives

• Increased adoption and sustainability of standard work, supported by routine process checks and timely corrective action

• Development of Lean and problem-solving capability among operational leaders

• Audit readiness and successful completion of internal and external audits

• Timely and sustainable closure of audit findings and corrective actions

• Increased process-adherence and layered-audit compliance

• Reduction in repeat process deviations and audit findings

• Safe implementation of process, equipment, and material-flow changes

• Consistent use of daily performance meetings and visible KPI boards, with clear ownership and closure of identified actions