Head of Supply Chain

Role overview

John Soules Foods is seeking a senior supply chain leader based in Tyler, Texas to own the company’s full end-to-end supply chain strategy. The role reports to the President, oversees 3 direct reports, and involves travel as needed.

As a family-owned food company founded in 1975, John Soules Foods has grown into a major U.S. producer of ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook chicken and beef products. The business serves national retail, food service, and restaurant customers, operates three manufacturing sites, and continues to scale with annual sales of about $1 billion and a workforce of more than 2,000 people.

What this role will do

This leader will be responsible for improving service performance, operating efficiency, cost control, working capital, supply continuity, and team capability while supporting growth across the business. The position partners closely with Operations, Sales, Finance, Marketing, and executive leadership to keep supply chain execution aligned with company priorities.

Key responsibilities

• Create and drive supply chain strategies that support profitable expansion, stronger customer service, operational excellence, and long-term goals.
• Own the Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process so demand, production capacity, inventory, procurement, and financial targets remain aligned.
• Contribute to the commercialization and stage-gate process to help new initiatives move through efficiently.
• Provide direction across procurement, planning, inventory, warehousing, logistics, transportation, distribution, customer fulfillment, and supplier performance.
• Track and improve performance metrics such as service levels, fill rate/OTIF, inventory turns, freight results, supplier performance, savings, and working capital.
• Champion the use of modern technology tools and practical applications that improve function-wide processes and operating models.
• Work with Operations, Sales, Marketing, and Finance to balance customer demand, plant capacity, inventory levels, cost, and profitability.
• Design procurement and supplier approaches that strengthen supply continuity, vendor relationships, performance, total cost of ownership, and innovation.
• Identify supply chain risks early and reduce exposure through contingency plans, business continuity planning, supplier diversification, and rapid issue resolution.
• Lead continuous improvement, operational excellence, digital transformation, automation, and analytics efforts to increase productivity, visibility, and decision quality.
• Manage budgets, resources, projects, and controls for the department.
• Oversee risks tied to protein commodity ownership.
• Build, coach, and develop strong teams while promoting accountability, collaboration, inclusion, innovation, and ongoing improvement.

Required background

• A bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, business, operations management, engineering, or a related discipline is required; an MBA or related master’s degree is preferred.
• Professional credentials such as ASCM/APICS CPIM or CSCP are preferred.
• At least 15 years of progressively responsible supply chain leadership experience across planning, procurement, inventory management, logistics, distribution, and customer fulfillment.
• Executive-level experience managing complex, multi-site supply chain operations in food manufacturing, consumer goods, protein manufacturing, or a similar environment.
• A proven history of improving service levels, OTIF/fill rate, inventory outcomes, supplier performance, working capital, cost efficiency, and operational execution.
• Success leading S&OP, organizational change, business transformation, continuous improvement, and enterprise supply chain programs.
• Experience in building high-performing teams, developing future leaders, and working with executive leadership to deliver business priorities.

Skills and attributes

• Strong strategic leadership with commercial, financial, and operational judgment.
• Executive presence and the ability to influence, align, and communicate effectively at all levels.
• Deep knowledge of S&OP, strategic sourcing, supplier management, logistics, inventory optimization, and end-to-end supply chain execution.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving ability with a data-led approach.
• Proven capability in transformation, continuous improvement, digital adoption, technology enablement, operational excellence, and change management.
• Experience in risk management, business continuity, negotiation, and complex supplier/customer relationships.
• Enterprise thinking with strong collaboration, accountability, talent development, and succession planning.

Relationships

Internally, this role communicates frequently across every part of the business. Externally, it interacts often with vendors and customers.

Benefits

• Vacation and sick time
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Telemedicine support
• Onsite clinic access in Tyler and Valley
• 401(k) with company match
• Bonus incentive plans
• Company-paid short-term and long-term disability coverage
• Life insurance plus other voluntary benefits

Equal opportunity and application notes

Soules Foods is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other protected status.

Applicants who need disability-related accommodation during the application process may contact Human Resources at the relevant location.

The company will not penalize applicants for discussing compensation. It also participates in E-Verify where required by law.

Unsolicited assistance from external recruitment vendors is not accepted for U.S. roles. Resumes or candidate profiles sent without a valid written request and search agreement from HR become the property of Soules Foods, and no fees will be paid for hires resulting from unsolicited referrals.