Vice President Operations

Role overview

The Vice President of Operations will own the company’s end-to-end supply chain, covering contract manufacturing, sourcing and procurement, planning, customer fulfillment, and logistics. This senior leader will shape a flexible, scalable, and cost-efficient supply network that can keep pace with rapid growth while maintaining excellent customer service.

The position requires 3 days per week onsite in San Diego, CA. It is an independent opportunity and not a role with the sourcing platform.

Working closely with other functions, this executive will align priorities, optimize resources, and execute initiatives that improve service levels, strengthen margins, and increase operational resilience. As a key advisor to senior leadership, the role will provide visibility into performance, risks, and long-term operational direction. Because the supply chain is international, the job calls for strong cultural awareness and proven experience building cross-border relationships, especially in Mexico.

Core responsibilities

Lead the operations organization across procurement, contract manufacturing, planning, fulfillment, and logistics, while creating the structure and capability needed for scale.

Serve as a strategic partner to the COO and executive leadership, offering practical operational guidance, performance insight, and forward-looking planning.

Deliver regular reporting on results, risks, and execution plans, and foster a culture centered on accountability, continuous improvement, and high-performance delivery.

Strengthen the team through talent development, succession planning, and leadership coaching.

Own scalability initiatives that support accelerated growth and margin expansion, while partnering with Finance and Commercial leadership on annual and long-range operating plans.

Drive cross-functional programs across Operations, Finance, and Commercial teams to align execution with business goals and improve enterprise performance.

Customer fulfillment and logistics

Lead the full order-to-delivery process and build a control-tower style operating model that improves end-to-end visibility and execution discipline.

Oversee 3PL partner sourcing, contract oversight, and performance management.

Improve the transportation network strategy to lower landed cost without sacrificing service quality, and raise OTIF performance and customer experience.

Ensure strong financial control over logistics, including invoice accuracy and productivity improvements.

Supply planning and inventory

Guide supply planning so demand forecasts, production, and inventory targets are tightly aligned.

Bring discipline to planning execution and maintain healthy inventory across the network.

Improve working capital through better inventory turns and safety stock decisions.

Support and reinforce S&OP / IBP processes to improve decision quality and forecast alignment.

Contract manufacturing and network strategy

Own the strategy, selection, and governance of contract manufacturing partners.

Set up scorecards and review routines that keep quality, service, and cost performance on track.

Negotiate commercial terms and capacity commitments that support growth objectives.

Lead improvement efforts such as waste reduction, root cause analysis, corrective actions, and risk mitigation.

Build resilience into the supply network through redundancy planning and strong, culturally aware partnerships with international manufacturing partners, including clear communication and mutual accountability.

Procurement and sourcing

Direct procurement strategy to protect supply continuity, maintain competitive costs, and reduce risk.

Provide market intelligence and cost forecasting for key inputs such as avocados, eggs, aluminum, and glass to support pricing and margin decisions.

Develop sourcing initiatives that reduce price volatility, improve supplier performance, and strengthen contingency planning for critical materials and packaging.

Success measures

• Improvement in service performance and OTIF
• Greater supply continuity and network resilience
• Better cost productivity and margin expansion
• Stronger inventory optimization and working capital efficiency
• Improved quality and food safety results
• Operational scalability that supports growth
• Higher team engagement and leadership development

Leadership scope

Direct reports include two roles in Contract Manufacturing, the Procurement Manager, the Director of Network Supply, and the Senior Manager of Customer Fulfillment & Logistics. The broader team is approximately 25+ people.

Professional qualifications

• BS or MS in Supply Chain or Business Management
• 12–15+ years of progressive leadership experience in operations
• Background leading complex outsourced manufacturing networks
• Experience in food, beverage, CPG, or regulated manufacturing preferred
• Track record of scaling operations in a high-growth environment
• Experience improving cost and supply chain resilience
• Strong hands-on experience with ERP, planning tools, WMS, TMS, and procurement systems
• APICS, CSCP, or CPIM certification is a plus
• International supply chain experience and cross-cultural supplier management, with Mexico/LATAM experience strongly preferred

Leadership and functional strengths

• Strategic mindset with disciplined execution
• Data-driven judgment and strong analytical ability
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence senior stakeholders
• Strong negotiation and supplier management capabilities
• Excellent communication with executives, operations teams, and external partners
• Comfort operating in complex and changing environments
• Demonstrated success in building high-performing teams
• Strong cultural intelligence when working across international teams and supplier networks

Travel requirement

The role requires about 20–25% travel, including visits to contract manufacturers, suppliers, and 3PL partners across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

Additional information

This position is not based at the employer named in the posting source. It requires onsite presence in San Diego for three days each week. The role is intended for leaders who can operate effectively across international supply chains and collaborate with partners in Mexico and other cross-border markets.