Director Warehouse & Network Optimization

At Rite-Hite, your work makes an impact. As the global leader in loading dock and door equipment, we design and deliver solutions that keep our customers safe, secure, and productive. Here, you’ll find innovation, stability, and the chance to grow your career as part of a team that’s always looking ahead.

All employees are expected to consistently demonstrate Rite-Hite’s Values in Action. These values shape the way we work together and how we serve our customers.   This includes modeling company values in daily interactions, decision-making, and how work is accomplished.  Employees are expected to contribute to a culture of accountability, collaboration, and respect.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Safety Responsibilities:

·         Support and promote a culture of safety.

·         Follow all Company and OSHA safety policies and procedures.

·         Proper use of required personal protective equipment (PPE)

·         Report hazards, near misses and incidents promptly

Job Responsibilities:

People leadership

- Lead, coach, develop, and hold accountable regional warehouse coordinators and warehouse operations analyst resources across the network.
- Establish clear role expectations, performance objectives, standard work, and accountability standards for warehouse operations positions.
- Build a consistent operating cadence for team meetings, one-on-ones, performance reviews, workload discussions, and network performance reviews.
- Foster a culture of safety, accountability, collaboration, urgency, continuous improvement, and customer focus.
- Identify training needs, support cross-training, build bench strength, and create a professional development path for the warehouse organization.
- Address performance issues, process gaps, and execution inconsistencies in a timely and constructive manner.

Warehouse & network strategy

- Own and execute the multi-year warehouse and distribution master plan in partnership with Distribution Operations Excellence and Supply Chain leadership.
- Assess the existing network and identify opportunities to add, consolidate, relocate, expand, or redesign warehouse locations based on customer demand, service coverage, growth, cost, and operational performance.
- Lead or co-lead greenfield and brownfield warehouse rollouts, including site assessment, real estate input, lease negotiations, operational requirements, layout design, capacity planning, launch readiness, and facility commissioning.
- Partner with Supply Chain, Finance, Real Estate, Legal, and other stakeholders on site selection, capital requirements, and business-case development.
- Conduct continuous network modeling and trade-off analysis across freight, inventory, facility, labor, and operating costs to improve total network performance and customer response.
- Define service boundaries, warehouse capabilities, material-flow standards, and future-state operating models that support scalable growth.
- Spearhead deployment of advanced warehouse technologies, including modern WMS and TMS.

Warehouse operations & technician truck stocking

- Oversee warehouse operations supporting service and field execution across the footprint.
- Ensure warehouse coordinators consistently manage receiving, staging, storage, inventory movement, transfers, replenishment, material organization, and local warehouse support.
- Own the operating model for technician truck stocking and replenishment so field technicians have consistent, accurate, and service-ready inventory.
- Establish truck-stock standards, min/max levels, replenishment routines, stock accuracy expectations, and exception-management processes using actual service demand and consumption data.
- Partner with Service leadership and field teams to resolve truck-stock shortages, excess inventory, transfer needs, and urgent material requirements.
- Continuously optimize warehouse and truck inventory placement to improve material availability, customer responsiveness, and first-time fix performance.

Safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity & inventory

- Drive a warehouse operating model with clear accountability for safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, and inventory.
- Promote and enforce safe warehouse practices for material handling, storage, movement, equipment use, and facility organization.
- Establish network-wide operating metrics and standards, including inventory accuracy, order and receiving accuracy, dock-to-stock cycle time, material availability, productivity, inventory velocity, space utilization, and service responsiveness.
- Own inventory accuracy, cycle counting, stock adjustments, truck-stock accuracy, transfer controls, and inventory-governance practices across the network.
- Use operational and financial data to identify root causes, improve performance, and reduce waste, excess handling, emergency purchasing, and avoidable service delays.

Technology, data & automation

- Define warehouse technology requirements and partner with business and technology teams to improve WMS, TMS, ERP, CRM, reporting, and inventory capabilities.
- Use Salesforce, JDE EnterpriseOne, Tableau, and other enterprise systems to improve inventory visibility, warehouse performance reporting, demand analysis, and decision making.
- Establish reliable network-level data and dashboards that provide visibility to warehouse capacity, inventory health, truck stocking, service readiness, and operating performance.

Financial, vendor & partner management

- Develop and manage warehouse operating budgets, capital needs, and cost-improvement opportunities across the network.
- Balance service requirements with inventory, labor, facility, transportation, and operating costs when making network and stocking decisions.
- Partner closely with Supply Chain and Logistics leadership on 3PL and 4PL relationships, freight-carrier performance, and external warehousing or transportation solutions as required.
- Collaborate with Manufacturing, Sales, Procurement, Service, and Supply Chain to align warehouse capacity and inventory availability with customer demand and business growth.

Customer first / service support

- Operate the warehouse function with a customer-first mindset focused on responsiveness, material availability, and first-time fix performance.
- Work closely with Service managers and District teams to understand demand, customer priorities, and timing requirements.
- Use warehouse operations, network design, and truck-stock discipline to reduce delays, improve part availability, and remove friction from the service process.
- Ensure warehouse strategy and operating priorities remain connected to measurable customer and field-service outcomes.

Process improvement & standardization

- Evaluate warehouse processes and identify opportunities to standardize, simplify, automate, and improve.
- Develop and maintain standard work, SOPs, checklists, operating routines, and audit expectations for warehouse coordinators.
- Use operational metrics and continuous-improvement methods to identify root causes and improve safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, and inventory performance.
- Build a scalable warehouse operating model that can support continued business growth and changing customer requirements.

Cross-functional collaboration

- Work closely with Distribution Operations Excellence, Supply Chain, Service leadership, District leadership, Finance, Accounting, Manufacturing, Sales, Procurement, Logistics, and other operational partners.
- Serve as the primary escalation point for warehouse-network issues, inventory concerns, truck-stock issues, facility constraints, material-related service risks, and warehouse performance gaps.
- Communicate clearly and proactively with leadership regarding network priorities, operating performance, risks, investment requirements, and improvement initiatives.
- Build strong partnerships with local and functional leaders while maintaining consistent warehouse standards and accountability.

Minimum Job Requirements

Education & Experience

- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Industrial Engineering, Operations, Business, or a related field required.
- 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in warehouse operations, distribution, logistics, inventory operations, supply chain, or a related function, preferably within an industrial, manufacturing, heavy equipment, or field-service environment.
- Demonstrated experience leading multi-site or geographically distributed warehouse operations across a large operating footprint.
- Direct experience successfully launching, building, or materially scaling at least three warehouse or distribution facilities from the ground up.
- Strong understanding of warehouse operations, network design, inventory control, material flow, capacity planning, cycle counting, technician truck replenishment, and operational standards.
- Experience with enterprise WMS, TMS, ERP, CRM, and analytics platforms; experience with Salesforce, JDE EnterpriseOne, and Tableau is strongly preferred.
- Experience with network design/modeling tools such as Optilogic, Coupa/LLamasoft, or comparable platforms preferred.
- Strong analytical and financial skills with the ability to build business cases, manage budgets, and use metrics to drive performance.
- Demonstrated ability to lead teams through significant change and create structure, standards, and accountability in evolving environments.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

- Strategic thinking with the ability to translate network strategy into practical operating execution.
- Strong attention to detail and a disciplined, process-oriented approach to warehouse operations.
- The ability to manage multiple priorities, facilities, and initiatives across a geographically distributed network.
- Strong communication, executive presence, and customer-service orientation.
- The ability to build trust, influence cross-functional partners, and drive accountability across a distributed organization.
- A strong balance of customer responsiveness, operational performance, and cost discipline.

Preferred Job Requirements

Education & Experience

- Master's degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Industrial Engineering, Operations, Business, or a related field required.

Certifications/License

- ASCM/APICS certification (CSCP or CPIM), Lean Six Sigma certification, or similar professional credentials preferred.

Role Specific Compliance Requirements

- Ability to meet customer site access and safety requirements
- Ability to travel throughout North America up to approximately 35%, with increased travel possible during facility launches, site assessments, or major operational initiatives.
- Valid Driver’s License
- Ability to pass background check
- Eligibility to work in the United States

Work Location, Schedule and Environment

- Work Location: Milwaukee, WI
- Work Environment: Office

While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to talk, hear, and use hands to manipulate objects or controls. The employee is regularly required to stand and walk. On occasion, the employee may be required to stoop, bend, or reach above the shoulders. The employee must occasionally lift up to 25 pounds. Specific conditions of this job are typical of frequent and continuous computer-based work requiring periods of sitting, close vision, and the ability to adjust focus. Occasional travel may be required.

Disclaimer: All responsibilities and requirements are subject to possible modifications to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.

This Job description in no way states or implies that these are the only responsibilities to be performed by an employee occupying this job. This job description is subject to change, and the employer retains the right to change or modify the duties of this job at any time.

What We Offer

At Rite-Hite, we take care of our people – because when you’re supported, you can do your best work. Our benefits are designed to support your health, your future and your life outside of work:

- Health & Well-being: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus life and disability insurance. A robust well-being program with an opportunity to receive an extra day off and more.
- Financial Security: A strong retirement savings program with 401(k), company match, and profit sharing.
- Time for You: Paid holidays, vacation time, and personal/sick days each year.

Join us and build a career where you’re supported – at work and beyond.

Rite-Hite is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under federal, state, or local law. In accordance with VEVRAA, we are committed to providing equal employment opportunities for protected veterans. We are also committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace for the safety of our employees and customers.