Director, Inventory Strategy & Optimization - Food Distribution

Specialty food distribution organization with a long-standing track record of serving institutional foodservice markets nationwide. With expertise spanning school nutrition, healthcare, correctional, and other managed-feeding environments, the company provides a strong combination of procurement, distribution, and service support. Backed by continued growth and acquisition activity, this is a solid platform for professionals seeking opportunity within a well-positioned foodservice organization.

This position will lead enterprise-wide inventory strategy, with a focus on optimizing inventory levels, reducing waste, and improving service levels. We are seeking a leader with strong experience in supply chain and inventory management who can implement best practices, drive continuous improvement initiatives, and develop scalable processes across multiple locations. This role will work cross-functionally to align inventory planning with demand, procurement, and operational execution.

POSITION OVERVIEW:

Seeking a Director, Inventory Strategy & Optimization to lead enterprise inventory strategy, replenishment analytics, and decision support across inventory, sourcing, and buying. This role serves as the single point of accountability for inventory economics across the enterprise—translating service objectives and growth ambitions into clear inventory targets, policies, and trade-offs.

This leader is responsible for defining inventory policies, targets, and analytical insights that improve inventory health, GMROI, service levels, and working capital performance. The Director partners closely with S&OP, Procurement, Finance, and IT to ensure inventory and replenishment decisions are grounded in rigorous analysis and consistently applied across the business.

This role plays a critical part in driving adoption of inventory policies, improving inventory productivity, and strengthening enterprise-wide discipline around replenishment and inventory decision-making.

PRINCIPLE RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Set and lead the enterprise inventory strategy and replenishment analytics agenda.

• Build, develop, and lead a high-performing optimization team through coaching, capability development, and clear performance expectations.

• Define and maintain inventory policies, including segmentation, service levels, safety stock strategies, and DIOH targets.

• Deliver decision-ready insights on inventory health, GMROI, cost structures, and service trade-offs.

• Shape sourcing and assortment decisions through inventory and margin economics.

• Prioritize inventory optimization and analytics use cases based on enterprise value and business impact.

• Ensure consistency of analytical assumptions and alignment with Finance.

• Drive adoption and trust in inventory policies, tools, and replenishment targets across the organization.

• Own inventory and replenishment system policies and parameters (e.g., segmentation, service levels, DIOH targets, buying parameters) across the business.

• Drive adoption, automation, and continuous improvement of system-generated replenishment targets (e.g., SOQs).• Performs other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED SKILLS:

• Deep expertise in inventory economics, GMROI, service-level trade-offs, and working capital management.

• Strong analytical capability with the ability to translate complex analysis into executive-level insights and recommendations.

• Strategic mindset with strong operational and financial acumen.

• Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and influence decision-making across Commercial, Operations, Procurement, Finance, and IT.

• Strong leadership skills with experience building and developing high-performing analytics or optimization teams.

• Ability to drive adoption of analytical tools, policies, and system-generated recommendations.

• Experience prioritizing initiatives based on business value and measurable impact.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:

• 5+ years of experience in inventory management, replenishment, supply chain analytics, procurement analytics, or related disciplines.

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.

Base Salary - $155,000–$165,000 + 20% bonus, Company Benefits and relocation assistance.