Hybrid: Brampton, Ontario

Job Description:

Reporting to the General Manager, the incumbent will be responsible to support the management of the day-to-day operations of the Distribution Centre (DC) in a fast-paced and expanding market while ensuring the safe, cost-effective, and efficient operation of the facility. This management includes responsibility for Outbound, Inbound, Inventory Control, Ecommerce Fulfillment, robotics automation administration, and Health and Safety. The incumbent will also provide guidance to support functions such as Maintenance, Customer Care, Loss Prevention and IT. DC Leadership, including but not limited to DC Operations Managers, will report into this role.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Safety – Operate in a way that builds trust with our customers, pets, and ACEs.

• Foster a culture that revolves around Safety in and around the DC
• Promote the highest level of safety knowledge, training, and accountability within the leadership team to maintain a minimal risk and exposure environment
• Partner closely with the Health and Safety Manager to ensure DC is compliant and inspection ready with Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Environment, OHSA, OHS, fire department and other regulatory agency requirements
• Validate with DC Operations Managers, Loss Prevention Supervision and Health & Safety Manager, to ensure accurate and timely reporting, investigation, and tracking of incidents and near misses
• Validate with DC Operations Managers and HR Representative to ensure a safe and early return to work for associates requiring return-to-work plans
• Validate safety and training records are current and compliant throughout the DC
• Validate implementation of best practices in Safety throughout the DC
• Maintain a safe and clean DC within internal, OSHA and 5S standards.

• Ensure the DC is always safe and secure via the appropriate protocols and risk control measures maintained by regular reviews of trends on safety infractions, incidents, repairs, and maintenance to drive sustainable solutions, trend reductions and hazard elimination.

• Actively Participate in DC Joint Health & Safety Committee meetings

• Actively monitor DC repairs and maintenance to ensure highest standards and protection of Pet Valu assets

Compassion – Communicate and act from the heart with genuine care and courtesy.

• Responsible for creating an effective and productive DC culture which recognizes individual and team performance through mechanisms such as KPI recognition, milestone recognition, and social events
• Translate the corporate vision and mission into a regional strategy and plan, including the development of goals and objectives for DC operation teams and individuals to align them with the corporate direction
• Provide overall direction, support, coaching and leadership to their management teams to achieve prescribed objectives and align department and individual efforts to the vision, mission, strategy, and culture
• Develop and maintain an open, engaging employee relations environment which remains positive, solution-orientated, and issue free
• Drive performance for on-time delivery, DC inventory management, productivity, quality, and workforce planning requirements
• Partner with the VP, DC Operations, and Human Resource Department regarding performance reviews, interviewing, hiring, terminations, and corrective counseling within DC
• Develop and maintain strong and effective professional relationships with all other DCs in the network, as well as cross-functional partners, to ensure supply chain transparency, efficiency, and national alignment
• Work collaboratively with transportation and supply chain to improve and optimize service
• Conduct regular team meetings and townhalls to keep associates abreast of shifts in corporate and DC priorities and to keep communication open, transparent, and continual
• Support corporate direction while creating innovative ways to improve customer experience for our retail stores

Expertise – Provide knowledge in an understanding and informative way.

• Process Owner for distribution operations and retail customer delivery
• Develop, recommend, and implement annual operating budget for the DC. Work with DC leadership team to implement a system of controls to ensure that service levels and operational performance goals are within the budgeted parameters
• Provide strong and results-oriented support for their leadership team and DC associates to meet established protocols and compliance relating to service levels to our customers.

• Prepare fiscal capital expenditure requests and manage approval process for approved expenditures
• Maintain control of all expenses relating to the operation of the warehouse and distribution functions, inclusive of variance reporting and explanations
• Ensure approved capital expenditures are assigned to the appropriate resources, stay within budget and as per established protocols
• Develop policies and procedures for customer service and distribution processes to ensure performance optimization and compliance to internal and external standards
• Have knowledge of transportation requirements for Fleet, Linehaul, 3rd Party and Courier to ensure DC supports associated deadlines to achieve highest service levels
• Establish, monitor, distribute, improve, and present Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, and Annual KPI’s, metrics to DC associates and leadership. Establish benchmark goals and departmental measurements
• Act as an ambassador for the DC, its associates, and the company in all areas of the business internally and publicly
• Apply a forward-looking approach to identify risks and opportunities and initiate the appropriate changes in advance to mitigate impacts or realize improvements

Efficiency – Use time and resources responsibly.

• Ensure SMART Goals are in place for all leadership team members as part of annual performance reviews and individual performance plans
• Support ROI project closure reviews to validate effectiveness and if budgeted goals are realized. Initiate reports of gaps or further opportunities accordingly
• Consistent continuous improvement approach to challenge the status quo and explore opportunities in all aspects of the DC, to find efficiencies in methods, procedures, or systems, and make recommendations to the VP, DC Operations to improve productivity and quality.
• Collaborate with Industrial Engineering team to establish, develop, and improve DC KPI’s
• Manage and improve DC KPI metrics as well as manage interactions with customers (franchisees and corporate store managers), vendors and suppliers, other Pet Valu departments, and 3rd Party Logistics Suppliers.
• Partner with the Maintenance and Loss Prevention teams to ensure implementation and maintenance of company standards for the building envelope, including sanitation, maintenance, security, and facilities, in a manner that results in a safe and efficient operation
• Audit all DC expenditures for validity and compliance in accordance with internal policies

Skills, Experience, Education, Certifications (List minimum required to enter the role.)

• Bachelor’s degree in logistics, supply chain, transportation, or a business-related field, or equivalent experience.
• Minimum of 7+ years of experience in managing distribution operations, implementing distribution strategies within a wholesale, retail and direct to the customer distribution process.
• Experience managing a facility more than 500,000 sq feet and 200 + employees

• Experience with 5S, LEAN/Six Sigma and Continuous Improvement strategies and processes.
• Experience with automation within the warehouse environment is an asset.
• Experience with different WMS systems and RF applications required (Manhattan preferred), including the implementation of this technology
• A proven history of success as an innovative and motivated leader who has driven operational efficiencies, and cost control within a warehousing environment with complex customer needs
• Strong business acumen and use of analytics and KPIs to support decision making. Has the ability to evaluate operational and budgetary impact of decisions
• Must have excellent communication skills, verbal and written and be comfortable being an ambassador for the DC and company, including experience as a change agent during business transformation