Director of Distribution

ECHO Incorporated is an industry leader in developing and manufacturing high-performance, professional-grade, handheld outdoor power equipment. With distributors and thousands of dealers across North and South America, ECHO is constantly anticipating the future of the outdoor power equipment industry and the need for environmental sustainability. Working for ECHO means joining a team of people who are committed to collaboration, innovation, creativity, and high-quality products that make us a globally competitive brand. ECHO Incorporated is searching for an experienced Director of Distribution to champion best in class processes to support the organization's strategic initiatives and growth. This role is responsible for supporting multiple locations in distribution and transportation for ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment products. This challenging role will focus on reducing costs and increasing efficiencies throughout the distribution process while maintaining exceptional levels of quality, safety, and customer satisfaction. We are looking for a strong leader who can implement improvements and position these functions to deliver on our strategic vision. The salary range for this position is $160,000-$180,000 based on experience and qualifications. This position is on-site daily at our Lake Zurich facility. ECHO’s benefits include: 11 paid holidays Extremely affordable medical, dental, and vision insurance Paid time off Yearly bonus potential 5% 401K match Tuition reimbursement Duties/Responsibilities: Strategic Leadership: Develop and execute a multi-year operational roadmap for distribution, logistics, assembly, and manufacturing engineering that supports company growth, operational excellence, and customer service objectives. Lead capital planning and execution for warehouse expansion, material handling equipment, automation, facility upgrades, and operational technology investments. Partner with Supply Chain, Procurement, Product Management, Engineering, Sales, and Finance to align operational capabilities with business demands and future growth initiatives. Build organizational capability through succession planning, leadership development, workforce planning, and talent management across all functional areas of responsibility. Establish a culture of accountability, safety, continuous improvement, and employee engagement through Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, Six Sigma, and operational excellence principles. Leadership Responsibilities: Leads and directs the work activities and has full management accountability for the performance and development of staff within Distribution which includes Shipping, Receiving, and Picking in accordance with ECHO’s strategy. Provides leadership for Inventory Control functions, including cycle counting, inventory accuracy, root cause analysis of discrepancies, material flow, slotting strategies, and continuous improvement initiatives to maintain inventory integrity. Manage two remote warehouses in addition to the main warehouse in Lake Zurich, IL and one in Mundelein, IL. some travel is required; establishes and maintains facility and production layouts that optimize material flow, labor efficiency, safety, inventory storage, and future growth requirements. Drives implementation and optimization of warehouse management systems (WMS), inventory control processes, automation solutions, and operational technologies to support business growth and efficiency. Identify, recommend, and implement changes to improve safety, quality, and productivity and to reduce cost and waste. Plans, organizes, and manages the work of staff to ensure that the work is accomplished in a manner consistent with organizational requirements. Develops goals and metrics to measure daily performance including but not limited to fill rates, overages and shortages, picks per hour, shipping accuracy, on-time delivery/pickup, rejections, and compliance. Develops and monitors operational KPIs across assembly, distribution, transportat…

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