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, transportation, inventory accuracy, labor efficiency, safety, quality, and overall supply chain performance. Uses data-driven decision making to identify trends and implement corrective actions.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Prepares departmental annual expense and capital budgets along with department managers. 
• Documents and maintains standard operating procedures for daily, weekly, and monthly processes within the Warehouse. 
• Support all safety programs and OSHA compliance to ensure a safe work environment for all. 
• Maintain strong working relationships with all customers including our Distribution Network. 
• Develop and execute transportation strategies that balance service, cost, inventory positioning, and customer expectations while supporting organizational growth objectives. 
• Manage carrier relationships at a local, regional, and national level and identify opportunities for improvement through ongoing carrier communication. 
• Review all freight pricing, routing guides, transportation contracts, and carrier performance annually to ensure competitive pricing, service excellence, compliance, and cost reduction opportunities. 

Job Experience/Skills: 

• Minimum 10 years’ of logistics and management experience.
• Demonstrated history of achieving optimum efficiencies as measured through KPI’s and business growth through effective planning, cost control and/or full P&L leadership. 
• Five years in a manufacturing, production, or distribution environment. 
• A commitment to adapting and developing for superior customer service. 
• Proven ability to effectively lead and motivate people including demonstrated coaching and mentoring skills. 
• Ability to understand and document workflow and process flow. 
• Intermediate user of Excel including creating formulas, graphs, and reports. 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills. 
• Strong organizational and time management skills with the ability to prioritize workload and meet critical deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and professionally, both verbally and in writing, with employees, leaders, and executives at all levels.

Education: Undergraduate degree in business or related field.  Work experience may substitute for degree. 

Equal Opportunity Employment:

We are an equal opportunity employer. We welcome all applicants.

E-Verification:

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.