Director of operations

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Emerald Resource Group

Location: Greater Columbus, Ohio area, on-site 5 days per week

Level: Senior Leadership / Reports to the Integrator

Compensation: ~$160,000 – $170,000 + bonus

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Emerald Resource Group is partnering with a established, employee-owned company in the sports industry. With decades of experience designing, engineering, and manufacturing premium products, the company is known for innovation, quality, and a strong reputation among customers at every level of play. Our client is located in the Greater Columbus, Ohio area and is entering its next phase of growth.

JOB SUMMARY

The Director of Operations will build and lead a true operations function across the organization. This leader will oversee warehouse and supply chain operations while also owning global process architecture, cross-departmental workflows, and product development execution.

This is a company-wide, senior leadership role focused on creating scalable systems, operational discipline, and cross-functional alignment. The Director will translate strategic vision into executable processes and ensure operational excellence across Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Operations.

The role reports directly to the Integrator and holds explicit authority over the operations budget, headcount, and capital expenditure planning for warehouse, logistics, and product development. The Director of Operations is the single point of accountability for operational outcomes.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Operational Leadership & Integration

·       Build and maintain cross-functional workflows from order acquisition through fulfillment

·       Establish and enforce company-wide process clarity and accountability

·       Lead weekly operational cadence, KPI tracking, and performance dashboards

·       Drive alignment between strategic objectives and day-to-day execution

Supply Chain & Warehouse Oversight

·       Oversee warehouse operations, fulfillment accuracy, and inventory integrity

·       Lead purchasing and domestic/overseas sourcing strategy

·       Improve inventory planning and production scheduling

·       Implement cost controls to protect margin and cash flow

Vendor & Supplier Relationship Management

·       Set vendor strategy and own final decisions on major contracts, pricing structures, and supplier changes, including domestic/overseas manufacturing partners

·       Own vendor KPIs, escalated issues, and decisions to qualify new vendors to reduce single-source risk

Assembly, Shipping & Logistics

·       Ensure build and assembly targets are met through process and inventory efficiencies

·       Set freight and carrier strategy and approve carrier changes or major contracts (the Warehouse Operations Manager owns day-to-day routing and carrier communication)

·       Own shipping cost optimization and sign off on material packaging or freight changes

Product Quality & Warranty Management

·       Set product quality standards and specifications in partnership with product development and the assembly team

·       Establish incoming (supplier) and outgoing (pre-shipment) inspection protocols, and step in when inspection results do not meet expectations

·       Own warranty claim root-cause analysis and feed findings back into vendor scorecards and design decisions

·       Own corrective and preventative action decisions for recurring quality issues and clear cross-functional obstacles

Global Process & Systems Ownership

·       Design, document, and implement SOPs across all departments

·       Improve CRM, ERP, and internal systems utilization

·       Optimize handoffs between Sales, Marketing, Operations, and Finance

·       Build operational dashboards and reporting structures

·       Identify bottlenecks and champion continuous improvement

Product Development Execution

·       Oversee operational execution of new product initiatives

·       Coordinate sourcing, cost modeling, vendor relationships, and production readiness

·       Implement stage-gate product launch processes

·       Align product design, supply chain, and commercialization to support new product revenue growth

Team Leadership & Talent Development

·       Directly manage the mid-level management of the Operations team

·       Hold final hiring authority for operations roles; partner with mid-level managers on frontline recruiting and onboarding

·       Own performance management for direct reports, including goal-setting, coaching, and succession planning

·       Build a scalable team structure that reduces reliance on any single individual and meets the needs of the growing business

Safety, Compliance & Capacity Planning

·       Set safety program standards and OSHA compliance requirements (the Warehouse Operations Manager owns day-to-day safety training and incident reporting)

·       Lead manufacturing capacity planning and facility investment recommendations as volume and product lines expand

QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS

·       7 to 12+ years of operational leadership experience

·       Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Supply Chain Management, or a related field; MBA preferred

·       Experience in manufacturing, distribution, or product-based businesses

·       Demonstrated ability to build systems and processes from scratch

·       Strong cross-functional leadership experience

·       Proven track record of improving operational efficiency and scalability

·       Financial acumen (inventory, margin, and cash flow awareness)

·       Demonstrated people-leadership experience, including hiring, developing, and managing a team of direct reports

·       Preferred: experience leading warehouse or supply chain operations

·       Preferred: experience with product quality systems, vendor scorecards, or warranty/CAPA processes

·       Preferred: familiarity with warehouse safety and regulatory compliance (e.g., OSHA)