Director of Warehousing & Logistics

Position Summary

The Director of Warehousing & Logistics provides strategic leadership for Food Lifeline's warehouse operations, inventory management, transportation and logistics, food safety, quality assurance, and operational support functions. This position ensures the safe, efficient, compliant, and equitable movement of food throughout the organization while advancing operational excellence and supporting Food Lifeline's mission to end hunger.

As a member of Food Lifeline's leadership team, the Director works collaboratively across the organization to align food acquisition, inventory management, distribution, and community impact. The Director leads departmental strategy, resource planning, performance management, and continuous improvement initiatives while developing high-performing operations team.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

Operations Leadership

• Provide strategic leadership for warehouse operations, inventory management, transportation, food safety, quality assurance, and operational support functions.
• Develop and implement departmental goals, operational plans, budgets, and performance metrics aligned with organizational priorities.
• Monitor operational performance and utilize data, analytics, and continuous improvement methodologies to increase efficiency, effectiveness, and service levels.
• Evaluate organizational structure, workflows, and systems and recommend improvements that support scalability, employee development, and mission impact.
• Establish operational controls and management systems that ensure accountability for inventory, fleet assets, purchasing, reconciliations, and regulatory compliance.
• Ensure operational risks are identified, monitored, and mitigated through effective policies, procedures, documentation, and internal controls.
• Contribute to organizational planning, emergency response efforts, and cross functional initiatives.
• Develop annual operational goals, work plans, and key performance indicators that align with Food Lifeline's strategic plan, using data and cross-functional partnership to monitor progress and evaluate outcomes.

Warehouse Operations, Inventory, and Distribution

• Direct warehouse operations including receiving, storage, inventory control, order fulfillment, and distribution activities.
• Ensure inventory accuracy, product integrity, and compliance with Feeding America standards and organizational policies.
• Oversee fleet management, transportation planning, routing, vehicle oversight, DOT compliance, fleet utilization, and associated operational controls.
• Ensure warehouse capacity, labor planning, inventory levels, transportation resources, and operational workflows effectively support organizational priorities and changing community demand.
• Oversee inventory governance, cycle counting, reconciliation processes, loss prevention efforts, and inventory accuracy.
• Leverage ERP and other management systems to monitor operational performance, investigate inventory discrepancies, identify root causes, and implement corrective actions.
• Partner with Food Resources leadership to align food acquisition, inventory strategy, storage capacity, and product flow.
• Partner with Agency Programs leadership to ensure operational systems and service levels effectively support partner and community needs.

Food Safety, Quality Assurance, Workplace Safety, and Compliance

• Oversee food safety, food defense, warehouse sanitation, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance programs.
• Ensure organizational readiness for external audits and inspections through proactive monitoring, documentation, corrective actions, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure compliance with Feeding America standards, HACCP principles, FDA, WSDA, OSHA, AIB, and other applicable regulations.
• Oversee audits, inspections, recalls, corrective actions, product traceability systems, and compliance reporting.
• Foster a culture of food safety, workplace safety, quality, and accountability throughout Operations.
• Ensure employees consistently follow established safety protocols, utilize required personal protective equipment, and operate equipment safely.
• Collaborate with the Business Operations team in the investigation of workplace injuries, near misses, and safety incidents, implementing corrective actions and operational improvements as appropriate.

Leadership and Team Development

• Recruit, develop, coach, and retain a high-performing operations team and build a culture of accountability, operational discipline, timely decision-making, and continuous learning.
• Provide leadership and support to managers, shift leads, professional staff, and support personnel.
• Establish clear performance expectations, accountability measures, and professional development opportunities.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, inclusion, safety, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with leaders across Food Lifeline to align food acquisition, inventory management, distribution, volunteer production activities, facilities planning, and organizational priorities.
• Partner closely with Finance to ensure strong financial stewardship, inventory controls, operational purchasing practices, capital planning, and budget management.
• Collaborate with Business Operations to improve warehouse systems, use of Food Lifeline’s ERP, reporting capabilities, automation, and operational data integrity
• Collaborate with Safety and Facilities to ensure safe operations within the warehouse and transportation teams, OSHA compliance
• Develop, monitor, and evaluate operational performance measures that inform decision making, improve service delivery, and support organizational goals and community impact.
• Provide regular operational reporting, analysis, and KPI updates to organizational leadership, including monthly and quarterly performance reviews.
• Utilize operational data and outcome measures to identify trends, inform decision making, and support continuous improvement efforts.
• Build strong partnerships that improve operational effectiveness, service delivery, and community impact.
• Represent Operations in organizational initiatives and planning efforts

Supervisory Responsibility

Provides leadership and supervision for staff responsible for warehouse operations, inventory management, transportation and logistics, food safety and quality assurance, and operational support functions. Directly supervises managers, shift leads, professional staff, and support personnel within the Operations department. Responsible for workforce planning, employee development, performance management, succession planning, and organizational effectiveness across operations functions.

Qualifications

Required

• Seven years of progressively responsible leadership experience in warehousing, logistics, supply chain management, food distribution, manufacturing, or related operations.
• Experience leading managers, supervisors, and operational teams in a complex environment.
• Strong knowledge of warehouse operations, inventory management, transportation logistics, food safety, and regulatory compliance.
• Demonstrated experience leveraging ERP and warehouse management systems to investigate inventory issues, perform root cause analysis, and strengthen inventory control processes.
• Experience developing and managing budgets, operational plans, and performance metrics.
• Ability to analyze operational and financial data and make sound decisions.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, and Food Lifeline's mission.
• Ability to demonstrate an understanding of the intersections between hunger, poverty, racial inequity, and social justice and their impact on the communities
• Food Lifeline serves.

Preferred

• Experience within food banking, food distribution, manufacturing, wholesale distribution, or other complex food supply chain environments.
• Knowledge of Feeding America standards and food banking operations.
• Lean Six Sigma certification or experience leading continuous improvement initiatives.
• Lived experience with hunger or food insecurity.

Certifications

• Washington State Food Worker Card or ability to obtain within 30 days of employment.
• ServSafe Manager Certification or ability to obtain within 90 days of employment.
• HACCP Certification or ability to obtain within 120 days of employment.

Working Conditions

Work is performed in both warehouse and office environments. Position requires regular presence in warehouse operations, including refrigerated and freezer environments. Exposure to warehouse equipment, product handling activities, and typical warehouse noise levels is expected.

Physical Requirements

Must be able to regularly walk warehouse floors, observe operations, inspect inventory and equipment, and occasionally lift or move items weighing up to 25 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Food Lifeline is committed to fair, transparent, and equitable compensation practices that support our mission to address hunger and its root causes. Movement through the salary range may occur over time and is guided by performance, role development, and organizational compensation practices.

Our comprehensive benefits package includes:

• Employer-paid medical coverage for employees and children
• Dental and vision insurance
• Employer-paid basic life insurance, short-term disability, and long-term disability coverage
• Employer matching contributions to 403(b) retirement plans
• Generous paid time off programs, including parental leave

Position Details

• Full-time position
• Regular on-site presence required to lead warehouse and transportation operations
• Candidates must be willing and able to live and work in the greater Seattle area