Director of Supply Chain Operations
Director of Supply Chain Operations
Location: Phoenix/Scottsdale preferred (Sleep HQ + proximity to AZ ops). Open to remote for exceptional candidates.
Comp: $130,000–$150,000 base (DOE) + performance bonus potential
Reports to: CEO (Steven Van Alen)
About Sleepyhead
Sleepyhead is the college dream team that believes great sleep unlocks student potential. We’re a student-first sleep brand with 150k+ customers, rapid growth, and a uniquely seasonal demand curve driven by the May–August Back-to-School window. We operate with a “work hard / play hard” culture from Sleep HQ in Old Town Scottsdale, and we’re building the operational foundation for our next chapter, including a major mattress launch planned for 2026.
The Role
We’re hiring a Director of Supply Chain / Operations to own day-to-day operations and build the operating system that scales Sleepyhead through peak season and beyond. This leader will take over operational management and increasingly own strategic planning currently supported by the CEO and partners, especially SIOP, forecasting, inventory planning, and supplier/3PL performance.
This is a builder/operator role: you will build upon the existing structure, simplify complexity, and drive accountability across internal stakeholders and external partners.
Core Responsibilities
1. SIOP Leadership + Analytical Ownership
• Own Sleepyhead’s SIOP cadence: monthly forecast reviews, supply planning, PO timing, and cross-functional alignment with Sales/Marketing and Finance.
• Maintain and continuously improve SIOP dashboards/models (Google Sheets/Excel) that support:
• SKU-level demand forecasting by month and location
• Inventory projections and replenishment recommendations
• Safety stock and reorder point logic
• Scenario planning (peak season, promotion lift, channel mix, mattress launch ramp)
• Work confidently inside models: audit formulas, fix logic errors, implement new assumptions, and create clear version control/documentation.
• Partner with data automation tooling (e.g., Parabola-based ingestion from Shopify/Amazon/3PL) to ensure data quality and reliable refresh cadence.
2. Demand Planning + Inventory Strategy
• Build forecasting that accounts for: SKU-specific trends, seasonality, promotions (Prime Day/BTS), product lifecycle, and channel dynamics (Amazon-heavy).
• Drive a phased PO strategy that reduces overproduction risk while protecting in-stock performance during peak.
• Improve inventory health (aging, long-term storage fees, working capital) and prevent repeats of “full-year PO upfront” mistakes.
3. Manufacturing + Vendor Management
• Coordinate production across China and U.S. facilities (AZ + South Carolina), including components (covers/boxes) and finished goods.
• Establish SOPs and quality standards (packaging, labeling, traceability, QC checkpoints), and enforce supplier accountability (OTIF, defect rate, responsiveness).
• Manage critical lead times and ordering windows (Chinese New Year, peak readiness, mattress launch).
4. Freight, Inbound, and 3PL/4PL Performance
• Own 3PL performance management: SLAs, scorecards, escalation paths, and process improvements.
• Optimize inventory positioning and routing logic by SKU and region (not broad allocation rules).
• Ensure Amazon inbound planning is peak-proof: timing, facility constraints (oversized), appointment risk, and carrier strategy.
5. Process, Controls, and Team Development
• Implement operational controls: PO approval workflows, shipment tracking, payment approvals, and a single “source of truth.”
• Build documentation and SOPs to support scale and reduce tribal knowledge.
• Coach and develop junior ops resources (supplier communication, trackers, follow-ups, exception handling).
What Success Looks Like (First 90 Days)
0–30 days: Stabilize + establish truth • Establish one source of truth for inventory/POs/shipments (clean tracker + dashboard integrity).
• Take ownership of existing dashboards/models; audit for logic gaps and implement version control.
• Identify top peak-season risks and put mitigation plans in place.
31–60 days: Operational cadence • Launch a dependable SIOP rhythm with Sales/Marketing input (promo calendar included).
• Implement supplier + 3PL scorecards and SLAs; begin measuring improvement.
61–90 days: Performance lift • Deliver a forecast-driven ordering approach (phased PO strategy) that reduces overbuy/stockout risk.
• Improve inventory placement/routing logic, reduce fulfillment errors, and tighten inbound execution.
Key Metrics You’ll Own
• Forecast accuracy and bias (by SKU/channel/location)
• In-stock performance through peak season
• Inventory health: aging, storage cost, working capital efficiency
• Supplier performance: OTIF, quality defects, adherence to SOPs
• 3PL performance: order accuracy, cycle time, responsiveness, chargebacks/claims
• Dashboard reliability: data refresh consistency, model integrity, and adoption across stakeholders
Qualifications
Must-Have • 7–10+ years in supply chain/operations (consumer products preferred; bedding/furniture a plus).
• Strong demand planning + inventory planning experience in a seasonal and/or fast-growth business.
• Advanced Excel/Google Sheets competence: comfortable editing complex models, auditing formulas, and building clear, scalable trackers/dashboards.
• Experience managing overseas manufacturing + domestic production coordination.
• 3PL management experience with measurable performance improvements (SLAs/scorecards).
• Able to create SOPs, approval workflows, and repeatable planning cadences.
Nice-to-Have • Amazon-heavy operations experience (FBA inbound planning, oversized constraints, peak season playbooks).
• Familiarity with data automation/integration tools (Parabola, light BI, APIs) and multi-system data (Shopify/Amazon/3PL).
• New product launch planning experience (mattress or large/bulky goods a plus).
• Builder mentality: you create structure fast and improve it continuously.
• Analytical operator: data-driven but pragmatic; can diagnose root causes and execute fixes.
• Clear communicator: you bring calm to complexity and align stakeholders quickly.
• Culture fit: collaborative, energetic, “work hard / play hard,” excited about students and impact.
Retail Furniture and Home Furnishings
Management and Manufacturing
Full-time