Distribution Center Manager in Vernon Hills, Illinois at Europa Eyewear
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Job Description
Role Description
We are seeking a hands-on Distribution Center Manager to lead daily operations across our multi-brand facility. This role is accountable for safe, accurate, and efficient receiving, inventory control, order fulfillment, shipping, and returns while developing the team and building scalable processes that support business growth.
The ideal candidate is a hands-on leader with strong problem-solving and change-management skills, experience leading a complex, multi-brand distribution operation, and the ability to develop and motivate a team in a fast-paced environment. This leader will balance daily execution with continuous improvement and long-term scalability.
Success in this role will be measured through improvements in safety, order accuracy, inventory accuracy, productivity, on-time shipping, employee development, and the consistent achievement of service-level expectations across B2B and DTC channels.
Europa is committed to empowering independent-thinking eyecare professionals with unique, high-quality, independent eyewear brands and partner-first support. We are equally committed to empowering our own team, ensuring they have the support, freedom, and opportunities to grow. Through collaborative partnerships, we help our customers grow and succeed, fostering a community of shared vision.
Key Responsibilities
- Process and Layout Optimization: Lead business-process, workflow, and layout improvements that increase throughput, accuracy, safety, and efficiency across receiving, inventory control, picking, packing, shipping, and returns. Build scalable operating practices that support future growth across brands and channels.
- Operational Leadership: Manage day-to-day distribution center operations, including receiving, picking, packing, and shipping for multiple brands.
- Team Management: Lead, develop, and retain a team of approximately 30 employees by setting clear expectations, planning labor to match demand, hiring and onboarding talent, coaching supervisors and associates, and managing performance consistently.
- Process Optimization: Implement and improve standard operating procedures to enhance efficiency and accuracy.
- Safety & Compliance: Ensure compliance with OSHA regulations, company policies, and workplace safety standards.
- Inventory Control: Oversee inventory accuracy, cycle counts, and minimize shrinkage.
- KPIs & Performance Metrics: Monitor and drive key performance indicators (KPIs) such as order accuracy, productivity, and on-time shipping.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with supply chain, logistics, and customer service teams to ensure seamless operations.
- Problem-Solving: Address challenges related to staffing, workflow bottlenecks, or unexpected disruptions in the supply chain.
- B2B and DTC Distribution Expertise: Proven experience managing both business-to-business (B2B) and direct-to-consumer (DTC) distribution models, with a deep understanding of order fulfillment, customer expectations, and service-level agreements across multiple channels. Ability to adapt processes and resources to meet varying client demands, including retail accounts, wholesale partners, and e-commerce/consumer shipments.
- Small Parcel Distribution (Preferred): Hands-on knowledge of high-volume, small-parcel operations, including carrier management (FedEx, UPS, USPS, DHL), rate negotiations, packaging optimization, and last-mile delivery solutions to ensure speed, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness.
- WMS Implementation (Preferred): Involvement in end-to-end implementation of a Warehouse Management System (WMS), including requirements gathering, system selection, process mapping, data migration, testing, go-live, and user training. Ability to bridge operational needs with technology solutions to improve inventory accuracy, order fulfillment speed, and overall productivity.
Key Competencies:
- Strong Leadership & People Management: Ability to motivate, engage, and develop a diverse team.
- Problem-Solving Mindset: Quick decision-making and troubleshooting under pressure.
- Process Improvement Orientation: Lean thinking and a focus on continuous improvement.
- Accountability & Ownership: A leader who takes responsibility for results and follows through.
- Communication Skills: Clear and effective in giving directions, coaching, and conflict resolution.
- Adaptability: Can handle fast-paced, dynamic environments with frequent changes.
- Customer-Focused Approach: Understands the impact of distribution on customer satisfaction.
- Resilience & Grit: Ability to stay focused and lead effectively during high-demand periods.
- Analytical Thinking: Ability to track and interpret operational data to improve performance.
- Safety-First Mentality: Proactively promotes and enforces workplace safety standards.
Required Qualifications
- Experience: 10+ years in warehouse/distribution center management, preferably in a high-volume environment.
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, logistics, or a related field preferred (or equivalent experience).
- Technical Skills: Proficiency in WMS, ERP (ideally Netsuite and/or Southware) and Microsoft Office Suite
- Certifications (Preferred): OSHA certification, Six Sigma, or Lean training.
Working Conditions and Physical Requirements
- Full-time onsite position based at our Vernon Hills, IL Headquarters.
- Warehouse environment that may be fast-paced with interruptions, distractions, and deadlines.
- Exposure to varying temperatures, including warm and cold conditions.
- Moderate noise levels due to warehouse equipment and operations.
- May be required to stand for extended periods and work in different areas of the warehouse.
- Occasionally required to sit, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
- Must be able to lift and move up to 25 pounds regularly.
- Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception, and focus adjustment.
- Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
EEO Statement
Europa Eyewear is committed to developing a barrier-free recruitment process and work environment. If you require any accommodation, please contact Human Resources at 800-621-4108 and we’ll work with you to meet your accessibility needs. You must have legal authorization to work for Europa Eyewear on your date of hire with no further action required by Europa Eyewear. We are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and give consideration to qualified applicants without regard to race, color, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, pregnancy, or genetic information.
About Europa Eyewear
The Europa eyewear platform is committed to empowering independent-thinking eyecare professionals with unique, high-quality, independent eyewear brands and partner-first support. We are equally committed to empowering our own team, ensuring they have the support, freedom, and opportunities to grow. Through collaborative partnerships, we help our customers grow and succeed, fostering a community of shared vision.
Europa Eyewear, based in Vernon Hills, IL, is one of the largest independent designers and manufacturers of eyewear frames in the United States. Europa offers a diverse portfolio of 11 independent eyewear brands, including STATE Optical Co. and American Optical (AO Eyewear), which the company acquired in 2019. Europa also built and maintains the largest eyewear manufacturing facility in the United States.
In 2023, Europa partnered with Blue Point Capital Partners, a Cleveland-based mid-market Private Equity firm, to build an industry leading eyewear platform. In April of the same year, eyebobs, the Premium Reading Glass brand, was acquired adding new ecommerce capabilities, necessary to serve the omnichannel marketplace.