Director Creative Operations Jobs in Wolcott, CT

RugPadUSA is a growing e-commerce business looking to find ambitious, inquisitive, and creative individuals who want to make an impact on a dynamic company. Starting in 2013, RugPadUSA has rapidly grown as an innovator in direct-to-consumer manufacturing and fulfillment, expanding to multiple locations around the country. RugPadUSA is committed to designing and producing the highest-quality products for our customers. This is an opportunity for motivated individuals who are looking to grow with a growing company. Applicants should be eager to learn about the many facets of running and managing a business, from day-to-day tasks to generating big-picture ideas. 

The Role

We are hiring a Director of Operations to own everything that happens after the sale is made — and much of what happens before it. This leader will run manufacturing, warehousing, fulfillment, logistics, and marketplace operations across all channels, with full accountability for cost, speed, quality, and compliance. Director of Operations and scope will be calibrated to the experience of the candidate we hire; in either form, this is the most senior operations seat in the company, reporting directly to the CEO and sitting on the leadership team.

The right person has scaled multi-warehouse fulfillment operations before, understands the unforgiving service-level demands of Seller Fulfilled Prime and big-box marketplace programs, and is equally comfortable on a production floor and in a boardroom.

Key Responsibilities

Fulfillment & Multi-Warehouse Operations

• Own day-to-day performance of four warehouses: throughput, accuracy, labor productivity, safety, and cost per order.
• Maintain and defend Seller Fulfilled Prime status on Amazon — on-time shipment, on-time delivery, valid tracking, and cancellation-rate metrics — including weekend fulfillment coverage.
• Meet the distinct SLA, routing, labeling, and EDI requirements of Wayfair (CastleGate/partner home programs), The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Target Plus, and eBay.
• Design the network strategy: inventory placement across facilities, zone-skipping opportunities, and expansion or consolidation of warehouse footprint as volume grows.
• Negotiate and manage small-parcel and LTL carrier relationships, rate cards, and performance; own the freight budget inbound and outbound.

Manufacturing & Production

• Oversee production planning, scheduling, capacity, and quality across our manufacturing operation.
• Drive continuous improvement in yield, scrap, changeover time, and unit cost.
• Align production output with demand forecasts and marketplace-level sales plans to protect in-stock rates without ballooning inventory.
• Own equipment maintenance strategy, capex recommendations, and make-vs-buy analysis.

Supply Chain, Inventory & Planning

• Own S&OP: demand planning, raw-material procurement, supplier management, and finished-goods inventory targets across all four locations.
• Manage inventory accuracy, cycle counting, and shrink; balance service levels against working-capital efficiency.
• Build resilience into the supply base — dual sourcing, lead-time reduction, and cost-down programs.

Marketplace & Channel Operations

• Own operational health of every channel: account metrics, chargebacks, compliance scorecards, and dispute recovery on Amazon, Wayfair, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Target Plus, eBay, and Shopify.
• Partner with sales and ecommerce teams on launch readiness, peak-season planning (Prime Day, Way Day, holiday), and promotional capacity.
• Reduce cost-to-serve by channel and give leadership true channel-level profitability visibility.

Systems, Data & Process

• Own the operations technology stack — WMS, ERP, EDI, shipping software, and marketplace integrations — and lead selection or replacement where systems are holding us back.
• Build the KPI infrastructure: daily operational dashboards, weekly business reviews, and root-cause discipline when metrics slip.
• Document and standardize processes so the operation scales without heroics.

Leadership & P&L

• Lead, develop, and hold accountable a team of warehouse managers, production leaders, and supply chain staff across four sites; build bench strength and a promote-from-within culture.
• Own the operations P&L: labor, freight, facilities, materials, and overhead — with clear cost-reduction and margin-expansion targets.
• Ensure safety (OSHA), labor compliance, and product regulatory requirements are met at every facility.
• Serve as a strategic partner to the CEO on growth planning, facility expansion, automation, and M&A or new-category readiness.

What Success Looks Like in the First 12 Months

• Seller Fulfilled Prime and all marketplace scorecards consistently green, with zero suspensions.
• A single weekly operating dashboard covering all four warehouses and manufacturing — trusted by the whole leadership team.
• Measurable reduction in cost per order shipped and cost per unit produced, with a documented roadmap for year two.
• Inventory accuracy above 99% and improved in-stock rates on top sellers across every channel.
• A stronger leadership bench: clear owners, clear metrics, and succession depth at every site.

Qualifications

Required

• 10+ years of progressive operations leadership in ecommerce, consumer products, retail fulfillment, or manufacturing; 5+ years leading multi-site operations.
• Direct experience operating under Seller Fulfilled Prime or comparable strict-SLA marketplace programs (Wayfair, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Target Plus, or major retail dropship/EDI programs).
• Proven P&L ownership at a company or division.
• Hands-on command of WMS/ERP systems, EDI, parcel and LTL freight, and warehouse labor management.
• Track record of building teams, systems, and processes that scaled with rapid growth.
• Strong analytical toolkit — comfortable building and interrogating operational data, not just receiving reports.

Preferred

• Experience running or overseeing distribution and multi-site fulfillment.
• Experience selecting and implementing WMS or ERP platforms.
• Experience with warehouse automation, network optimization, or facility expansion projects.
• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, engineering, operations, or business; MBA a plus.

Compensation & Benefits

Compensation will be calibrated to the candidate’s experience. Benefits include health coverage, 401(k), and paid time off. For an exceptional executive-level candidate, long-term incentive participation can be discussed.

Location & Travel

This is an on-site leadership role in Suffield, CT. Regular presence across all four warehouse and manufacturing locations is expected (approximately 10-20% travel between facilities).

Qualifications & Skills (Required):

• Exceptional organizational skills
• Impeccable communication skills to work with both internal staff and external colleagues
• Ability to lead a team of managers to meet key business objectives
• Exceptional Critical thinking and creative problem solving
• Microsoft Office/365
• Timekeeping/Scheduling Management software

Education and Experience Requirements:

• 7-10 Years in a warehouse environment
• 5-7 Years in a Leadership Role within a warehouse environment
• Degree in Business Management or applicable Bachelors/Masters