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Alex Lee, Inc. · 3 weeks ago

Director of Produce/Floral Operations

US-NC-Hickory

Full-time

Onsite

Lead/Staff, Director/Executive

5+ years exp

Alex Lee, Inc. is a company focused on wholesale grocery distribution, and they are seeking a Director of Produce/Floral Operations. This role involves overseeing departmental strategy, procurement, and quality assurance while driving category growth and fostering vendor partnerships.

Food and Beverage

Responsibilities

Oversee departmental strategy, P&L, merchandising programs, supplier relations, procurement, and quality assurance across a multi-warehouse wholesale grocery distribution network

Drive category growth, vendor partnerships, quality standards, and customer satisfaction while fostering a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence through process-driven workflows and data-based decision making

Represent the company with producers, supplier partners, independent and owned retailers, and the industry

Develop overall annual departmental strategy and direct category strategy creation to ensure Alex Lee (MDI) organizational alignment and market fit

Work collaboratively with the Marketing and Sales teams to develop proprietary brands, implement new product launches, and design strategic marketing initiatives and vendor programs that enhance category visibility and drive performance

Lead supplier relationship management, including supplier selection, performance evaluation, and long-term partnership development

Utilize Supplier Engagement strategies such as segmentation, joint business planning, and SRM

Maximize value of relationship with Topco Associates, LLC

Utilize the Product, Price, Promotion, and Placement levers to strategically design and manage categories that drive profitable growth and expand market share as well as share of wallet

Plan and coordinate Produce Merchandising Shows (Food Shows), both physical and virtual, with support from Category Manager

Supervise the implementation of 'Special Spot Buys' and work with vendors and Produce Merchandisers to coordinate promotional events

Partner with Sales and retail customers to deepen engagement, expand distribution, and deliver exceptional service and strategic collaboration

Execute a market-leading Local Produce program

Strategically manage supply and supplier spend, domestic and international, balancing procurement efficiency, inventory capital deployment, seasonal transitions, and risk mitigation while ensuring supplier performance and quality standards

Supervise market condition monitoring to identify potential opportunities and more effectively manage market fluctuations

Operate a market-leading quality assurance program through supplier vetting, receiving inspections, pick slot monitoring, and quality scoring/supplier benchmarking

Manage the operations of the Ripening Room program, with a primary focus on bananas

Own the Procure to Pay process for Produce & Floral

Demonstrate servant leadership by coaching and developing staff, delivering timely feedback, promoting accountability, and cultivating an environment that supports technological advancement, continuous improvement, and employee engagement

Accountable for managing outcomes and implementing corrective actions related to the annual employee engagement survey

Responsible for supervising the activities of Category Managers, Buyers, and Quality Control Inspectors

Utilize mechanisms to ensure quality inputs convert consistently to desired outcomes

Embrace technology, systems, tools, and process evolution to facilitate a productive work environment

Qualification

Produce procurementCategory managementSupplier relationship managementRetail mathMerchandising programsServant leadershipContinuous improvementExceptional communication

Required

Strong knowledge of retail math, merchandising, and category management is essential for effective engagement with retail customers

Preferred

Bachelor's degree preferred; equivalent industry experience strongly considered

Proven success across multiple key produce roles, including Produce Department Manager, Produce Merchandiser, Produce Buyer, Perishable Manager, Overall Department Manager leadership

Minimum of 5–7 years of hands-on experience in produce procurement, department operations, produce merchandising, produce category management, and related functional areas

Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across teams and influence at all levels