Smithfield Foods · 1 week ago
Director, Inventory Strategy
Suffolk, VA
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
10+ years expSmithfield Foods is an American food company with a leading position in packaged meats and fresh pork products. The Director of Inventory Strategy will lead the enterprise inventory and asset utilization strategy, focusing on maximizing asset performance and driving profitable volume through effective inventory management and cross-functional collaboration.
Food and BeverageHospitality
Responsibilities
Set Enterprise Inventory Strategy: Define and execute the enterprise vision for inventory performance and asset utilization, aligning supply chain execution with financial and operational goals
Drive Asset Utilization & Capacity Fill: Identify and close volume gaps across fixed assets by developing strategies that improve throughput, utilization, and return on invested capital
Lead Cross-Functional Execution: Influence and align teams across Supply Chain, Operations, Finance, Sales, and 3PL partners to ensure consistent execution across internal and external distribution networks
Optimize Network Flow & Cost: Identify and prioritize high-impact opportunities to improve service levels, inventory velocity, and cost efficiency at scale
Own 3PL Performance Management: Lead performance management across the 3PL network, ensuring service, cost, and utilization targets are achieved or exceeded
Design Inbound Capacity Strategy: Lead inbound capacity planning across distribution centers, balancing inbound flow, space utilization, temperature zones, and operational constraints
Partner with Operations: Work closely with Operations and Regional Distribution Centers to optimize inbound settings, reserve capacity, and execution readiness
Lead Seasonal & Promotional Strategy: Drive enterprise-level seasonal and promotional asset utilization strategies informed by demand planning and supply insights
Translate Data into Action: Convert complex data into clear, actionable insights and deliver executive-ready reporting tied to service, cost, and asset productivity
Build a Performance Culture: Foster a culture of accountability, urgency, and data-driven decision-making across the organization
Enable Commercial Alignment: Serve as a trusted partner to Sales and Finance to drive transparency, alignment, and shared outcomes tied to volume, margin, and service
Leadership: Drives a positive employee experience through leadership by way of employee development and coaching
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's Degree from an accredited four-year college or university and 10+ years of relevant experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience, required
5+ years of demonstrated experience in team management/development is required
Proven ability to deliver financial and operational improvements through analytics, asset optimization, and cross-functional leadership
Strong P&L mindset with experience driving working capital efficiency, cost-to-serve optimization, and asset productivity
Confident, influential communicator who can align executive stakeholders and operational teams in a fast-paced, results-driven environment
Deep understanding of supply chain financial metrics, including working capital, DSO, inventory turns, and capacity utilization
Hands-on experience with enterprise systems (SAP, JDA, Oracle, or similar) and analytics tools such as Power BI and advanced Excel
Strategic thinker with the ability to move quickly from insight to execution
Preferred
Experience in OCS, food service, distribution, or manufacturing—especially within protein or temperature-controlled environments
Strong background in 3PL partnership management, asset utilization, supply chain finance, and network optimization
Proven success leading transformation, navigating complexity, and building high-performing teams
Benefits
Relocation Package Available
Company
Smithfield Foods
Smithfield Foods is an American food company with a leading position in packaged meats and fresh pork products.
10001+ employees
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$454.11M2025-09-04Post Ipo Secondary· $454.11M
2025-01-28IPO
2013-05-29Acquired
Leadership Team
Shane Smith
President and Chief Executive Officer
Allyson Bouldon
Vice President, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer
Recent News
GlobeNewswire
2026-01-15
2025-12-16
Company data provided by crunchbase