Director - Supply Chain

Director of Supply Chain — Job Description

Role Summary

The Director of Supply Chain leads end‑to‑end supply chain strategy, execution, and optimization across Gen7’s multi‑category retail environment — including tobacco, cannabis, grocery, fuel, and general merchandise. This role provides senior leadership over procurement, vendor relations, distribution, logistics, inventory management, and compliance-sensitive product flow. The Director oversees a team of analysts, planners, specialists, and a Team Lead, ensuring operational continuity, regulatory adherence, and high service levels across all Gen7 locations.

Location: Burlington Ontario

Reporting to COO

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Planning

• Develop and execute a multi‑year supply chain strategy aligned with Gen7’s retail priorities, merchandising plans, and operational goals.
• Establish policies, standards, and operating procedures for procurement, inventory, transportation, and distribution.
• Allocate budgets, staffing, and resources across supply chain functions and evaluate performance of direct reports.
• Build supply chain resilience through risk assessments, contingency planning, and diversification of suppliers and transportation modes.

Procurement & Vendor Management

• Oversee sourcing strategies across all product categories, including regulated items such as tobacco, cannabis, and fuel.
• Maintain respectful, trust‑based relationships with sovereign Native tobacco suppliers, ensuring product flow aligns with community expectations and regulatory requirements.
• Negotiate contracts, pricing, and service-level agreements with suppliers, distributors, and carriers.
• Build vendor scorecards that reflect Gen7’s priorities: reliability, compliance, cost competitiveness, and cultural alignment.
• Partner with Merchandising and Finance to optimize cost of goods, lead times, and product flow.

Distribution, Logistics & Transportation

• Optimize routing, freight spend, carrier performance, and last‑mile delivery efficiency across all Gen7 locations.
• Implement technology solutions to improve visibility, tracking, and operational throughput.
• Ensure secure and compliant movement of regulated and sovereignty‑sensitive products.

Inventory Management & Compliance

• Develop inventory strategies tailored to Gen7’s diverse product mix — fast‑turn grocery, regulated cannabis, controlled tobacco, and fuel.
• Develop sound inventory procedures and daily activities
• Drive accuracy and efficiency across store-level and DC-level inventory processes.
• Monitor shrink, stockouts, overstocks, and aging inventory; implement corrective actions and continuous improvement.

Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement

• Champion process‑optimization initiatives across the supply chain.
• Lead automation, digital transformation, and analytics adoption to improve speed, accuracy, and cost efficiency.
• Establish dashboards, KPIs, and reporting frameworks for real-time operational visibility.
• Drive continuous improvement across procurement, logistics, and replenishment.

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead a team consisting of a Team Lead, analysts, planners, and supply chain specialists.
• Provide coaching, performance management, and professional development to build capability and readiness.
• Set clear expectations, workflows, and priorities for the team to ensure consistent execution across all supply chain functions.
• Foster a culture of accountability, operational discipline, and respect for Indigenous values and community priorities.
• Collaborate closely with Store Operations, Finance, and IT to ensure seamless product flow.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations, or related field; Master’s degree preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in supply chain, logistics, procurement, or retail operations.
• Experience in multi-category retail (grocery, fuel, tobacco, cannabis, or other regulated environments).
• Demonstrated leadership experience managing specialists, planners, analysts, or team leads.
• Experience with ERP, WMS, TMS, forecasting tools, and supply chain analytics platforms.
• Strong negotiation, vendor management, and contract governance experience.

Core Competencies

• Strategic Thinking & Planning
• Vendor & Stakeholder Management
• Regulatory Compliance
• Operational Excellence
• Data-Driven Decision Making
• Leadership & Talent Development
• Risk Management
• Cross-Functional Collaboration

Performance Metrics

• Product availability across all categories
• Inventory accuracy and turns
• Shrink reduction (especially in regulated categories)
• Supplier on-time delivery
• Freight cost per unit
• Cost savings from optimization initiatives
• Team capability and engagement

 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Disclosure Our recruitment process uses limited AI‑enabled tools to support efficiency and enhance decision‑making. These tools may assist with tasks such as organizing applications, identifying relevant qualifications, or supporting structured evaluation.

All screening, assessment, and hiring decisions are made by human reviewers. AI does not replace human judgment, determine candidate suitability, or make hiring decisions.

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