Sr. Director, Distribution Operations

About The Team

The Supply Chain team focuses on keeping things moving across all aspects of our business. They make an impact by ensuring our products get from the vendors to the DCs to the stores in the most efficient and timely way. Their goal is to improve each step within the process, so we have the right product at the right place at the right time for our pet parents.

Collaborative Work Environment:
At Pet Smart, teamwork and connection are core to how we thrive. This role is planned to be based at our Phoenix Home Office, with an expectation of working a minimum of four days in the office each week. In a standard work week, associates may work up to one remote “flex day” (with leader approval). Our hybrid approach is designed to foster strong collaboration while also supporting flexibility and individual success.

Job Summary /

Purpose:

The Senior Director of Distribution Center Operations provides enterprise-level leadership for the company’s Distribution Center network, overseeing multiple regions through direct leadership of 3-4 General Managers. Reporting to the SVP, Supply Chain, this role is accountable for end-to-end operational, financial, safety, and people performance across the DC network and serves as a key architect of the company’s supply chain strategy.

The Sr. Director drives network-wide operational excellence by setting strategy, establishing standards, and leading large-scale transformation initiatives that improve productivity, service, cost, and scalability. This role partners closely with executive leadership and cross-functional teams (Supply Chain, Transportation, Merchandising, Finance, HR, IT, and Safety) to align distribution capabilities with enterprise growth objectives.

The role shares accountability for the creation, execution, and governance of the DC network’s operating and capital plans, while building a strong leadership pipeline to support current operations and future growth.

• Provides strategic and operational leadership for the Distribution Center network through direct management of 3-4 General Managers, ensuring consistent execution, accountability, and performance across all locations.
• Establishes clear expectations, performance standards, and governance models for GMs and DC leadership teams.
• Communicates enterprise strategy, priorities, and business objectives, translating them into actionable regional and site-level plans.

• Develops and owns network-wide operational and financial goals aligned with the company’s mission, vision, values, and long-term growth strategy.
• Drives results across DC and Supply Chain dashboards, holding GMs accountable for service levels, productivity, cost control, and operational KPIs.
• Leads initiatives to reduce DC cost as a percentage of sales through process optimization, labor efficiency, automation, and continuous improvement.
• Partners with Finance to develop and manage operating budgets, capital investments, and long-range network planning.

• Champions standardized operating models, best practices, and scalable processes across the DC network.
• Leads network-wide transformation initiatives, including technology adoption, automation, systems enhancements, and new DC start-ups or expansions.
• Ensures the DC network can flex and scale to support business growth, seasonal volume, and evolving customer expectations.
• Provides executive oversight of facility and equipment maintenance, ensuring infrastructure reliability, regulatory compliance, and long-term asset sustainability.

• Sets the tone and expectation for a strong safety culture, ensuring all safety, regulatory, and compliance standards are consistently met or exceeded across the network.
• Provides executive leadership for talent development, engagement, and retention across all DCs.
• Builds and executes robust succession plans for GMs, DC leaders, and critical operational roles to ensure leadership continuity.

• Acts as a senior enterprise leader, collaborating across functions