Director, Demand Management & Distribution

Red Lobster•Orlando, FL

19h•Hybrid

About The Position

As the Director of Demand Management & Distribution, you will be a key member of Red Lobster’s Supply Chain Leadership Team. This strategic role involves overseeing the forecasting, inventory planning, and distribution strategies to ensure that all restaurants are consistently stocked with the freshest ingredients and products, delivered on time. Your leadership will directly influence guest satisfaction, operational efficiency, and cost optimization, making you a crucial driver of Red Lobster’s continued success.

Requirements

10+ years of progressive experience in supply chain, demand planning or distribution management, preferably within the restaurant, foodservice or retail sectors
Proven track record of leading large-scale distribution networks and multi-location inventory management
Expertise in Microsoft Office applications, demand forecasting tools and advanced analytics (e.g., Power BI)
Strong negotiation skills and experience managing third party logistics providers
Exceptional leadership and communication skills, with the ability to influence cross-functional teams
A data-driven mindset with the ability to translate insights into actionable strategies
Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, or related field

Nice To Haves

Master’s preferred

Responsibilities

Lead the demand planning process, aligning sales forecasts with supply capabilities to ensure optimal inventories across all restaurant locations
Oversee national distribution operations, ensuring timely, cost-effective, and quality-driven delivery of products from suppliers and distributors to restaurants
Collaborate with strategic sourcing, culinary, marketing, finance and operations teams to anticipate seasonal demand shifts, promotional impacts and implement menu changes
Implement advanced forecasting tools and analytics to improve accuracy and responsiveness within demand planning
Negotiate and manage relationships with third party logistics providers (3PLs), ensuring service level agreements are met or exceeded
Develop and monitor KPIs for demand accuracy, fill rates, transportation efficiency and cost control
Lead a high performing team, fostering a culture of accountability, innovation and continuous improvement
Provide insight into obsolete and expired inventory risks and coordinate risk mitigation strategies with cross functional stakeholders
Lead the implementation and functional oversight of master data management platforms (i.e. SaaS solutions including Arrowstream and internally developed tools) managing pricing, product attributes, order guide & inventory management.
Ensure accuracy and reliability of master data in all platforms under remit.
Collaborate across functions to achieve organizational goals, drive product allocation decisions, and recommend improvements to supply chain management processes.
Ensure that critical business reporting is completed timely and accurately (i.e. inflation projections, product forecasts, etc.), and that information is shared appropriately to relevant stakeholders.