Director of Operations

Goodheart-Willcox Publisher•Tinley Park, IL

11d•$150,000 - $175,000•Hybrid

About The Position

An opportunity like this doesn’t come around often! This role is built for a dynamic, seasoned operations leader who thrives in a mission‑driven, people‑centered environment and is ready to shape the next generation of growth. This is a new role designed to increase leadership capacity and drive operational maturity – establishing clear operating rhythms, strengthening cross-functional alignment, and improving service levels while optimizing working capital and cost-to-serve. Success at G-W is rooted in collaboration, accountability, and a shared commitment to delivering exceptional results, making it a rare chance to lead with purpose while driving meaningful, measurable impact. This position will follow a hybrid schedule, working a minimum of one day per week in our Tinley Park, Illinois office. Our compensation is market based and takes into account a variety of factors including the candidate’s skill set, experience level, internal equity, and location. For this position, we anticipate the starting salary falling between $150,000 and $175,000 per year. In addition, the company makes a 10% contribution to the Employee Stock Ownership Plan and a 4% matching contribution to the 401(k).

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or Six Sigma training and certification preferred.
Minimum of 8 years of experience in operations, supply chain, logistics, customer service, or procurement, with 3-5+ years leading teams.
Comfortable working cross-functionally and influencing stakeholders in dynamic environments.
Metrics-driven operator who leads with transparency and accountability.
Strong analytics capability (Excel modeling; BI/dashboards fluency).
Clear communicator who can translate data into executive-ready tradeoffs and recommendations.
Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities, demonstrating composure and clarity under pressure, particularly during operational challenges.
Strong negotiator and partner manager.
Demonstrated success in leading and developing managers, strengthening their ability to delegate effectively, set clear expectations, hold teams accountable, and elevate overall team capability and performance.

Nice To Haves

Publishing or print buying experience is a plus.
Experienced with ERP (NetSuite), WMS (SoloChain), and TMS (ShipHawk) systems preferred.
Familiar with EDI for trade accounts.
Builder mindset; thrives in ambiguity and can design “what good looks like.”
Change agent with a track record of driving continuous improvement, workflow optimization, and leveraging technology to increase efficiency.

Responsibilities

End-to-End Operations Leadership Own the end-to-end operating lifecycle from item set-up/configuration > demand planning > print buying > inbound logistics > warehousing/fulfillment > outbound distribution > returns > customer service.
Establish a scalable operations organization (structure, roles, metrics, standard operating procedures) aligned to company strategic goals.
Serve as the operational point person for supply reliability, print and digital fulfillment, service levels, and operating cost performance.
Develop peak season capacity plans for print and digital fulfillment, customer service and support to ensure service levels during back-to-school season.
Print Buying Lead print procurement strategy, balancing unit cost, lead times, quality, risk, and capacity.
Manage vendor qualification, quoting, scheduling, quality standards, claims resolutions, and contingency capacity.
Implement decision rules for print run sizing, reprint triggers, and format/cost tradeoffs tied to demand variability.
Logistics, Distribution and Returns Own outbound performance across parcel, LTL, and any 3PL networks.
Drive freight and print fulfillment efficiency through mode optimization, cartonization/shipping logic, carrier negotiations, and warehouse process improvements.
Implement carrier scorecards to monitor invoice accuracy, damage rates, and claims.
Lead reverse logistics strategy, returns authorization, disposition (restock or pulp), and cost controls.
Demand Planning and Inventory Management Lead an inventory requirements forecasting/“runout” rhythm to align demand, supply, and financial plans – especially for new copyrights and seasonal spikes.
Improve forecast accuracy through structured exception planning, new copyright forecasting, and scenario planning.
Design inventory policies (ABC, safety stock, inventory days-on-hand targets) to optimize service levels and working capital while minimizing obsolescence.
Customer Service Operations Lead customer service and digital fulfillment performance, including achieving service level and delivery targets, analyzing contact drivers, establishing escalation paths, and ensuring proactive communication.
Implement a voice-of-customer feedback loop that translates recurring issues into operational fixes (not just ticket resolution).
Reduces defects and preventable contacts (where is my order, return disputes, EDI errors) through root-cause elimination.
Procurement and Vendor Management Own sourcing and contract management for paper, print, freight, packaging, warehousing/3PL, and related services.
Run RFP/RFQ processes, negotiate commercial terms, and implement supplier scorecards.
Manage supplier risk (continuity planning, concentration risk, compliance) and vendor performance management.
Financial and Performance Management Own operational budgets and reporting.
Establish KPI dashboards and monthly performance reviews for service, digital fulfillment, cost-to-serve, inventory and vendor performance.
Identify and deliver measurable savings, margin improvements, and working capital benefits.
Operational Excellence Lead continuous improvement initiatives to optimize end-to-end operational workflows, increase efficiency, reduce error rates, and implement scalable processes that enhance productivity, cost performance, and service quality across the business.
Partner with IT to define and execute an operations technology roadmap, driving automation, integration, and data accuracy across ERP, WMS, TMS, and EDI platforms.