About Williams Sonoma - Memphis, TN & Olive Branch, MS

Since it was founded in 1956, Williams - Sonoma has grown from Chuck Williams’ single store in Sonoma, CA into one of the largest retailers in the country, with some best known and most beloved brands in home furnishings, including Williams – Sonoma. Pottery Barn and West Elm.

Our Distribution Centers serve as vital connections between factories and our retail, online and mail-order customers around the world. The Supply Chain environment is dynamic and fast-paced, and the network is expanding rapidly. If you have a background in distribution, manufacturing, engineering, transportation, finance, human resources or home delivery – and are looking for a job with a strong opportunity for gaining new skills and for advancement – our Supply Chain Organization could be just the place for you.

Williams-Sonoma, Inc Supply Chain Overview

In 2023, Williams-Sonoma was recognized as a Great Place to Work ® and Forbes Best Employers for Diversity, honors which reflect that we are truly a people-first organization. Our operation includes:

• Over 4,000 Full-Time Associates across the Supply Chain
• 15.1M square feet of small parcel, personalization, furniture, and manufacturing space in the domestic US, Williams-Sonoma has developed an agile and capable distribution network consisting of the following: 
  • Large package / furniture distribution centers located in Southern California, Northern California, Texas, Georgia, and New Jersey totaling 9.2M square feet plus another 1.2M square feet of standalone final-mile furniture hubs.
• Small package eCommerce distribution centers located in Mississippi, Arizona, and Tennessee totaling 3.9M square feet, consisting of over 1,000 full-time associates and 1,500 seasonal/temporary associates in Mississippi and Tennessee
  • Manufacturing facilities located in North Carolina and Mississippi totaling 861k square feet with over 1,500 full-time employees producing approximately $900 million - $1 billion in sales of upholstered furniture3 Sutter Street Upholstery Factories located in North Carolina and Mississippi with over 1,400 FTE’s producing approximately $900 million to $1 Billion in sales of Upholstered furniture
• Transportation Department for Ocean, Air, Trucking, and Rail consisting of over 30 transportation professionals located in Memphis, TN
• 700 associates in our Sourcing offices in 10 countries in Asia and Europe including China, Vietnam, Singapore, India, Italy, and Turkey

The Director of Engineering is responsible for leading Engineering and Facilities Maintenance teams across 13 domestic locations. In addition to leading the Engineering and Facility Maintenance teams, this role is responsible for improving operational efficiencies thru improved processes and automation. Finally, this position will partner with local and regional leadership teams to support Engineering and Facility initiatives supporting organizational objectives incorporating best in class automation and processes.

The Director of Engineering position will be located in Olive Branch, Mississippi.

You’ll be excited about this opportunity because you will....

• Lead and supervise the engineering and facilities maintenance teams; hire, train, develop, assess, and empower staff to achieve the department's goals.
• Provide recommended courses of action and options for company expansion, operations, consolidation, engineering layouts, equipment selection, staffing, ergonomics, training, and optimization of resource utilization to improve the competitive position of the broader organization.
• Work with Supply Chain leadership to develop and maintain the capital budget to ensure projects expenses are properly recorded, maintained, and reported.
• In conjunction with operations and finance, play a key role in developing overall project plans and payback analysis involving facilities, people, equipment, and technology.
• Participate in the annual budgeting process by providing required project scopes, projected expenses, and payback analysis for each project presented.
• Work with various Supply Chain leaders to understand current technology, identify gaps, and generate project definitions to be reviewed during the IT governance review to determine which projects get funded.
• Lead analytical studies in collaboration with operations and finance, targeting continuous process improvement and cost reductions while maintaining an exceptional customer experience.
• Support and evaluate the application of existing and emerging technologies to improve operational performance. (Automation)
• Provide thought leadership and innovative ideas to solve current and anticipated challenges.
• Work to streamline and optimize fulfillment activities across the Supply Chain.
• Lead the analysis and development of operational standards incorporation time and motion studies, statistical analysis, and labor planning to improve productivity, quality, and service.
• Recommend ways of reducing waste thru reorganizing workflow, relocating equipment, equipment procurement, and restructuring job duties.
• Responsible for investigating problems, generating recommendations, and implementing solutions based on the use of analytical tools.
• Adjust and revitalize work standards, procedures, and layouts as needed to reflect business changes or service enhancements
• Lead special projects as assigned for business acquisitions, facility start-ups, integration, and network optimization
• Enforce corporate and brand policies applicable to engineering and facilities.

Check out some of the required qualifications we are looking for in amazing candidates….

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Logistics, Supply Chain, or a related field
• 7-10 years of successful experience leading teams across multiple locations.
• Experience leading teams of professional Engineers and Technicians in corporate and field environments.
• Modern automation experience in Distribution Centers and/or Manufacturing
• Experience leading teams supporting direct-to-consumer (eCommerce) fulfillment operations.
• Firm understanding of operating systems, network, and infrastructure technologies, including essential metrics, failure modes, and potential resource constraints.
• Excellent written and verbal communication along with presentation skills.
• Strong analytical, numerical, and reasoning abilities; problem analysis and problem resolution at both a strategic and functional level.
• Startup mentality: scrappy, creative, hands on and constantly striving to be best-in-class

We prefer some of these qualities as well….

• Master’s or MBA (concentration in Business, Logistics, Engineering, Supply Chain, or related field)
• 11-15 years of successful experience leading a large multi-site organization.
• Previous Supply Chain Logistics, Transportation, or Engineering experience.
• Continuous improvement and lean manufacturing expertise.
• A wide range of logistics experience which may include start-ups, business turnarounds, expansion, new technologies, and equipment additions.
• Change management, including products and process.
• Ability to manipulate large quantities of data to drive business decisions is a must – expert in Microsoft Excel required.

EOE