Director, Retail Support Center (Distribution Center)
Top Benefits
About the role
Requisition ID: 190858
Career Group: Distribution Centre Management
Job Category: Administration
Travel Requirements: 0 - 10%
Job Type: Full-Time
Country: Canada (CA)
Province: British Columbia
City: Surrey
Embark on a rewarding career with Sobeys Inc., celebrated among Canada’s Top 100 employers, where your talents contribute to our commitment to excellence and community impact.
Our family of 128,000 employees and franchise affiliates share a collective passion for delivering exceptional shopping experiences and amazing food to all our customers. Our mission is to nurture the things that make life better – great experiences, families, communities, and our employees. We are a family nurturing families.
A proudly Canadian company, we started in a small town in Nova Scotia but we are now in communities of all sizes across this great country. With over 1,600 stores in all 10 provinces, you may know us as Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Foodland, FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, Lawtons Drug Stores or another of our great banners but we are all one extended family.
Ready to Make an impact?
We’re looking for a strategic Director to take our Retail Support Center (distribution center) to new heights. With oversight of a center serving hundreds of team members and handling millions of cases per year, this role is central to shaping distribution excellence and delivering outstanding service to our customers.
This is more than operations; it’s about building high-performing teams, cultivating culture, and driving transformation across a complex and critical network.
Here’s where you’ll be focusing:
- Full leadership of a distribution center, managing between 100 to 700 employees
- Oversee distribution center and transportation operations, including third-party providers
- Lead execution of final mile, maintenance, and linehaul/shuttle transportation
- Manage budgets ranging from $20M to $100M (CAPEX and OPEX), and hold site leadership accountable
- Monitor and exceed KPIs: on-time delivery, financial performance, accuracy, damages, and more
- Drive continuous improvement with Supply Chain partners
- Lead cultural transformation to enhance customer service and team performance
- Promote DEI, leadership development, and succession planning
- Collaborate on strategic network development projects
- Champion workplace safety and proactive risk management
What you have to offer:
-
Undergraduate degree and 10+ years’ experience in complex distribution leadership (preferred)
-
Proven success leading high-volume operations, preferably in grocery or similar sector
-
Deep understanding of transportation tools, warehouse systems, and logistics tech
-
Strong grasp of financials, planning, and supply chain strategy
-
An empowering, inclusive leadership style with experience managing union/non-union labor
-
Exceptional communication, organizational, and relationship-building skills
-
Expertise in Labour Relations, talent development, change leadership
-
Ability to partner across departments and lead with agility and influence
#LI-Hybrid #LI-LM1
At Sobeys we require our teammates to have the ability to adhere to a hybrid work model that requires your presence at one of our office locations at least three days per week. This requirement is integral to our commitment to team collaboration and the overall success of our office culture.
We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards package, which varies by role and designed to help our teammates to live better – physically, financially and emotionally.
The salary range for this position inBritish Columbia is $120,000.00 - $165,000.00 . We will consider factors such as your working location, work experience and skills as well as internal equity, and market conditions to ensure that you are paid fairly and competitively.
Our Total Rewards programs, for full-time teammates, goes well beyond your paycheque:
-
Competitive Benefits Package, tailored to meet your needs, including health and dental coverage, life, short- and long-term disability insurance.
-
Access to Virtual Health Care Platform and Employee and Family Assistance Program.
-
A Retirement and Savings Plan that provides you with the opportunity to build and add value to your savings.
-
A 10% in-store discount at our participating banners and access to a wide range of other discount programs, making your purchases more affordable.
-
Learning and Development Resources to fuel your professional growth.
-
Parental leave top-up
-
Paid Vacation and Days-off
We are committed to accommodating applicants with disabilities throughout the hiring process and will work with applicants requesting accommodation at any stage of this process.
About Sobeys
As one of only two national grocery retailers in Canada, Sobeys Inc. serves the food shopping needs of Canadians with more than 1,500 stores in 10 provinces with retail banners that include Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Foodland, FreshCo, Price Chopper, Thrifty Foods and Lawtons Drugs, as well as more than 330 retail fuel locations. Our five core retail food formats are designed to ensure that we have the right offering in the right-sized stores for each individual market we serve — from our full service format to the convenience format, each tailored to satisfy the unique occasion-based food shopping needs of our customers.
Our 134,000 employees and franchise affiliates are committed to building sustainable worth for each of our customers, employees, suppliers and shareholders through our focus on food, innovation and superior customer service.
En tant que l'un des deux seuls détaillants alimentaires présents dans tout le Canada, Sobeys Inc. répond aux besoins en épicerie de sa clientèle par le biais de ses quelque 1 500 magasins. Répartis dans chacune des dix provinces, ceux-ci arborent diverses bannières de détail dont Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Foodland, FreshCo, Price Chopper, Thrifty Foods et Lawtons Drugs, ainsi que plus de 330 stations d'essence. Nos magasins d'alimentation sont conçus en fonction de cinq concepts de base afin que l'offre aux consommateurs et la taille des magasins conviennent le mieux à chacun des marchés que nous desservons. Du magasin à gamme complète de services jusqu'au dépanneur, chacun est adapté de façon à combler les besoins particuliers de notre clientèle en fonction de l'occasion d'achat.
En raison de l'importance qu'ils accordent à l'alimentation, à l'innovation et à l'excellence du service à la clientèle, nos quelque 125 000 employés et marchands affiliés se montrent soucieux de créer de la valeur de façon durable pour chacun de nos partenaires, qu'ils soient clients, employés, fournisseurs ou actionnaires.
Director, Retail Support Center (Distribution Center)
Top Benefits
About the role
Requisition ID: 190858
Career Group: Distribution Centre Management
Job Category: Administration
Travel Requirements: 0 - 10%
Job Type: Full-Time
Country: Canada (CA)
Province: British Columbia
City: Surrey
Embark on a rewarding career with Sobeys Inc., celebrated among Canada’s Top 100 employers, where your talents contribute to our commitment to excellence and community impact.
Our family of 128,000 employees and franchise affiliates share a collective passion for delivering exceptional shopping experiences and amazing food to all our customers. Our mission is to nurture the things that make life better – great experiences, families, communities, and our employees. We are a family nurturing families.
A proudly Canadian company, we started in a small town in Nova Scotia but we are now in communities of all sizes across this great country. With over 1,600 stores in all 10 provinces, you may know us as Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Foodland, FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, Lawtons Drug Stores or another of our great banners but we are all one extended family.
Ready to Make an impact?
We’re looking for a strategic Director to take our Retail Support Center (distribution center) to new heights. With oversight of a center serving hundreds of team members and handling millions of cases per year, this role is central to shaping distribution excellence and delivering outstanding service to our customers.
This is more than operations; it’s about building high-performing teams, cultivating culture, and driving transformation across a complex and critical network.
Here’s where you’ll be focusing:
- Full leadership of a distribution center, managing between 100 to 700 employees
- Oversee distribution center and transportation operations, including third-party providers
- Lead execution of final mile, maintenance, and linehaul/shuttle transportation
- Manage budgets ranging from $20M to $100M (CAPEX and OPEX), and hold site leadership accountable
- Monitor and exceed KPIs: on-time delivery, financial performance, accuracy, damages, and more
- Drive continuous improvement with Supply Chain partners
- Lead cultural transformation to enhance customer service and team performance
- Promote DEI, leadership development, and succession planning
- Collaborate on strategic network development projects
- Champion workplace safety and proactive risk management
What you have to offer:
-
Undergraduate degree and 10+ years’ experience in complex distribution leadership (preferred)
-
Proven success leading high-volume operations, preferably in grocery or similar sector
-
Deep understanding of transportation tools, warehouse systems, and logistics tech
-
Strong grasp of financials, planning, and supply chain strategy
-
An empowering, inclusive leadership style with experience managing union/non-union labor
-
Exceptional communication, organizational, and relationship-building skills
-
Expertise in Labour Relations, talent development, change leadership
-
Ability to partner across departments and lead with agility and influence
#LI-Hybrid #LI-LM1
At Sobeys we require our teammates to have the ability to adhere to a hybrid work model that requires your presence at one of our office locations at least three days per week. This requirement is integral to our commitment to team collaboration and the overall success of our office culture.
We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards package, which varies by role and designed to help our teammates to live better – physically, financially and emotionally.
The salary range for this position inBritish Columbia is $120,000.00 - $165,000.00 . We will consider factors such as your working location, work experience and skills as well as internal equity, and market conditions to ensure that you are paid fairly and competitively.
Our Total Rewards programs, for full-time teammates, goes well beyond your paycheque:
-
Competitive Benefits Package, tailored to meet your needs, including health and dental coverage, life, short- and long-term disability insurance.
-
Access to Virtual Health Care Platform and Employee and Family Assistance Program.
-
A Retirement and Savings Plan that provides you with the opportunity to build and add value to your savings.
-
A 10% in-store discount at our participating banners and access to a wide range of other discount programs, making your purchases more affordable.
-
Learning and Development Resources to fuel your professional growth.
-
Parental leave top-up
-
Paid Vacation and Days-off
We are committed to accommodating applicants with disabilities throughout the hiring process and will work with applicants requesting accommodation at any stage of this process.
About Sobeys
As one of only two national grocery retailers in Canada, Sobeys Inc. serves the food shopping needs of Canadians with more than 1,500 stores in 10 provinces with retail banners that include Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Foodland, FreshCo, Price Chopper, Thrifty Foods and Lawtons Drugs, as well as more than 330 retail fuel locations. Our five core retail food formats are designed to ensure that we have the right offering in the right-sized stores for each individual market we serve — from our full service format to the convenience format, each tailored to satisfy the unique occasion-based food shopping needs of our customers.
Our 134,000 employees and franchise affiliates are committed to building sustainable worth for each of our customers, employees, suppliers and shareholders through our focus on food, innovation and superior customer service.
En tant que l'un des deux seuls détaillants alimentaires présents dans tout le Canada, Sobeys Inc. répond aux besoins en épicerie de sa clientèle par le biais de ses quelque 1 500 magasins. Répartis dans chacune des dix provinces, ceux-ci arborent diverses bannières de détail dont Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Foodland, FreshCo, Price Chopper, Thrifty Foods et Lawtons Drugs, ainsi que plus de 330 stations d'essence. Nos magasins d'alimentation sont conçus en fonction de cinq concepts de base afin que l'offre aux consommateurs et la taille des magasins conviennent le mieux à chacun des marchés que nous desservons. Du magasin à gamme complète de services jusqu'au dépanneur, chacun est adapté de façon à combler les besoins particuliers de notre clientèle en fonction de l'occasion d'achat.
En raison de l'importance qu'ils accordent à l'alimentation, à l'innovation et à l'excellence du service à la clientèle, nos quelque 125 000 employés et marchands affiliés se montrent soucieux de créer de la valeur de façon durable pour chacun de nos partenaires, qu'ils soient clients, employés, fournisseurs ou actionnaires.