Full-Time

Director of Operations

Updated on 8/19/2026

Ernest Packaging Solutions

Ernest Packaging Solutions

501-1,000 employees

Full-service packaging solutions for industry

Compensation Overview

$90k - $120k/yr

+ Bonus

San Luis Obispo, CA, USA

In Person

Bachelor's

Category
Operations & Logistics (1)
Required Skills
ERP
Six Sigma
Inventory Management
SAP Products
Customer Service
Data Analysis

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Requirements
  • Three to five years of experience managing a business operation with direct responsibility for day-to-day performance, team leadership, and operational outcomes.
  • Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional teams, ideally including customer service, purchasing, and warehouse or distribution center environments.
  • Proven ability to motivate teams, drive accountability, and align operational execution with company objectives.
  • Strong working knowledge of enterprise resource planning systems with the ability to navigate, analyze, and leverage data to drive operational decisions.
  • Experience balancing customer expectations with operational policies and supplier partnerships.
  • Strong organizational, analytical, and decision-making skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.
Responsibilities
  • Uphold the company’s core values in every interaction with customers, vendors, employees, and the sales force.
  • Direct the day-to-day operations of the division and manage, supervise, train, motivate, and maintain full accountability for office, warehouse, customer service, purchasing, accounting, and inventory functions and departments.
  • Equip, support, and hold departmental leaders accountable for adopting company and divisional initiatives and change efforts.
  • Assume personal accountability for balancing customer demand with company policies and supplier requirements.
  • Manage, support, train, and cultivate the development and success of inside staff while maintaining strong employee morale and a positive working environment.
  • Maximize division profitability by implementing programs that improve service performance and inventory management efficiency.
  • Ensure all delivery commitments are met in the most efficient manner while maintaining the lowest internal cost structure possible.
  • Authorize time worked and time lost in accordance with company policies for inside staff.
  • Observe and instruct employees on safety and security procedures.
  • Define responsibilities of assigned staff positions to achieve business objectives, provide regular performance feedback, and conduct annual reviews.
  • Develop and maintain an annual business plan that includes programs focused on improving profitability.
  • Coordinate projects and implement and sustain cost-saving measures.
  • Review daily reports, support the Sales Manager with account and salesperson analysis, and lead the resolution of operational issues.
  • Monitor inventory levels and maintain healthy turn rates.
  • Strive to exceed company goals related to gross profit production, gross profit percentage, and overall profitability.
Desired Qualifications
  • SAP experience.
  • Lean Six Sigma certification or training.
  • A four-year degree. Relevant operational leadership experience will also be strongly considered.
Ernest Packaging Solutions

Ernest Packaging Solutions

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Ernest Packaging Solutions provides packaging and industrial supply services. It helps businesses solve packaging and shipping challenges by offering a full range of products and services, from protective packaging materials to packaging design, sourcing, palletizing, and logistics support. The company works by assessing a client’s needs, selecting the right packaging, and delivering tailored solutions with ongoing service to improve operational efficiency. What sets it apart from competitors is its long history (more than 75 years), family-owned, hands-on approach, and a commitment to treating customers as partners with customized, problem-solving service. The goal is to help clients overcome logistics and packaging obstacles, improve efficiency, and maintain reliable, long-term partnerships through dependable products and tailored support.

Company Size

501-1,000

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Commerce, California

Founded

N/A

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Ernest listed 38 open roles on Greenhouse on July 31, 2026.
  • The June 2026 Tijuana soft launch targets Mexico demand and international customers.
  • ABC7 featured Ernest's February 2026 anniversary, boosting brand visibility in Southern California.

What critics are saying

  • Carlos Alvarez filed a Los Angeles class action on March 4, 2026.
  • Reed v. Ernest Packaging still signals ongoing employment-dispute exposure in 2026.
  • A broad wage-and-hour verdict can crush a thin-margin private distributor.

What makes Ernest Packaging Solutions unique

  • Ernest celebrated 80 years in March 2026, the oldest independent U.S. packaging business.
  • Its 14 locations and Tijuana facility create cross-border service coverage across North America.
  • Custom packaging design, CAD, and innovation-lab services differentiate it from commodity distributors.

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Benefits

Performance Bonus

Company News

NaijaPreneur
Apr 26th, 2025
Treasure Ernest: Championing African MSMEs with Strategic Digital Marketing

In a bold move to nurture homegrown talent, Ernest also recently launched a free incubation program for creators in Nigeria's South-South region.