COO na GEM Supply Company

Description

Chief Operating Officer (COO) – Multi-site Distribution

Location: Orlando, Florida (HQ), with regular day trips to 4 ancillary distribution centers across Florida (Tampa, Lakeland, Ocala, Jacksonville)

About GEM Supply

GEM Supply is a growing, fast-paced, independently owned distribution business serving customers throughout Florida and beyond from our five strategically located facilities. Rooted in a culture of service and an abundance mindset, we take pride in delivering world-class fulfillment, logistics and customer care. Our leadership team is committed to continuous improvement, innovation and ethical stewardship of our resources.

Our story began in 1930—that's over 95 years of faithful service to clients, team members and community. In recent years, we've grown aggressively through strategic acquisitions and organic expansion, yet we've maintained our fiercely independent spirit while watching many of our competitors dilute or dissolve through rollups and private equity. To each their own, we're taking a different path; a path that aligns with our core values.

Our Core Values

• Service – We strive to serve customers, teammates and communities with humility and excellence, recognizing that the highest form of leadership means putting others first.
• Diligence – We pursue our goals with discipline and reliability, understanding that excellence is found in the details and consistency of our daily work.
• Daring – We embrace innovation and courageously challenge the status quo, believing the world is abundant and that wise, bold decisions unlock new possibilities.
• Growth – We invest deeply in our people, champion personal, professional and spiritual development, and scale our business with prudence and responsibility.
• Integrity – We do what is right even when it costs us, building trust through radical transparency and unwavering accountability.

The Opportunity

We're seeking a Chief Operating Officer who will serve as both guardian of our culture and architect of our operational excellence. Reporting directly to the CEO (Visionary), the COO (Integrator) will lead our entire distribution network, overseeing warehousing, logistics, safety, purchasing, inventory, operational human resources, and budget stewardship.

This role is designed for a Level 5 Leader with a proven track record in 3PL, distribution, supply-chain management or a similar field and the heart to help a values-driven company with a transformational vision reach its next stage of growth and impact.

At GEM, our oceans are vast and blue—it's time to reimagine our operational systems from first principles, laying foundations that will honor our values and enable us to serve others for decades to come.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Excellence & Stewardship

• Provide strategic and day-to-day leadership across five distribution centers, ensuring purchasing, inventory management, warehousing, and transportation deliver exceptional service levels and sustainable profitability
• Champion operational excellence as an act of stewardship—maximizing resources entrusted to us while never compromising on quality or integrity

People Development & Culture Cultivation

• Lead and cultivate a high-performance culture deeply rooted in our faith-informed values
• Recruit, develop and mentor teams, recognizing that our people are our greatest asset
• Implement hiring and development practices that prioritize character alongside competence
• Create an environment where every team member can flourish personally and professionally; one where individuals who don’t embrace our culture and mission will self-select out

Financial Leadership & Strategic Partnership

• Exercise wise stewardship over operational budgets, P&L oversight and capital expenditures
• Partner closely with our finance leader to align forecasts, identify efficiency opportunities, and fuel responsible growth initiatives
• Make financial decisions through the lens of long-term sustainability and positive impact

Innovation & Continuous Improvement

• Design and implement scalable processes and systems (WMS, DDI Inform, etc.) that drive efficiency, transparency and continuous improvement
• Embrace our "Daring" value by courageously pursuing innovations that serve our customers better
• Foster a culture of continuous learning and adaptation

Safety & Compliance Leadership

• Maintain an unwavering commitment to safety and regulatory excellence across all facilities (OSHA, DOT, etc.)
• Champion safety as a reflection of how we value and protect the people in our care

Relationship Building & Customer Service Excellence

• Develop authentic, trust-based relationships with suppliers, carriers and key customers
• Model altruism in every customer interaction, ensuring each relationship reflects our commitment to service
• View partnerships as opportunities to create mutual value and positive impact

Vision Casting & Strategic Growth

• Collaborate with CEO and sales leadership on expansion opportunities, including new locations, acquisitions and service offerings
• Help shape and communicate the long-term vision that will guide our operations for the next season of growth

What We Offer

Comprehensive Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive compensation including performance bonus, structured to reward excellence and align with organizational success
• Benefits package commensurate with your skills, abilities and wisdom
• 401k matching, FSA and comprehensive health insurance offerings

Unique Culture & Growth Opportunities

• Join a rapidly growing company with an authentic culture that knows every soul has the same, priceless value
• Direct pathway to broad executive leadership with potential for continued advancement
• Professional development opportunities aligned with both business objectives and personal calling

Life-Enriching Benefits That Reflect Our Values:

We invest in the whole person because we believe flourishing people create flourishing organizations:

• Financial Peace University (stewarding resources wisely)
• Audible memberships (continuous learning)
• Gym memberships (physical stewardship)
• Parenting & marriage courses (strengthening families)
• College course support (educational advancement)
• Living will assistance (planning with wisdom)
• Financial advisor/retirement planning (long-term stewardship)
• Professional counseling support (mental/emotional health)
• Summer camp for employees' children (investing in the next generation)
• Charitable contribution matching (community impact)
• VTO - Volunteer Time Off (serving our communities)

At GEM Supply, we're not just building a distribution network—we're cultivating a community of altruistic leaders committed to excellence, integrity, and meaningful impact. If you're ready to help write the next chapter of our 95-year story, we'd love to hear from you.

Requirements

Ideal Candidate Profile

Professional Excellence

• 10+ years in operations leadership, preferably within third-party logistics, distribution, transportation or related sectors
• Proven track record of leading multi-site teams and scaling operations with wisdom and integrity
• Deep experience in purchasing, logistics and warehouse operations; P&L ownership experience preferred
• History of building and sustaining high-performance, values-driven teams

Leadership Character

• Genuine altruistic mindset—able to inspire teams through vision, clarity and authentic care for their development
• Skilled at holding people accountable with grace, fairness, and a commitment to their success
• Bias toward decisive action—makes timely, well-informed decisions and moves forward with confidence even in the face of incomplete information
• Demonstrates humility in leadership, quick to give credit and accept responsibility
• Leads for lasting impact rather than validation, making decisions based on what's best for the organization and its people
• Possesses an unshakeable mindset rooted in abundance—sees opportunities where others see obstacles and approaches challenges with confidence and optimism

Collaborative Spirit & Emotional Intelligence

• Eager to embrace healthy tension and dialogue with peers, understanding that diverse perspectives sharpen decision-making
• Communicates effectively during challenging conversations and demonstrates grace under pressure
• Willing to disagree-and-commit when necessary, prioritizing team unity and organizational health

Strategic & Analytical Excellence

• Comfortable with data-driven decision making while recognizing the human element in every choice
• Skilled at balancing operational precision with big-picture strategic thinking
• Demonstrates wisdom in resource allocation and process optimization

Cultural Alignment & Character

• Embraces our faith-informed values and mission with genuine enthusiasm
• Lives with integrity, demonstrating consistency between personal convictions and professional actions
• Shows evidence of personal growth mindset and commitment to serving others
• Values authenticity, transparency, and building trust through consistent character

Educational Foundation

• Bachelor's degree in supply-chain management, business administration, engineering or related field
• Advanced degree (MBA or similar) preferred, with evidence of applying learning to real-world leadership challenges

Historical Examples of Ideal Leadership Mindset:

Drawing inspiration from leadership teams who embraced their role as the Integrative Leader to the Visionary Leader:

• Cleon to Pericles • Joshua to Moses • Joseph to Pharaoh • Tim Cook to Steve Jobs

Recommended Reading: Rocket Fuel (Gino Wickman), Second In Command (Cameron Harold), Riding Shotgun (Bennett & Miles)