Vice President, Operations

BRĒZ is one of the fastest-growing beverages in the US and leader in the hemp-derived beverage industry. We're on a mission to reduce human suffering and maximize human potential through a better beverage. BRĒZ promotes a sense of euphoria, relaxation, and social energy, through conscious compounds tailored to a lifestyle focused on balance, enjoyment, and mindful consumption.

• A seasoned operations executive with deep expertise in CPG, cannabis, or beverage manufacturing.
• Skilled at building operational infrastructure in fast-growth, heavily regulated industries.
• Comfortable leading large, diverse teams across supply chain, procurement, logistics, and production.
• Equally focused on efficiency, compliance, and culture-building.
• Excited to work cross-functionally with peers in Finance, People Operations, Sales, Marketing, and Product to drive company-wide alignment.
• Thrive in fast paced, dynamic startup environments.
• Passion for functional wellness, non-alcoholic beverage, cannabis, mushrooms, and other adaptogenic or nootropic therapeutic compounds.
• Embrace creativity and innovation, and always up for a new challenge.
• Eager to join a team aiming to revolutionize the beverage industry and make a meaningful impact on the lives of our customers.

At BRĒZ you will play a pivotal role in driving brand awareness, enhancing retail partnerships, and delivering impactful trade and consumer experiences. This position requires a strategic, creative, and organized professional who thrives at the intersection of marketing, sales, and brand activation. This position is ideal for someone with a drive to build relationships, a strategic mindset, and a passion for creating unforgettable brand experiences.

People & Supplier Leadership

• Build and lead a high-performing operations team across supply chain, procurement, logistics, production, and quality.
• Establish a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement.
• Foster cross-functional collaboration and ensure clear, consistent communication across departments.
• Establish strong vendor relationships and redundancy within the supply chain to reduce risk, build capacity, and improve costs

Operational Scope & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Oversee end-to-end operations, including supply chain, procurement, logistics, production, inventory control & forecasting, and QA & QC
• Partner with Product and R&D to efficiently commercialize new innovations ensuring systems, vendors, and teams are prepared to scale. Lead innovation stages and gates process to ensure cross functional collaboration
• Build strong systems and foundational processes with Sales (retail & Ecom) to stabilize the forecasting accuracy (S&OP) of the core business while also supporting incremental growth within these sales channels through newness
• Align operational processes with Finance and Sales and Marketing to support margin targets, velocity, and distribution growth.

Financial & P&L Ownership

• Own the Operations P&L, establish accurate COGS reporting through MRP / ERP system implementation and management.
• Track key metrics (OpEx) within Ops vertical: logistics, warehousing and fulfillment etc.
• Build and manage the production budget in partnership with Finance, ensuring accurate forecasting, disciplined spend, and proactive cash flow management across production, supply chain, and logistics
• Balance investments in capacity, systems, and innovation with profitability and cash flow requirements.
• Monitor key metrics (gross margin, cost per unit, inventory carrying costs, freight cost, OTIF, etc) and lead initiatives to improve them.
• Drive gross margin improvement through vendor negotiations, supply chain optimization, and cost savings in production and logistics.
• Implement lean practices that balance cost discipline with scalability.
• Effectively manage cash flow and unlock working capital through improved vendor relations, payment terms, and forecasting (supply agreements)

Strategic Growth

• Design and implement scalable systems, processes, and tools to enhance visibility, accuracy, and speed across operations.
• Ensure operational controls support efficiency, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance.
• Lead ERP and technology adoption to standardize workflows and enable data-driven decision making.
• Continuously refine processes to reduce bottlenecks and improve throughput.
• Manage and onboard new strategic partners — including copackers, 3PLs, and suppliers — to expand and strengthen our operational capabilities.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. 

• 10+ years in operations leadership, with at least 5 years in a senior/executive capacity.
• Proven track record of scaling operations in cannabis, CPG, or beverage industries.
• Strong knowledge of regulatory frameworks (FDA, TTB, USDA, cannabis compliance).
• Experience with supply chain logistics, vendor negotiations, and manufacturing optimization.
• Exceptional leadership and communication skills, with the ability to partner across departments.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Operations, Supply Chain, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• Creative thinker with a keen eye for detail and a strong sense of brand consistency.
• Familiarity with event planning and execution, including coordination of logistics and promotional campaigns
• Excellent relationship-building, and communication skills
• Strong presentation skills, ability to tailor messaging to the audience 
• Conflict resolution and problem-solving skills
• Proven leadership supporting remote and local teams 
• Must be able to effectively communicate in English, both verbally and written. 
• Possess basic mathematical skills: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division 

• 40% Travel required to events, venues, and various locations within the region
• Experience in the beverage, CPG, or cannabis industries is a plus.