About Alec’s Ice Cream

Alec’s Ice Cream is building a next-generation food company focused on naturally better-for-you daily indulgences. We believe consumers should not have to choose between exceptional taste, ingredient integrity, and products they can feel good about enjoying regularly.

We are changing the way people indulge by creating products that feel more modern, more craveable, and more aligned with what consumers want today. Our goal is to help redefine the category and build the brand that becomes the defining next-generation name in ice cream.

For people who want to be self-starters, own their function with real autonomy, and work with a values-led team on a big mission, Alec’s is a place to do meaningful work and help build something exceptional.

Role Description

The Vice President of Operations is a full-time, hybrid role based in El Segundo, CA. VP of Operations owns the end-to-end supply chain, from raw material purchasing and co-packer management through order fulfillment.

The VP of Operations reports directly to the CEO and leads both the supply chain organization and manufacturing partners, including Quality Assurance. As a key member of the leadership team, this executive will have broad influence across manufacturing, supply planning, warehousing and distribution, capacity, continuous improvement, and operational performance. This is an opportunity to build a strong foundation, develop high-performing teams, and create scalable solutions that support continued growth.

Key Responsibilities

Co-Packer & Production Oversight

• Own the relationship with our co-packing partners, who are critical to the business: run regular business reviews, set clear performance expectations, and resolve issues at the executive level
• Ensure production capacity is always available to meet demand by partnering with co-packers on capacity planning, scheduling, and forward commitments ahead of forecasted growth
• Build redundancy into the network by qualifying and onboarding backup or secondary co-packers to protect against capacity shortfalls or quality failures
• Lead contract negotiations and cost discussions as agreements come up for renewal or as new co-packers are added
• Monitor production yields and performance, troubleshoot issues that affect cost, quality, or service, and drive co-packer cost reductions and efficiency gains

Strategic Sourcing & Procurement

• Develop and implement sourcing strategy for raw materials and packaging
• Negotiate strategic supplier agreements and pricing; manage overall vendor performance
• Onboard and qualify new suppliers to optimize sourcing strategy and reduce overall input costs
• Inventory & Demand Planning
• Translate demand forecasts into production and inventory plans with co-packers and raw material suppliers
• Plan raw material and packaging requirements, capacity, and shelf life to keep inventory at target levels
• Set safety stock levels and manage inventory to minimize waste and obsolescence

Order Fulfillment & Logistics

• Oversee frozen warehousing, 3PL partners, and freight across the network, run regular business reviews, and maintain cold-chain integrity from plant to customer
• Own on-time-in-full (OTIF) performance against retailer and distributor requirements, track and report root causes of misses, reduce chargebacks and fines, and put corrective actions in place to prevent repeat issues
• Manage logistics spend and carrier relationships, run freight bids, and drive load consolidation

Quality Assurance

• Ensure product meets spec and food safety standards across all production runs
• Own audit readiness and compliance documentation
• Ensure product consistency and adherence to sensory specifications across all production runs and co-packers
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive quality manual and a formal co-packer quality management process, including audits, corrective actions, and spec sign-off

Team Leadership

• Build, lead, and scale a high-performing supply chain and manufacturing organization, including QA, by hiring and developing talent and defining clear roles and responsibilities
• Set clear goals and performance expectations, provide regular coaching and feedback, and invest in the growth of direct reports

Qualifications & Experience

• 10+ years in food/CPG supply chain and manufacturing operations, with end-to-end experience across planning, sourcing, and logistics, and direct experience managing a large team
• Hands-on experience with inventory management, demand forecasting, and ERP/supply chain planning systems
• Experience building or scaling a QA function
• Strong analytical skills; comfortable owning and reporting on COGS-driving metrics
• Excellent negotiation and vendor management skills
• Experience managing new product commercialization or launch processes in a food/CPG environment
• P&L or margin ownership experience, with a track record of delivering measurable cost reductions
• Food safety knowledge preferred (SQF/BRC/HACCP exposure a plus); certification not required
• Ability and willingness to travel for co-packer and vendor site visits