Job Description

The Director, Facilities and Maintenance is responsible for the strategic leadership, reliability, and performance of four 1-800-Flowers.com facilities in Central Ohio (Obetz, Groveport, Westerville, Hebron). This role ensures operational continuity across high-volume distribution and fulfillment environments that rely on advanced warehouse automation and temperature-controlled infrastructure to support perishable product handling and peak seasonal demand.

The Director oversees facilities operations, automated material handling systems, cold chain and refrigeration infrastructure, capital planning, and regulatory compliance. This leader drives standardization, uptime, safety, and cost control across all Ohio sites while supporting the company’s service commitments, especially during critical holiday surges.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Multi-Site Leadership & Operational Strategy

• Provide strategic and operational oversight for facilities, maintenance, warehouse automation, and refrigeration systems across four Central Ohio manufacturing and distribution centers.
• Standardize maintenance practices, automation reliability protocols, and cold chain management procedures across all locations.
• Develop and execute a multi-site facilities and infrastructure strategy aligned with 1-800-Flowers.com service, production, fulfillment, and growth objectives.
• Ensure readiness to support peak seasonal volume surges with zero disruption.
• Travel regularly between facilities to maintain visibility, performance alignment, and accountability.

Warehouse & Material Handling Systems

• Oversee maintenance and optimization of warehouse systems, including conveyors, sortation systems, pick-to-light/put-to-light systems, scanning systems, and other high-speed material handling technologies.
• Ensure reliability of PLC-controlled equipment and controls infrastructure.
• Partner with Operations and IT to support WMS/WCS integration and automation performance improvements.
• Drive predictive maintenance strategies to minimize downtime and maximize throughput during peak periods.
• Lead automation upgrades and capital investments to enhance efficiency and scalability.

Refrigeration & Cold Chain Management

• Oversee industrial refrigeration systems critical to preserving floral and perishable product quality.
• Ensure compliance with all refrigeration-related safety and environmental regulations.
• Maintain cold chain integrity across receiving, storage, and fulfillment operations.
• Implement preventive and predictive maintenance programs for refrigeration assets.
• Drive energy efficiency and sustainability initiatives related to temperature-controlled environments.

Facilities & Infrastructure Management

• Oversee maintenance of all building systems including HVAC, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, utilities, dock equipment, and backup power systems.
• Lead CMMS utilization and data-driven performance reporting across all facilities.
• Ensure facilities are maintained in a safe, clean, and audit-ready condition.
• Sustain 5S and continuous improvement practices within maintenance operations.

Capital Planning & Financial Management

• Develop and manage multi-site operating and capital budgets.
• Lead CAPEX planning for automation enhancements, refrigeration systems, facility upgrades, and asset replacement.
• Prepare and present business cases for major infrastructure investments.
• Ensure projects are delivered on time and within budget while minimizing operational disruption.

Compliance, Safety & Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with OSHA, EPA, state and local regulations, and refrigeration safety standards.
• Maintain robust safety programs across facilities, automation systems, and maintenance teams.
• Partner with Risk Management and Operations to mitigate operational vulnerabilities.
• Serve as liaison with contractors, inspectors, utilities, and regulatory agencies.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead and develop facilities managers, maintenance supervisors, automation technicians, and refrigeration specialists.
• Establish KPIs focused on uptime, throughput support, cold chain integrity, safety, and cost control.
• Build bench strength and succession planning across sites.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and operational excellence.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required. Degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, or related field) and/or advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in facilities and maintenance within high-volume distribution or fulfillment environments.
• Direct experience supporting warehouse systems (conveyance, sortation, PLCs, WMS/WCS integration).
• Strong background in industrial refrigeration and cold storage environments.
• Demonstrated success managing multi-site operations and capital budgets.
• Experience in high-seasonality businesses strongly preferred.
• Lean Manufacturing and/or Six Sigma experience preferred.
• Strong financial acumen and operational leadership skills.
• Willingness to travel regularly between Central Ohio facilities.