Director of Supply Chain - New York - Ultra Pouches

Description

Ultra | Nicotine-Free Pouches for Focus & Energy

About Ultra

Ultra is already the #1 brand of nicotine-free pouches in the world and we only launched 6 months ago —we're just getting started. Our mission is to build the category-defining brand of functional pouches for people who want enhanced performance without the crash, addiction, or long-term downsides. Ultra does not just make a pouch that is somewhat "better for you" than Zyn. We make functional performance products that are actively good for you.

The market shift is massive: nicotine pouch sales are up 3,000% since 2019 and projected to reach $20B by 2026. Consumers are adopting the pouch form factor at scale, and many are now seeking nicotine-free functional benefits in a pouch. Ultra is positioned to lead that wave.

Backed by some of the best investors, founders and athletes in the world, including:

• Left Lane Capital (Blank Street, Olipop, Holy)
• Sugar Capital (Grüns, Feastables, Lucky Energy)
• Athletes & Creators
  • Joe Burrow, Dak Prescott, Henrik Lundqvist, Jakob Chychrun + more
• Founders & Operators
  • Chad Janis (Grüns), Harpreet Singh (Oura Ring), Jeff Rader (Harry's), Vinay Menda (Blank Street), + more

Learn more:

The Role

As Director of Supply Chain at ULTRA, you will own the systems, partners, and execution that keep the business running as we scale—from DTC to retail and beyond. Your mandate is simple but demanding: build a supply chain that scales fast, stays reliable, and protects margin.

You'll oversee everything from demand planning and manufacturing to inventory, logistics, and retail readiness. This is not a passive operations role. You'll be expected to anticipate growth, design resilient systems, and make high-conviction tradeoffs in real time as ULTRA expands SKUs, channels, and geographies.

You'll work closely with Product, R&D, Retail, Growth, and Finance to ensure supply never becomes the bottleneck—or the silent killer of velocity, margins, or brand trust. As we move aggressively into retail in 2026, this role becomes mission-critical.

We're looking for a builder: someone who has scaled supply chains before, knows where things break, and takes pride in running tight, disciplined operations without slowing the business down.

What You'll Own

End-to-End Supply Chain Ownership

• Own ULTRA's supply chain end-to-end: forecasting, manufacturing, inventory, logistics, and fulfillment.
• Ensure the supply chain scales in lockstep with growth—across DTC, wholesale, and retail channels.
• Act as the single point of accountability for supply availability, cost, and reliability.

Demand Planning & Forecasting

• Build and own demand planning models that incorporate growth targets, seasonality, promotions, and retail expansion.
• Partner with Growth and Retail to translate plans into executable production schedules.
• Continuously refine forecasting accuracy as the business scales.

Manufacturing & Vendor Management

• Own relationships with co‑manufacturers, suppliers, and logistics partners.
• Lead capacity planning, MOQ negotiation, lead‑time management, and contingency planning.
• Ensure manufacturing partners meet ULTRA's standards for quality, consistency, and reliability.

Inventory & Working Capital Management

• Balance service levels with capital efficiency—avoiding stockouts without bloated inventory.
• Own inventory strategy across SKUs, channels, and geographies.
• Partner with Finance to manage cash flow, COGS, and working capital tradeoffs.

Retail Readiness & Scale

• Ensure ULTRA is operationally ready for retail scale: OTIF performance, distributor coordination, and retail‑specific requirements.
• Partner closely with the Head of Retail to support lighthouse markets, pilots, and expansion gates.
• Build systems that support regional and national retail growth without operational chaos.

Logistics & Fulfillment

• Own inbound and outbound logistics, warehousing, and fulfillment partners.
• Optimize for cost, speed, and reliability across domestic (and future international) operations.
• Continuously pressure‑test the network as volume and complexity increase.

Risk Management & Resilience

• Identify supply chain risks early—capacity constraints, single‑point failures, geopolitical or regulatory exposure.
• Build redundancy, contingency plans, and clear escalation paths.
• Ensure ULTRA can move fast without breaking when conditions change.

Systems, Process & Team Building

• Build and refine the systems, tools, and SOPs that allow the supply chain to scale cleanly.
• Hire and lead a high‑performing supply chain / ops team as complexity increases.
• Establish clear operating rhythms, metrics, and accountability.

Why You're a Fit

• You've built or scaled supply chains at a high‑growth CPG brand, ideally across DTC and retail.
• You're fluent in forecasting, manufacturing, inventory management, and logistics—and understand how they connect.
• You're disciplined and data‑driven, but pragmatic when tradeoffs are required.
• You've managed external partners and manufacturers and know how to hold them accountable.
• You think in systems, anticipate failure points, and design for scale—not just today's volume.
• You operate like an owner: calm under pressure, decisive, and accountable.
• You embody ULTRA's values: Move fast. Be data‑driven. Take ownership. Build with intention. Compete to win.

Why ULTRA

• Build the backbone of a category‑defining brand.
  

  Supply chain will be a competitive advantage at ULTRA—not a cost center.

• Retail is coming fast.
  

  2026 expansion makes this role central to the company's success.

• Real ownership.
  

  You'll have authority, resources, and trust to design the system the right way.

• High‑impact, high‑trust environment.
  

  Your decisions will directly affect growth, margin, and customer experience—every day.

• Benefits and Perks
  

  Benefits include medical, dental, and vision coverage, HSA access, a 401(k), a Bathhouse membership for recovery and reset, and unlimited PTO

Equal Employer Opportunity

Ultra is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. We believe in and are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, national origin, gender, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital or parental status, disability, veteran status, or other class protected by applicable law.

We comply with all applicable employment laws, including the NYC Fair Chance Act, and provide reasonable accommodations for disabilities and sincerely held religious beliefs.