About Our Client
Our client is a privately held, 100+ year old organization that has been in business since 1918 and generates $6.9 billion in revenue with a dedicated team of 1,200 employees. Operating under an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), the team members are co-owners who are deeply vested in the long-term success of the company. The organization has consistently achieved a minimum of 27% growth year over year. Driven by strong leadership and continuous investment, it has evolved into a highly innovative technology business rather than a classic distribution enterprise, fostering an exceptional culture with massive room for professional advancement.
The Opportunity
The organization is seeking a strategic, hands-on leader to oversee, modernize, and scale its North American physical security and safety function across a rapidly growing multi-site distribution and logistics network. Reporting directly to the Senior Vice President, this highly visible role sits at the intersection of enterprise security operations, asset protection, crisis preparedness, and security technology modernization. The company is actively moving away from a legacy, people-dependent security environment and investing heavily in a modern, technology-enabled, proactive ecosystem. The incoming leader will have a blank canvas to design and execute a three-phase vision to stabilize current processes, design future-state security architecture, and implement advanced solutions such as AI integration, automation, and sophisticated surveillance infrastructure across the network.
The Location
The primary preference for this role is for a candidate located near the regional headquarters in the Harrisburg, PA area, or situated close to an existing operational footprint. However, highly qualified candidates outside of these regions may be considered, with remote work arrangements available for the ideal profile. Travel expectations vary based on the candidate's primary location, ranging from 20-25% for individuals residing within the footprint to 40-50% for those working remotely, ensuring consistent visibility and oversight across corporate offices and multiple distribution centers throughout the United States and Canada.
What You Will Do
- Develop and execute a comprehensive North American physical security and safety strategy to protect personnel, facilities, high-value inventory, and operational assets across all corporate and distribution locations.
- Lead an operational three-phase transformation starting with the immediate stabilization of existing systems, followed by the strategic design and scalable rollout of modernized security architecture.
- Evaluate, design, and implement advanced technical platforms and security systems, including access control governance, surveillance modernization, and security operations center (SOC) capabilities.
- Rethink traditional monitoring approaches by embedding automation, robotics, and AI-enabled capabilities into daily security operations to reduce manual dependencies.
- Manage and support supportive operational safety programs, ensuring compliance with OSHA regulations, managing incident tracking, conducting accident investigations, and coordinating return-to-work processes.
- Lead enterprise-wide investigations regarding security breaches, operational concerns, or asset protection, utilizing approachability and high emotional intelligence to extract information.
- Oversee, negotiate, and optimize relationships with outsourced guard forces and technical security systems vendors.
- Develop, manage, and advocate for the departmental security and safety budget while monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) and risk metrics for executive leadership.
- Partner cross-functionally with internal stakeholders in HR, Legal, IT, and Quality, and cultivate external relationships with carriers, transportation partners, and local, state, or federal law enforcement agencies.
- Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing team of security professionals while delivering training programs that foster an enterprise-wide culture of safety awareness and accountability.
- Maintain 24/7 accountability and high operational availability to manage crisis response, emergency preparedness, and sound decision-making during real-time emergency situations.
Who You Are
- An experienced security leader with 10+ years of dedicated physical security experience, 5+ years of management experience, and 5+ years of experience overseeing operational safety initiatives.
- A hands-on builder and operator who thrives in fast-paced, high-intensity entrepreneurial environments and prefers active operational engagement over "ivory tower" delegation.
- An expert in security technology platforms with a proven track record of upgrading legacy infrastructure and introducing automated or AI-enabled systems.
- A polished, relationship-driven communicator with high emotional intelligence, capable of translating complex technological issues into business terms for senior executives while remaining approachable to hourly warehouse teams.
- A seasoned investigator with specialized training or extensive practical capability in investigative interviewing, presenting a calm, trusted, and objective alternative to a traditional "rough and gruff" security profile.
- A collaborative partner who understands how to navigate organizational change management and can seamlessly embed security protocols into daily logistics operations without causing unnecessary business friction.
- A disciplined risk manager with a strong understanding of industrial safety conscious environments, supply chain vulnerabilities, and multi-site operational risks.
- An accountable leader possessing a true ownership mentality, fully embracing the operational intensity, urgency, and flexible availability required to secure a multi-site network.
The Ideal Candidate is a tactical and strategic leader who brings an extensive background protecting personnel and high-value inventory within multi-site distribution, warehousing, logistics, third-party logistics (3PL), or large-scale manufacturing environments. This individual must possess direct experience exposure to security operations centers (SOC) and technical access control and surveillance platforms, alongside a practical knowledge of OSHA frameworks, incident tracking, and emergency response program development. While a Bachelor's degree in Business, Criminal Justice, or a related field is preferred, practical expertise as an experienced operator can fully outweigh formal educational requirements. Professional familiarity with international trade and security compliance standards such as CTPAT or TAPA-A audits and experience leading quality certification programs like ISO 9001, ISO 14001, or ISO 27001 will highly distinguish the top tier of candidates.
Why Join the Team?
This is a rare opportunity to step out of a rigid corporate structure and into an open-canvas environment where you can truly leave a meaningful, long-term thumbprint on an expanding organization. Rather than simply maintaining a legacy security program, you will be given the leadership sponsorship, direct executive advocacy, and budget backing needed to build a modern, next-generation security operation from the ground up. As a co-owner in a highly innovative, fast-growing company with a collaborative culture, your work directly impacts enterprise-wide strategy and operations, offering visibility and professional fulfillment that traditional, highly layered organizations cannot match.
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About Naviga Recruiting & Executive Search
Naviga Recruiting & Executive Search is a leading provider of Contingent Workforce Solutions, Executive Search, Leadership and Individual Contributor hiring, empowering businesses to achieve their strategic objectives through expert talent acquisition. Our specialties include sales, marketing, finance/accounting and operations hiring. With a commitment to excellence and a deep understanding of market trends, Naviga Recruiting & Executive Search helps organizations build high-performing teams and navigate complex workforce challenges. Naviga Recruiting & Executive
