Pelican Chemicals, Inc. is a Montana-based specialty chemical manufacturer serving aviation, municipal and industrial customers across the United States. Founded in 1993, Pelican operates facilities in several locations across the US. Our products include runway and pavement deicers, water-treatment chemicals and industrial process chemicals.
We are seeking a hands-on Business Operations & Supply Chain Manager to take ownership of the business details that keep the company running reliably. This person will build and manage the operating system connecting customer orders, purchasing, inventory, freight and carrier management, recurring company compliance, financial administration and our Odoo ERP platform.
A major part of the position is developing and managing Pelican's transportation network. The successful candidate will not simply arrange individual shipments; this person will identify and qualify providers, establish durable relationships, negotiate rates and service expectations, secure seasonal capacity, monitor performance and ensure backup coverage for critical lanes.
This is not a narrowly defined supply-chain position or a purely strategic management role. The successful candidate will establish processes and accountability while remaining close enough to the work to resolve exceptions, verify completion and make sure important details do not fall through the cracks.
How the role fits within Pelican
The Business Operations & Supply Chain Manager reports directly to the CEO and supervises an Administrative & Accounting Coordinator. The position works closely with Pelican's Operations Manager, who is responsible for plant production, facility safety, maintenance and operator staffing. This role owns the business-side processes supporting the facilities, including material planning, purchasing coordination, inventory visibility, transportation, order administration, ERP workflows and recurring company obligations.
Business operations and order execution
- Manage the customer-order process from receipt through acknowledgement, inventory allocation, production coordination, shipment, invoicing and follow-up.
- Maintain a visible master operating queue covering orders, purchasing commitments, shipments, administrative deadlines and unresolved exceptions.
- Establish clear handoffs among customers, administration, purchasing, production, logistics and accounting.
- Ensure customer and vendor records, approved pricing, shipping requirements and supporting documentation are complete and accurate.
- Identify risks early and bring the CEO clear facts, options and recommended actions.
Purchasing, inventory and supply-chain planning
- Maintain a rolling 13-week purchasing and inbound-material plan based on demand, inventory, supplier lead times and production requirements.
- Issue routine purchase orders within approved plans and follow them through acknowledgement, shipment, receipt and resolution of discrepancies.
- Establish reliable inventory visibility across Pelican's operating locations.
- Work with the Operations Manager and plant personnel to reconcile system inventory with actual plant activity.
- Monitor shortages, late deliveries and other supply risks before they become emergencies.
Freight, logistics and carrier management
- Own Pelican's transportation program across inbound raw materials, interfacility transfers and outbound customer deliveries.
- Identify, evaluate and establish relationships with reliable asset-based carriers, freight brokers, tanker operators, truckload and LTL providers and other transportation partners.
- Develop a dependable carrier network for regular lanes and secure backup providers for critical locations, specialized equipment and periods of peak winter demand.
- Negotiate transportation rates, lane agreements and service-level expectations covering capacity, response times, tracking, delivery performance, documentation, detention, accessorial charges and claims handling.
- Maintain current lane pricing, carrier capabilities, equipment requirements, insurance documentation, contacts and performance history in Odoo or other approved systems.
- Establish a consistent process for requesting and comparing freight quotations based on total service value, not price alone.
- Coordinate shipment scheduling, pickup and delivery appointments, customer requirements, tracking, bills of lading, proofs of delivery and related documentation.
- Monitor provider performance using measures such as quote responsiveness, tender acceptance, on-time pickup and delivery, communication, documentation accuracy, claims and billing accuracy.
- Conduct periodic carrier reviews and drive freight discrepancies, service failures, detention charges, cargo claims and invoice variances through resolution.
- Develop seasonal transportation plans in advance, including forecasted lane requirements, equipment needs, surge capacity and contingency providers.
Administrative compliance and recurring obligations
- Own Pelican's master calendar for recurring company filings, renewals, registrations and reporting requirements.
- Coordinate sales and use tax administration, including state registrations, nexus monitoring, exemption certificates, filing information, returns and supporting records.
- Manage annual reports, business licenses, permits, state and local registrations and other recurring company-level requirements.
- Coordinate insurance-policy renewals, certificates of insurance, audits and supporting documentation.
- Work with outside accountants, tax professionals, insurance representatives, legal counsel and other advisors when specialized judgment is required.
- Maintain clear evidence that required filings and renewals were completed accurately and on time.
- Escalate tax positions, accounting policy, legal interpretation and material business risk to the CEO and appropriate professional advisor.
ERP systems and team management
- Serve as the business-process owner for Odoo ERP across order management, purchasing, inventory, logistics, invoicing and related administrative workflows.
- Define practical workflows, roles, approvals, data standards and exception procedures; test processes, train users and monitor adoption.
- Supervise and develop an Administrative & Accounting Coordinator with clear schedules, written standards, priorities, deadlines and escalation rules.
- Coordinate routine accounts-receivable, accounts-payable, payroll, customer setup, vendor setup, expense and document-administration activities.
- Develop clear SOPs, checklists, approval controls and recurring management reports.
- Recommend staffing, role or process changes when the current structure cannot reliably meet the company's needs.
What success looks like
- Customer orders, purchasing commitments, shipments, compliance deadlines and open exceptions are visible, owned and followed through.
- Pelican has qualified primary and backup providers for critical inbound, interfacility and outbound lanes.
- Regular lanes have documented rates, equipment requirements, contacts, service expectations and escalation procedures.
- Carrier selection is based on documented cost and performance information rather than repeatedly starting from scratch.
- Transportation capacity and contingency plans are established before the fall and winter operating season.
- Odoo becomes the dependable operating record rather than an additional layer of work.
- Routine business coordination, carrier follow-up and recurring administrative obligations no longer depend on the CEO.
What we are looking for
- Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in manufacturing, distribution, supply chain, logistics, business operations or a similarly execution-focused environment.
- Demonstrated ownership of several connected processes such as customer orders, purchasing, inventory, freight, ERP workflows, accounting administration or company compliance.
- Demonstrated experience sourcing, evaluating and managing freight carriers, brokers or third-party logistics providers.
- Experience negotiating freight rates, lane agreements, service expectations or transportation SLAs.
- Working knowledge of truckload, LTL, bulk-liquid tanker or specialized industrial freight operations; direct experience with every mode is not required.
- Ability to evaluate transportation providers based on reliability, equipment, communication, risk and total delivered cost, not quoted price alone.
- Experience supervising, coaching and holding employees accountable.
- Strong organizational judgment and a record of improving operating processes and making those improvements durable.
- Strong written communication, follow-through and problem-solving skills.
- Experience with ERP implementation or process ownership; Odoo experience is helpful but not required.
- Ability to work primarily onsite in Missoula, particularly during the first six months, and travel periodically across the US.
- Experience in specialty chemicals, industrial manufacturing, public-sector contracting, multi-state tax administration, seasonal operations or multi-location inventory management is helpful but not required.
A bachelor's degree in business, supply chain, accounting, operations or a related field is preferred. Substantial relevant experience may substitute for formal education.
Pay: $75,000.00 - $100,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Relocation assistance
Work Location: In person
