AJ HERNDON
Phoenix,AZ
Summary
Strategic Operations Leader skilled in optimizing processes that ensure efficient movement of people, materials, and commitments. Experienced in aligning throughput, service, labor, inventory, quality, and cost to enhance operational performance. Proven ability to integrate licensing, documentation, training, and quality standards to achieve reliable outcomes.
Overview
1
1
Certification
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
Director of Distribution Operations
Conceptria-Bio
Phoenix, AZ
07.2025 - Current
- Directed daily operations of pharmaceutical distribution environment, ensuring alignment of service, inventory accuracy, documentation, training, quality, labor, and regulatory requirements.
- Establish the operating structure behind a compliant distribution facility, including department responsibilities, procedures, documentation control, training requirements, and the standards required for licensing and ongoing operation.
- Monitored performance metrics, including throughput, service, labor, inventory, quality, and cost, aligning resources with actual demand and business priorities.
- Maintained operational discipline at building and floor levels, ensuring work was performed accurately, consistently, and met standards for regulated business.
Operations Manager
MedAire
Phoenix, AZ
03.2020 - 06.2025
- Implemented Paycom, EVI, and Whiplash 2.0 to strengthen inventory control and reduce discrepancies, contributing to a 15% reduction in errors and a 20% increase in operational efficiency.
- Coordinated forecast, capacity, labor, and service requirements to sustain throughput and fulfillment accuracy amid changing demand.
- Managed omni-channel warehouse operations in receiving, inventory, fulfillment, and shipping, ensuring daily execution aligned with customer requirements.
- Collaborated with Logistics and Building leadership to establish processes, systems, workflows, and service requirements for new accounts before transitioning to steady-state operations.
Supply Chain Manager
Global Med
Scottsdale, AZ
07.2015 - 03.2020
- Managed supplier performance, contracts, commercial terms, and vendor relationships to ensure continuity of supply and service while controlling costs.
- Directed the flow of product and material from suppliers through production, inventory, pricing, and distribution, keeping supply decisions connected to the needs of the business.
- Aligned financial and budget requirements with supply-chain decisions, evaluating investment, efficiency, inventory, and continuity prior to resource commitments.
- Utilized SAP, Microsoft Business One, and NetSuite to track productivity and operating performance, translating data into actionable resource and execution decisions.
Supervisor, Shipping & Receiving
Chromalloy G&T
Phoenix, AZ
09.2015 - 05.2016
- Coordinated shipping, receiving, warehousing, inventory, purchasing, and material requirements to align with production demand.
- Tracked forecasts and quotas across daily, weekly, and monthly horizons to proactively manage material requirements and adapt to production changes.
- Applied DMAIC and KPI measures to cost and quality, establishing a consistent operating view of performance rather than relying on assumptions.
- Developed procedures to ensure Supply Chain, Sales, Finance, Production, and Quality Assurance operated with consistent material and operating requirements.
Supply Sergeant (E-5)
U.S. Army
Fort Huachuca, AZ
06.2006 - 08.2015
- Managed supply and logistics operations to ensure inventory readiness and material availability in a high-accountability environment.
- Developed inventory requirements using a Kanban-based system, ensuring operational readiness while maintaining disciplined stock levels.
- Trained and supervised personnel, monitored contractor performance, and recommended corrective actions to meet contractual requirements.
- Performed first-article inspections against purchase orders and blueprints, maintaining specification, quality, and acceptance requirements.
Education
M.D. - Business Administration And Management
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ06-2020
Associate of Applied Science - Information Technology
Cochise College
Douglas, AZ05-2009
Skills
- Distribution Start-Up & Operational Readiness; Built pharmaceutical distribution operations from the ground up, translating licensing requirements, regulatory expectations, policies, documentation control, department structure, training hours, and day-to-day operating procedures into a functioning facility prepared to operate within required standards
- Operational Leadership; Works at both levels of the operation from the floor-level details that determine whether work moves correctly to the broader decisions that keep an entire building aligned around service, quality, labor, cost, and business priorities
- Quality, Compliance & Documentation; Treats compliance as part of the operating system rather than a separate function Documentation, procedures, training, quality requirements, and controlled processes are built into the way work is performed and measured
- Quality, Compliance & Documentation
- Inventory Management
- Distribution & Supply Chain Execution ; Understands the full movement of product through receiving, inventory, storage, order fulfillment, shipping, purchasing, supplier relationships, material planning, and customer delivery, with attention to the handoffs that determine accuracy and service
- Systems, Reporting & Decision Support ; Uses ERP, WMS, reporting, and operating data to understand what is happening inside the business, identify where time, labor, inventory, or cost are being consumed, and make practical decisions from the information available
- Labor cost analysis
- Inventory management
Certification
- C+ CompTIA Certified
- Security+ CompTIA Certified
- Java CompTIA Certified
- CPIM APICS Certified
- CSCM APICS Certified
- Six Sigma Dunn & Assoc. Certified
- OHSA 30 TnT General Certified
Timeline
Director of Distribution Operations
Conceptria-Bio
07.2025 - Current
Operations Manager
MedAire
03.2020 - 06.2025
Supervisor, Shipping & Receiving
Chromalloy G&T
09.2015 - 05.2016
Supply Chain Manager
Global Med
07.2015 - 03.2020
Supply Sergeant (E-5)
U.S. Army
06.2006 - 08.2015
M.D. - Business Administration And Management
Arizona State University
Associate of Applied Science - Information Technology
Cochise College