Head of Guest Services and Wholesale Operations

About Us

Ampersand Brands is the home behind Hammond's Candies and Lolli & Pops: a century of confectionery craft paired with a growing specialty retail footprint. We treat our wholesale partners as guests. This role leads the team and the operating model behind that relationship, owning the full journey from order placement to delivery across both brands.

The Role

The Head of Guest Services and Wholesale Operations owns the entire order-to-delivery experience for Ampersand Brands. This person leads the wholesale guest services and order entry teams, owns the relationship with our third-party logistics partner, and is accountable for all inbound and outbound product flow for Hammond's Candies and Lolli & Pops across wholesale, e-commerce, and store replenishment. Ampersand is transitioning fulfillment from a company-run warehouse to a 3PL model, and this seat leads that transition and then runs the model it creates. The role reports to the Chief Executive Officer.

What You'll Do

Lead and develop the wholesale guest services and order entry teams, setting goals, coaching performance, and hiring as the function scales. Own the 3PL relationship end to end: service level agreements, capacity commitments, peak season planning, invoice and claims audit, and quarterly business reviews. Own all inbound flow from Hammond's production and outside vendors into the 3PL network, and all outbound flow to wholesale accounts, e-commerce guests, and Lolli & Pops stores. Own the guest services and operations scorecard: order accuracy, on-time ship rate, 3PL SLA compliance, partner response times, freight cost per order, and inventory accuracy. Serve as the escalation point for the most complex account and fulfillment issues, working cross-functionally with production, sales, merchandising, and finance to resolve them at the root. Own the systems and data layer that connect order management to fulfillment, including EDI and integrations across Sage, Shopify, Faire, and MarketTime. Partner with sales leadership to define onboarding standards for new wholesale accounts, including lead times, minimums, and ordering cadence. Build and maintain the documentation and training that keep teams and the 3PL consistent as volume grows. Report weekly to leadership on team performance, fulfillment health, account risk, and growth opportunities.

What You'll Bring

7+ years across customer operations, supply chain, or wholesale operations in CPG, food and beverage, or specialty retail, with at least 3 years managing teams. Direct experience managing a 3PL relationship, including SLA governance and peak planning; experience leading a warehouse-to-3PL transition is a strong plus. A track record of building or scaling a function, with the operating discipline to run it by the numbers afterward. Working knowledge of order management and ERP systems (Sage, Shopify, Faire, or MarketTime) and comfort with EDI concepts. Strong written and verbal communication, with the judgment to know what to escalate and what to own. A service mindset rooted in hospitality: our partners are guests, and every interaction should feel considered and warm.

What Sets This Apart

This is a rare chance to design and own an entire operating model rather than inherit one. You will lead the transition to a 3PL network, build the guest services and order entry functions around it, and own the full guest promise for two beloved brands, with direct exposure to the CEO and the board during a period of real momentum for Ampersand Brands.