Based in St. Louis, Core & Main is a leader in advancing reliable infrastructure™ with local service, nationwide®. As a specialty distributor with a focus on water, wastewater, storm drainage and fire protection products and related services, Core & Main provides solutions to municipalities, private water companies and professional contractors across municipal, non-residential and residential end markets, nationwide. With over 370 locations across the U.S., the company provides its customers local expertise backed by a national supply chain. Core & Main’s 5,700 associates are committed to helping their communities thrive with safe and reliable infrastructure. Visit coreandmain.com to learn more.
Position Summary
The District Operations Manager (ROM) is a key operational leader responsible for scaling capacity, driving consistency, and strengthening operational discipline across all branches within the region. This role enhances the effectiveness of the Regional Director (RD) and District Managers (DMs) by owning critical operational processes, improving inventory integrity, and ensuring field execution of corporate initiatives. The DOM ensures every branch operates with excellence, adheres to SOPs, and maintains strong operational health — enabling DMs to spend more time with customers, talent, and growth activities.
Purpose of the Role
The DOM exists to:
Increase operational capacity across the region
Improve and standardize operational performance
Ensure strong inventory control and audit readiness
Drive adherence to SOPs, D365 processes, and operational best practices
Support execution of national and regional initiatives
Free the RD and DMs from tactical operational work so they can focus on strategy, customer relationships, and talent development
This role is designed to be a force multiplier — not a firefighter.
Key Responsibilities
Core Operational Ownership (Primary Responsibilities)
The DOM fully owns and leads:
Inventory integrity, investigations, and follow-through
SOP compliance across warehouse, receiving, and branch operations
Cycle counts, returns processes, receiving discipline, and operational accuracy
Branch audit preparation, execution, scoring, and corrective action plans
D365 process compliance and troubleshooting of operational workflows
Warehouse flow, safety standards, and operational efficiency
Readiness and field execution for corporate and regional initiatives
Regional operational scorecard management and reporting
Partnership Responsibilities (Supports, but does not own)
Collaboration with DMs on operational components of sales enablement
Branch Manager coaching around operational excellence
Supporting training programs in coordination with the RD and corporate ops
Helping DMs identify opportunities to improve branch efficiency and consistency
Responsibilities the DOM Does Not Own
To maintain clarity of scope and avoid dilution of mission, the DOM does not own:
Sales performance or sales strategy
Personnel decisions or hiring/firing
Customer escalations unrelated to operational execution
HR matters or employee relations
Final decision-making authority on branch leadership issues
This clarity ensures the ROM strengthens the region rather than becoming a catch-all resource.
Operating Rhythm
Weekly
Planned branch visits with clear objectives
Follow-up on outstanding operational and system items
Review inventory, returns, cycle count, and receiving scorecards
Alignment check with DMs to synchronize priorities
Monthly
Full operational audit or mini-audit cadence
SOP refreshers and targeted up-training
Readiness checks for all upcoming initiatives
1:1 development session with the RD
Quarterly
Regional “Operational Health” scoring for each branch
Alignment and reset session with RD and DMs
Execution review against national initiatives
A disciplined rhythm ensures regional operational excellence and prevents fire-drill work
patterns.
Profile of an Ideal Candidate
Key Traits
Highly disciplined operator with…