VP of Digital Strategy

Description

VETERANS ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY

Lonestar is one of the fastest-growing electrical distributors in the country. The next stage of that growth runs on digital: how customers order and track, how our locations price and stock, and how we turn our data into decisions.

This role leads the company's digital strategy and the teams that execute it. The focus is practical transformation — turning strategy into action across sales, operations, and supply chain. This is a hands-on leadership role accountable for outcomes, adoption, and measurable business impact. At its core, the role is the interface between the business and technology: identify, prioritize, and deliver digital initiatives that create measurable business value — automation that reduces manual work, data and analytics that drive better and faster decisions, customer-facing tools that enhance our commercial processes, and operational efficiency initiatives across our locations.

The role reports to the Chief Administrative Officer and works as a peer to the VP of IT and the VP of Operations, who own the systems foundation (ERP, WMS, infrastructure) that digital initiatives build on. They will also drive and promote our passion to MAKE IT HAPPEN! 

Key Responsibilities

Digital strategy and value realization

• Set and own the digital strategy, roadmap, and execution plan that leadership understands and supports
• Build and own a prioritized pipeline of digital use cases, each with a sized business case and a mechanism to track value realization
• Partner with Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, and Finance to modernize workflows: map current-state processes, design the technology- and AI-enabled future state, and define the value case for getting there
• Drive strategy through execution with clear milestones, ownership, and accountability
• Ensure digital initiatives support growth, acquisitions, and operational scale

Data and analytics

• Stand up the data and analytics foundation and champion data-driven decision making across the organization
• Deliver the reporting and analytics layer the business runs on: executive KPIs, location-level operating dashboards, and self-service analytics for commercial and operations leaders

AI governance (new — from Director draft)

• Develop and maintain the AI strategy and transformation roadmap
• Establish an AI governance framework — responsible AI principles, policy, and risk management protocols
• Set security, privacy, compliance, and ethical standards for AI systems
• Evaluate and recommend third-party AI platforms and tools (e.g., Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Databricks)

Digital tools and customer experience

• Own rollout of customer-facing digital tools, e.g. order tracking and status visibility, eCommerce, and punchout/EDI for large accounts
• Own rollout of commercial enablement tools, e.g. pricing analytics, cross-sell analytics, and AI-assisted order entry and quote generation
• Partner with Operations to roll out operational efficiency tools, e.g. demand forecasting and inventory optimization

Implementation and vendor management

• Translate business priorities into scalable technical solutions
• Determine the right implementation path for each initiative — build, buy, or partner — backed by a clear analysis of cost, speed to value, and fit with our systems
• Run the vendor selection process, from requirements and shortlist through evaluation and commercial terms
• Oversee implementation and optimization of the customer-facing, commercial, and operational digital tools, partnering with the VP of IT and the VP of Operations on the ERP, WMS, and infrastructure foundations they depend on
• Manage vendors while holding internal teams accountable for delivery

Adoption and change management

• Lead change management, communication, and adoption across executive and frontline teams
• Lead and develop digital, systems, and cross-functional project teams

What Success Looks Like (First 12–24 Months)

• Leadership is aligned around a clear, supported digital roadmap
• Teams execute consistently and deliver on committed timelines
• Digital initiatives move from concept to adoption, not pilots that stall
• Measurable improvements in efficiency, data accuracy, and customer experience
• Visible ROI from digital investments with realized value tracking against each business case
• Future-state processes for the priority initiatives are designed, agreed with the business, and running in the locations that adopted them
• The data and analytics foundation is stood up, and the executive team runs the business off it

Qualifications

• 8+ years leading digital, systems, or transformation teams in B2B environments
• Experience in electrical, industrial, or wholesale distribution strongly preferred
• Track record of delivering quantified business outcomes from digital initiatives, with specific numbers to point to
• Proven ability to translate business needs into technical solutions, then communicate the value back to the business
• Strong understanding of ERP, CRM, eCommerce, data, and systems integration; ERP experience with Epicor Eclipse preferred (added)
• Working proficiency with modern data platforms (e.g., Snowflake, Databricks, Microsoft Fabric) (added)
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Azure and cloud-native architecture; familiarity with containerization/orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes) a plus (added)
• Advanced understanding of AI/ML capabilities, limitations, use cases, and governance frameworks (added)
• Hands-on experience redesigning business processes and leading the change management that makes a new way of working stick
• Experience integrating acquisitions (systems, data, and digital channels) strongly preferred
• Track record of building data and analytics capability from the ground up
• Comfortable working with executives and frontline teams
• Demonstrated success leading teams through execution, not just planning

Leadership Profile

• Hands-on leader. Not just a strategist
• Builder who drives accountability and momentum
• Effective operating in a matrixed environment
• Clear communicator who brings structure to complexity

Physical Requirements:

• Lifting up to 25 lbs. may be required infrequently. 
• Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time. 
• Regularly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery such as a calculator, copy machine, and computer printer. 
• Travel may be required based on project or business needs.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, life and vision insurance 
• 401(k) Retirement Plan and Match 
• Paid Time Off 
• Specified Paid Holidays

Disclaimer: This job description is a general outline of the day-to-day duties to be expected and may not cover all job responsibilities that may be assigned by management.

Lonestar Electric Supply is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age or other legally protected status.