Justin Backman
Open to New Opportunities

Driving Supply Chain
& Operations Excellence

Senior leader with 7+ years at Amazon across 8 roles — hand-selected for each successive position based on performance and expertise. Scaling complex supply chains, leading cross-functional programs, and building data-driven operational systems from the warehouse floor to the executive table.

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Products Launched
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Roles Hand-Selected For
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Leaders Promoted
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Dashboards in Use by NA Ops
About Me

Building at the Intersection of
Strategy & Execution

Supply chain operator turned network architect with a rare blend of ground-level operational instinct and technical fluency — where most operators lack tech depth and most tech teams lack operational context, I fuse both to build solutions that work immediately and scale permanently.

Seven years, eight Amazon roles, every one hand-selected. First, I launched a building. Then I launched a program that saved $70M+ annually. Now I'm launching inventory strategy for entirely new distribution networks. I thrive at the intersection of strategy and execution, turning ambiguous problems into structured programs with measurable outcomes.

I'm now seeking my next challenge — a role where I can leverage this breadth of experience to drive transformational impact in supply chain, program management, or operations leadership.

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Hand-selected for 7 consecutive roles — after joining Amazon as a college hire, every subsequent position was offered based on outstanding performance, versatile skill set, and a track record of successfully launching new buildings, programs, and products.
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Operations at Scale
Led warehouse operations managing hundreds of associates across multiple functional areas, delivering on throughput, quality, and safety KPIs.
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Program Leadership
Designed and executed cross-functional programs spanning supply chain planning, vendor management, and operational excellence.
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Data-Driven Decision Making
Built BI solutions and analytical frameworks that transformed how teams plan, forecast, and optimize at enterprise scale.
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Global Perspective
Studied Japanese language and business at Nagasaki University on a competitive government scholarship, bringing cross-cultural fluency to global supply chain work.
Experience

A Track Record of
Increasing Impact

Sep 2025 — Present
Sr. Supply Chain Manager
Amazon
1DC Distribution Network
Overseeing physical inventory placement (slotting) across the 1DC network — optimizing SKU positioning to maximize selection capacity, achieve the fastest stow and pick cycle times in any Amazon network, and drive cost reduction through a BI dashboard suite ($5M+ projected annual savings), POC tooling, and product management of slotting software. Learn more about the 1DC Network and Justin's role within it →
Inventory Optimization Slotting Strategy Business Intelligence Product Management VBA / Excel Tooling
  • Pioneering an inventory slotting strategy at a scale never before implemented in any Amazon network — first-of-its-kind optimization across 12 distribution centers.
  • Building a BI dashboard suite ($5M+ projected annual savings) through improved data visibility, ease of use, and enhanced operator decision-making.
  • Developing proof-of-concept Excel/VBA tools to accelerate slotting execution and reduce manual errors, which are being productionized into the software suite toward fully automated optimization.
  • Collaborating with tech teams in a product management capacity to improve slotting tool outputs and shape the evolution of 1DC software.
Dec 2024 — Sep 2025
Sr. Supply Chain Manager
Amazon
Multi-Channel Distribution (MCD) — Outbound service of Amazon Warehousing & Distribution (AWD)
Helped launch the initial MCD product in late 2024 and shaped the multi-year roadmap for product enhancements. Performed program and product management responsibilities including BRD authorship, operational process design, cost modeling, and tech planning. Learn more about AWD, MCD, and Justin's role in launching it →
Product Launch Product Roadmap BRDs Cost Modeling OP Planning
  • Launched the initial MCD product and helped scale it from minimal capabilities into a fully operational multi-channel distribution service.
  • Shaped multi-year product roadmap enabling MCD to support shipments to major big-box retailers and additional marketplace channels.
  • Drafted Business Requirements Documents that unified business and operational needs, enabling tech teams to build and enhance software tools aligned with the roadmap.
  • Built cost models mapping expected business costs for planned enhancements, enabling data-driven strategic decision-making across the program.
  • Ensured software requirements were incorporated into tech teams' Operational Plans for budgeting and resource allocation.
Feb 2021 — Dec 2024
Program Manager III — Founding Senior Leader
Amazon
Inbound Cross-Dock (IXD) — Central Flow
One of three founding senior leaders of the IXD Central Flow program. Managed a team of 8 salaried managers and 100+ analysts (Flow Leads) who partnered directly with IXD site leadership to build achievable, specific shift plans optimized for success. The team also managed key site configurations that directly impacted shift outcomes and ensured sites were optimized for network-level business objectives. Learn more about the IXD Network and Justin's journey within it →
Program Management Team Building Process Design BI Dashboards Product Management Excel / VBA Tooling
  • Co-founded the IXD Central Flow program: identified the team's role in optimizing IXD performance from a central location, drafted the mission and vision, interviewed and hired the first 4 Area Managers, and identified key gaps and inconsistencies across the IXD network along with solutions to address them.
  • Successfully piloted the concept in Summer 2021, demonstrating improved planning, improved adherence to plan, and more consistent cost and throughput performance from pilot sites.
  • Stood up the team in Tempe, AZ in August 2021 with the hiring of the first 8 Flow Leads, then grew the team from supporting 2 sites to 25 sites with 100+ Flow Leads, 2 Business Analysts, and 8 Area Managers over the following two years.
  • Created standard work, Excel tools (leveraging functions, pivot tables, and VBA), and BI dashboards that enabled the team to improve shift planning, monitor shift execution in real time, and take corrective action when shifts deviated from plan.
  • Saved Amazon $70M+ annually through improved operational execution driven by better planning, real-time monitoring, and network-level optimization.
  • Helped Amazon stand up Central Flow teams for other networks using the successful team model built by the IXD Central Flow founding team.
Jul 2020 — Feb 2021
Operations Manager
Amazon
IXD — Change, Learning & Quality Operations (SMF3, Stockton, CA)
Led the Change, Quality, and Learning teams at SMF3 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Managed quality assurance for all inbound receiving, sorting, and outbound shipments; oversaw associate onboarding, training, and retraining programs; and led the deployment of network-wide operational, technology, and process changes.
Change Management Quality Assurance Learning & Development COVID-19 Response Process Engineering
  • Improved building quality ranking from 5th in the network to 2nd through deep-dive analysis, process improvements, and targeted associate and leadership coaching.
  • Designed a new outbound wheel sorter that increased the number of fluid-load trailers the building could process simultaneously by 19 — fluid-loaded trailers increase trailer utilization by up to 30% over palletized trailers. Passed the design to Ops Engineering, who used 90% of the original inputs in the final build.
  • Set up an in-building COVID-19 testing area providing free testing for associates and managed the contracted nurse operating the station.
  • Oversaw all associate onboarding, critical-role training, performance-based retraining, and SOP documentation updates to keep training materials current.
Dec 2019 — Jul 2020
Operations Manager
Amazon
IXD — Inbound Operations
Led the Back-Half Nights inbound team comprising 4 Area Managers, 8 Process Assistants, and 500+ hourly associates. Served as the senior-most leader on shift, responsible for shift planning, execution, emergency management, and safety escalations.
Inbound Operations People Leadership (500+) Shift Planning Safety & Emergency Mgmt
  • Broke the network record for most freight received in a single shift — twice — out of 12 buildings in the network, exceeding the building's stated maximum mechanical throughput capacity by 72% through efficient planning, staffing, and team motivation.
  • Helped promote 3 Area Managers and 6 Process Assistants through mentorship, interview preparation, and career development.
  • Owned end-to-end shift planning and execution from an inbound perspective, partnering with the outbound peer to maximize building-level efficiency.
Jun 2019 — Dec 2019
Area Manager II
Amazon
IXD — Inbound Dock
Led the team responsible for unloading all inbound trailers at the warehouse, feeding work to every other department in the building. Also created and ran a Seasonal Area Manager Development program that accelerated the growth of Process Assistants through leadership training and hands-on management experience.
Dock Operations Labor Planning Leadership Development Talent Pipeline
  • Broke the network carton record 3 times (out of 10 buildings in the network) through efficient planning, staffing, and team motivation.
  • Stood up a "Seasonal Area Manager Development" program that gave high-performing Process Assistants leadership training, interview prep, and a seasonal AM position to build the experience and stories needed for promotion — helped promote 3 Process Assistants to Area Managers, with some program graduates now serving as L7 senior leaders running warehouses across Amazon.
Dec 2018 — Jun 2019
Area Manager II
Amazon
IXD — Quality
Owned quality assurance operations for the building, ensuring all inbound freight was properly received (physically and virtually), sorted, and shipped to downstream fulfillment centers with minimal defects.
Quality Management Root Cause Analysis Process Improvement Coaching & Training
  • Took the building from last in quality in the network to 1st (out of 8 buildings) in only 3 months through thorough deep-dives, process improvements, associate and leadership coaching, and training enhancements.
  • Maintained the building's position as the best-in-class site for quality until transitioning to the Inbound Dock Area Manager role.
Jun 2018 — Dec 2018
Area Manager I
Amazon · College Hire
IXD — Decant Operations
Joined Amazon as a college hire at the first building in the IXD network to launch the Decant process. Helped design the Decant process for the network prior to building launch, oversaw associate onboarding and training when the building opened, and managed and refined the process to work out kinks before it was rolled out to all future IXD buildings. Learn more about the IXD Network and Justin's journey within it →
Process Design Building Launch Team Leadership Performance Management
  • Helped design the Decant process for the entire IXD network — the building was the first IXD to successfully launch this process, and the design was rolled out to all subsequent IXD facilities.
  • Earned leadership reviews so strong that Amazon selected Justin — alongside one other high-performing manager — to travel to a Portland facility and deep-dive into high employee attrition. Partnered with the program team owning the associate feedback software, identified several root causes, and developed an improvement plan that reduced attrition by over 80% in less than a month.
Summer 2017
Policy Research Intern
Missouri Corn Growers Association
Foreign Trade Research & Capitol Hill Advocacy
Researched the importance of foreign trade for Missouri farmers and developed a quantitative financial model demonstrating the impact of foreign agricultural trade on American farmers — allowing farmers from each state to see how much of their corn is sold to foreign markets based on publicly available economic data. The model is now in use by the U.S. Grains Council. Advocated for the importance of foreign agricultural exports and increased ethanol use in gasoline with senators and congressmen on Capitol Hill.
Agricultural Economics Financial Modeling Policy Advocacy Foreign Trade U.S. Grains Council
Tools & Technology

Technical Toolkit

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AWS & Data
QuickSight
Redshift
Athena / S3 / Lambda
Bedrock / AI Personas
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BI, Dev & Automation
SQL / Excel / VBA
Data Pipelines / Automation
Tableau / Power BI
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Domain Expertise
Supply Chain Strategy Warehouse / Fulfillment Ops Distribution Network Design Program Management Product Management Stakeholder Management Change Management Cost Modeling Inventory Optimization Team Building & Leadership
Projects

Impact You Can See

Note: Project descriptions reference publicly available information about Amazon's service offerings. Specific internal metrics are omitted.

Product Launch & Roadmap
Multi-Channel Distribution (MCD) Launch
Helped launch Amazon's Multi-Channel Distribution service — a new capability within AWD enabling sellers to distribute products in bulk to their own warehouses, 3PLs, wholesalers, and major retailers from a single inventory pool. Shaped the multi-year product roadmap, designed operational processes, drafted BRDs, built cost models, and aligned software delivery with tech OP Plans.
Product Launch Product Roadmap BRDs Process Design Cost Modeling OP Planning
Learn more about AWD, MCD, and Justin's role in launching it →
Network Strategy & Optimization
1DC Inventory Slotting Strategy
Pioneering the inventory placement (slotting) strategy for Amazon's new 1DC Distribution Network — the first Amazon network to implement this optimization at scale across 12 distribution centers. Designing strategies that maximize SKU capacity and achieve the fastest stow/pick cycle times in any Amazon network. Building POC Excel/VBA tools being productionized into automated slotting software.
Inventory Optimization Slotting Strategy VBA / Excel Tooling Product Management Process Automation
Learn more about the 1DC Network and Justin's role within it →
Business Intelligence
1DC Slotting BI Dashboard Suite
Building a comprehensive BI dashboard suite ($5M+ projected annual savings) for the 1DC network on AWS (QuickSight, Redshift, Athena, S3). Delivers real-time slotting insights to operations, supply chain, and tech teams — enabling proactive problem mitigation, informing software enhancements, and measuring slotting's impact on building-level performance.
AWS SQL Dashboard Design Data Pipelines Operational Analytics Cost Reduction
Education

Foundation &
Global Perspective

B.S. Agribusiness Management
University of Missouri
2012 — 2017
Specialty within Agricultural Economics. Built a strong foundation in business operations, supply chain fundamentals, and quantitative analysis.
Japanese Language & Business
Nagasaki University of Foreign Studies
September 2014 — August 2015
Year-long foreign exchange studying Japanese language and business culture through JASSO's Student Exchange Support Program — a fully immersive experience living and studying in Nagasaki, Japan. Fewer than 4% of international exchange students receive this competitive scholarship.
JASSO Scholarship (Japan Student Services Organization) — Full Tuition
Let's Connect

Ready for the Next Chapter

I'm actively exploring senior roles in supply chain, program management, and operations leadership. Let's talk.

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