Director of Operations & Manufacturing

THE OPPORTUNITY

We have an exciting opportunity for a Director of Operations & Manufacturing to lead a complex, large scale manufacturing operation within a highly regulated environment. Reporting to the Vice President, Manufacturing and Operations, the Director of Operations & Manufacturing is responsible for the leadership and overall management of the operation, including oversight for staffing, production, safety, environmental stewardship, security, and operational performance. The role is accountable for ensuring manufacturing assets and processes are resilient, agile, and efficient to meet customer and shareholder expectations while fostering a workplace where employees feel physically and psychologically safe, accountable, engaged, and supported in their development.

Working closely with Executive Leadership and cross-functional teams, the Director of Operations & Manufacturing will lead efforts to identify, prioritize, and mitigate operational risks, strengthen workforce engagement, and deliver operational and financial objectives. The successful candidate will ensure the safe, efficient, and sustainable use of plant resources and equipment while developing clear plans for improvement, investment, training, and staffing to support both current and future operational requirements.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate is an experienced manufacturing leader who combines operational discipline with strong people leadership. They have successfully led large-scale manufacturing operations and possess the ability to balance safety, workforce engagement, operational performance, and financial results within a complex and highly regulated environment.

A respected and visible leader, they build trust and credibility with employees, leadership, partners, and stakeholders, creating alignment across functions and bringing people together to achieve common objectives. They thrive in fast-paced environments and enjoy delivering on challenges while meeting customer timelines and specifications.

They have experience leading large, unionized manufacturing operations and understand the importance of fostering productive labour relations. They work collaboratively within collective agreement environments while maintaining a strong focus on safety, accountability, workforce engagement, and operational performance.

The successful candidate creates a culture of accountability by establishing clear expectations, providing candid feedback, and reinforcing performance standards while maintaining psychological safety and respect. They bring a demonstrated ability to identify, prioritize, and mitigate risk, develop and mobilize plans, and execute with consistency and rigor.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Operational Leadership

• Provide overall leadership and direction for manufacturing operations, ensuring alignment with corporate objectives and operational priorities.
• Deliver operational, financial, quality, and customer service targets through effective planning, execution, and performance management.
• Ensure manufacturing assets, systems, and processes remain resilient, efficient, and capable of meeting current and future business requirements.
• Lead the development and execution of operational improvement initiatives that enhance productivity, reliability, quality, and cost effectiveness.

Risk, Safety & Compliance

• Promote physical and psychological safety throughout the organization while reinforcing accountability at all levels.
• Establish and maintain a culture where safety, environmental stewardship, security, and operational risk management are foundational priorities.
• Identify, assess, prioritize, and mitigate operational risks across the operation.
• Ensure compliance with all regulatory, safety, environmental, security, and quality requirements.

People Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop a large and diverse workforce through a team of operational leaders.
• Foster a culture of trust, inclusion, accountability, engagement, and continuous development.
• Support workforce planning, succession planning, leadership development, and organizational capability building.
• Build and maintain positive and productive working relationships across all levels of the organization.

Strategic Planning & Continuous Improvement

• Develop and execute short, medium, and long-term operational strategies aligned with organizational objectives.
• Develop, mobilize, and execute operational plans that align resources, priorities, and performance expectations across the operation.
• Lead operational improvement initiatives that strengthen performance, capability, and execution across the operation.
• Drive continuous improvement through the use of data, performance metrics, risk assessment, and operational best practices.
• Develop clear plans for improvement, investment, training, and staffing to support future operational requirements.

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Partner closely with executive leadership, corporate functions, and operational teams to achieve organizational objectives.
• Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders, external partners, suppliers, and regulatory bodies.
• Promote collaboration across departments to improve organizational effectiveness and operational outcomes.
• Foster collaboration and alignment across functions, ensuring effective communication, coordinated decision making, and disciplined execution of operational priorities.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Operations Management, Commerce, or a related discipline.
• MBA or other advanced leadership designation is considered an asset.
• 15+ years of progressive operational leadership experience within a manufacturing, industrial, or similarly complex operating environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading large, unionized manufacturing operations, including fostering productive labour relations and working collaboratively within a collective agreement environment.
• Experience leading and developing large, multidisciplinary teams through multiple layers of leadership.
• Proven success managing manufacturing assets, operational processes, workforce planning, and operational risk.
• Experience leading organizational change, business transformation, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong business and financial acumen, including experience interpreting profit and loss statements, costing models, forecasting, budgeting, and operational performance metrics.
• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Operational Excellence, or related continuous improvement methodologies is considered an asset.
• Experience leading operations within a highly regulated manufacturing or industrial environment.

KEY COMPETENCIES

• Ability to foster psychological safety and accountability when leading individuals and teams.
• Ability to connect and develop trust with employees, peers, partners, and customers to engage and co-create.
• Ability to provide clear and relevant communication around goals, plans, guidance, and debriefing at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to create, facilitate, and execute complex, cross-functional, and time-sensitive action plans.
• Ability to zoom in on technical details while maintaining perspective on broader organizational priorities and issues.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills with a commitment to continuous learning and improvement.
• Ability to achieve alignment without agreement while building collaboration across teams and functions.
• Understands the importance of risk management and takes action to identify, prioritize, and mitigate risk.
• Values mentorship and coaching as a way to develop talent in self and others.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT

SANDY JACOBSON | T: 780.944.1327| E: sandy.jacobson@richardsonsearch.ca | www.richardsonsearch.ca