Director of Operations

Director of Operations

Location: Ottawa or Toronto, ON (On‑Site)

Reports to: Chief Operating Officer

The Role

This is a broad, high‑ownership leadership role. You own the systems and the people that keep Dominion running: HR, business operations, and facilities. You’ll build the operational backbone a company needs: the hiring-to-onboarding machinery, the office and factory environments our engineers depend on, the vendor and process infrastructure, and the day-to‑day rhythm that lets everyone else focus on the mission instead of the mechanics.

This isn’t a back‑office administrator’s seat. You’ll set the standards the rest of the company inherits, make decisions with real consequences, and build a function from the ground up. If you want to run operations for a company where the work actually matters, and where operational excellence is a national security requirement, not a nice‑to‑have.

What You’ll Do

Own business operations end to end. Design and run the systems, processes, and operating rhythms that keep the company moving, from planning cycles and internal tooling to cross‑functional coordination and the execution that turns rapid growth into durable capability.

Build the foundation that enables our team to scale. Design and run the people operations infrastructure, including HR systems, onboarding, policies, benefits administration, compliance, and employee records. Work closely with recruiting to ensure every new hire has an exceptional experience from offer through onboarding.

Run all facilities. Own our Ottawa and Toronto sites, including the factory floor and R&D space including security build‑out, access control, health and safety, equipment, and the physical environment our engineers and operators rely on. Keep the lights on and the doors secure.

Build the operational infrastructure that scales. Design and implement the systems, processes, and controls that enable Dominion to grow with confidence, including vendor management, procurement, asset lifecycle management, and the operational foundations that keep the business running smoothly.

Own compliance‑adjacent operations. Partner with security and leadership on the operational side of controlled‑environment requirements such as facility security, controlled goods, and the standards a Canadian defence company is held to.

Partner with finance and leadership. Work alongside the COO and finance on budgeting, operational reporting, and the metrics that tell us whether the company is running well, and flag it early when it isn’t.

Build and lead the ops team. Hire, mentor, and grow the operations, facilities, and people function as the company scales. Set the bar, then raise it.

What You Bring

• 8+ years of experience in operations, business operations, or a related leadership role, with broad experience across business operations, people operations, workplace operations, and facilities.
• A track record of building operational functions from the ground up in a fast‑scaling company — not just running a mature one someone else built.
• Demonstrated ownership across people, process, and physical operations at once where you’re comfortable moving between an HR policy, a vendor contract, and a facilities problem in the same day.
• Sound judgment under ambiguity and startup velocity with the ability to make defensible decisions with incomplete information and keep things moving.
• Strong systems thinker who sees how people, processes, and technology work together, and knows how to design and improve the systems that have the greatest impact.
• Mission‑aligned: motivated to build sovereign Canadian defence capability and to run the company that makes it possible.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain a Canadian security clearance (Secret).

Bonus Points

• Operations leadership inside a hardware, manufacturing, or defence company where you understand factory floors, not just offices.
• Experience in a regulated or high‑assurance environment (defence, government, critical infrastructure).
• Familiarity with Canadian employment standards and HR compliance.
• Exposure to controlled goods programs, facility security, or clearance environments.
• You’ve scaled a company through a period of fast headcount growth and lived to tell about it.

No defence background required.

We've hired people who didn't tick every box.

Why Join Us

• Shape Canada’s future by building real defence capability for the CAF and our allies.
• Make decisions that ship in a high‑trust environment with short feedback loops and rapid iteration.
• Move fast, field faster, and work directly with the operator — our systems are in the field with the CAF now.
• Have an impact from day one with equity, responsibility, and direct access to leadership.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive base salary and company equity
• Comprehensive health benefits
• Additional equity granted based on impact

We use AI tools to support parts of the hiring process, including screening and reviewing responses. Final hiring decisions are always made by people and follow all applicable privacy and employment laws in Canada.

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