At Ice River Sustainable Solutions, we’re a Canadian, family-owned company turning 100% recycled plastic into sustainable products and leading the way in innovation. Recognized as one of Canada’s Top Greenest Employers, we’re driven by creativity, passion, and the belief that together, we can build a cleaner future. We’re looking for self-motivated, hands-on doers who love to learn, work hard, and make things happen—if that’s you, you belong on our team.

Role Overview

The Director of Operations leads safe, efficient, and profitable operations across multiple manufacturing sites, providing strategic and hands-on leadership to Plant Managers and Operations leaders. This role translates business strategy into consistent operational execution by balancing safety, quality, cost, delivery, and engagement, while strengthening frontline leadership capability and operational discipline. Working closely with HR, Continuous Improvement, Supply Chain, Maintenance, Quality, and Finance, the Director of Operations drives sustainable performance and long-term organizational strength across the business.

Key Accountabilities

Operational Leadership

• Provide direct leadership and oversight to Plant Managers and site leadership teams across multiple facilities
• Ensure consistent execution of operational standards, policies, and performance expectations across all sites
• Drive operational excellence across safety, quality, productivity, cost control, and service
• Establish clear operational priorities aligned to business objectives and growth plans
• Act as a visible, hands-on leader in the plants, balancing strategic direction with floor-level engagement

Safety, Quality & Compliance

• Champion a safety culture, holding leaders accountable for proactive safety leadership
• Ensure compliance with all health & safety, environmental, food safety, and regulatory requirements
• Partner with Quality and H&S teams to investigate incidents, address root causes, and implement preventative measures
• Reinforce operational discipline and GMP expectations across all facilities

People Leadership & Talent Development

• Build strong, accountable Plant Management teams through coaching, performance management, and development

• Partner with HR to support:

• Leadership capability building (Supervisors, Leads, Plant Managers)

• Succession planning and talent pipelines

• Performance management and corrective action

• Set clear expectations for leadership behaviour, consistency, and decision-making across plants

• Foster a culture of engagement, accountability, and continuous improvement

Continuous Improvement & Efficiency

• Lead and sponsor continuous improvement initiatives focused on:

• Line efficiency

• Waste reduction

• Downtime reduction

• Cost optimization

• Partner with CI and Maintenance to ensure:

• Strong preventative maintenance practices

• Standardized processes and KPIs

• Data-driven problem solving

• Ensure improvement initiatives are practical, sustainable, and embedded into daily operations

Financial & Performance Management

• Own operational KPIs and dashboards across all sites
• Monitor and manage operational budgets, labour efficiency, and cost performance
• Analyze performance trends and implement corrective actions where targets are not met
• Support capital planning, justification, and execution for operational investments
• Ensure plant-level decisions align with overall business financial objectives

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Supply Chain to align production planning, inventory, and service levels
• Partner with HR on workforce planning, labour strategy, and engagement initiatives
• Collaborate with Finance on forecasting, budgeting, and cost control
• Serve as a key operational voice at the senior leadership table

Leadership Expectations

The Director Of Operations Is Expected To

• Lead with consistency, clarity, and fairness
• Be comfortable making tough decisions while remaining people-centred
• Hold leaders accountable without micromanaging
• Model strong communication, follow-through, and operational discipline
• Balance urgency with long-term sustainability

Qualifications & Experience

• Post-secondary education in Engineering, Operations Management, Business, or related field (preferred)

• 10+ years of progressive operations leadership experience in a high speed beverage manufacturing environment

• Proven experience leading multi-site operations

• Strong understanding of:

• Safety-sensitive manufacturing environments

• Continuous improvement methodologies

• Labour-intensive operations

• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop senior operational leaders

• Strong financial and analytical acumen

• Comfortable operating at both strategic and hands-on levels

Travel Requirement

• Regular travel between manufacturing sites within Canada (estimated 40-50%)

Salary

• $140-175K/year to start

Please let Ice River Sustainable Solutions know if you require accommodation during the hiring and selection process and we will work with you to make appropriate arrangements. Ice River Sustainable Solutions is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

We are committed to equity, diversity and inclusivity in the workplace, we welcome applications from women, racially visible individuals, people with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and LGBTQ2S+ persons.

Note To Recruiting Agencies Ice River Sustainable Solutions does not respond to unsolicited emails from third party recruiters acting on behalf of job seekers. All candidates are encouraged to create their own online profile, allowing us to reference resumes effectively and advise when opportunities match your knowledge and skills. Any profiles created by recruiters on behalf of job seeking candidates will be deleted. This practice threatens future interactions between third party recruiters and Ice River Sustainable Solutions recruitment.