Position Summary

The Director of Operations, Canada, will provide comprehensive strategic leadership and operational oversight for all manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, and supply chain activities across Oatey Canada. This role is crucial for driving operational excellence, ensuring adherence to global standards, and achieving key performance targets in safety, quality, delivery, and cost. The Director will be responsible for strategic operations planning and integrating Canadian operations into global / international processes and best practices where possible, fostering continuous improvement and sustainable growth.

Position Responsibilities

Strategic Operations Planning and Execution:

• Develop and implement long-term strategic plans for Canadian operations in support of Canada’s growth ambition and in alignment with global Oatey Operations objectives.
• Lead initiatives to drive continuous improvement across manufacturing and distribution.
• Oversee major CAPEX projects for both manufacturing and warehousing/distribution facilities, ensuring strategic alignment and efficient execution.
• Establish and monitor key operational performance indicators (KPIs), including Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost, across all functional areas.

Global / North American Integration and Collaboration:

• Collaborate extensively with US counterparts across manufacturing, distribution, demand planning, supply planning, and Quality, Compliance, EHSS teams to ensure alignment, share best practices, and standardize operating procedures.
• Represent Canadian operational interests in global strategic discussions and initiatives.

Manufacturing Leadership:

• Oversee all aspects of Canadian manufacturing operations, ensuring safe and efficient production.
• Drive the implementation of Lean Manufacturing principles to optimize processes and reduce waste.
• Lead manufacturing-related procurement strategies for raw materials and supplies, ensuring efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
• Ensure strict adherence to Oatey QMS guidelines within manufacturing operations.

Warehousing and Distribution Leadership:

• Oversee all aspects of Canadian finished goods warehousing and distribution, including the Distribution Centre and 3PL locations.
• Ensure safe and efficient operation of all distribution facilities, continually seeking improvements with a specific focus on cost reduction.

Demand and Supply Chain Optimization:

• Lead the Canada Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) Process, collaborating with US Demand Planning to develop a consolidated Canada Demand plan.
• Direct the optimization of inventory levels across all Canada sites and product categories, managing to target and continuously evaluating holdings.
• Ensure effective management of all inbound product flows to meet Demand Plan requirements.
• Oversee the purchasing of Finished Goods from Asia and other non-Oatey suppliers, ensuring timely and cost-effective supply.
• Implement proactive strategies to flag and communicate product supply issues and work to minimize/eliminate back-orders due to out-of-stock situations.

Quality, Compliance, Environmental Health and Safety (EHSS) Leadership:

• Oversee all aspects of Quality, Compliance, and Environmental, Health, Safety and Security for Oatey Canada.
• Ensure full compliance with all Federal and Provincial regulations in areas of compliance and health and safety.
• Support internal QMS Audits and Reporting for Canada and ensure regular training and education for Canadian colleagues on Quality, Compliance and EHSS matters.

Resource Management and Talent Development:

• Manage and oversee all manufacturing and DC employees, fostering a culture of high performance and continuous development.
• Develop and implement strategies for talent development, career pathing, and succession planning within the Canadian operations team.
• Ensure effective management and support for operations-specific IT and Operational Technology (OT) systems.
• Lead detailed cost analysis, operational budgeting, variance reporting, and the identification cost-saving opportunities within operations.

Desired Experiences and Qualifications

Experiences

• Proven experience in managing and overseeing all aspects of manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution for a multi-site or large-scale operation.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and manage diverse, cross-functional Operations / Supply Chain teams.
• Track record of developing and implementing long-term strategic plans for operational functions.
• Experience in leading and managing significant CAPEX projects related to both manufacturing and warehousing/distribution.
• Proven success in establishing and monitoring key operational performance indicators (KPIs) across Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost.
• Familiarity with process analysis, design, and optimization across operational functions.
• Experience in integrating local operational processes into global / international standards and systems.
• Demonstrated ability to interact and engage with international counterparts (e.g., Central Demand Planning, Central Supply Planning, US Manufacturing, US Distribution) to share best practices and standardize operating procedures.
• Leadership experience in the Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) Process, including collaborating with demand planning teams.
• Expertise in managing inbound product flows and optimizing inventory levels across multiple sites and product categories.
• Extensive experience overseeing Quality, Compliance, Environmental, Health, Safety and Security within manufacturing and distribution.
• Demonstrated ability to ensure compliance with Federal and Provincial regulations in health and safety and other compliance areas.
• Experience with leading QMS Audits and Reporting and ensuring adherence to QMS guidelines.
• Experience with cost analysis, operational budgeting, variance reporting, and identifying cost-saving opportunities within operations.

Qualifications

• Strong leadership and people management skills with a demonstrated ability to manage, develop, and mentor employees, fostering a culture of high performance and continuous improvement.
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving with the ability to anticipate demand swings through continual analysis of sales trends and challenge forecasts based on independent trend analysis. Capacity to make strategic recommendations, such as for SKU rationalization.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills are crucial for collaborating with various internal departments (Sales, Marketing, Distribution, Supply Planning) and external partners, as well as for global integration.
• Analytical and data-driven with a strong capability in continual analysis and assessment, with a focus on continuous improvement in forecast accuracy.
• Technical proficiency and a familiarity with operations-specific IT and Operational Technology (OT) systems would be beneficial.

Education and Certification:

• A Bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as Engineering, Supply Chain Management, or Business Administration is essential; a Master's degree would be highly preferred.
• Relevant certifications in Lean Six Sigma, Supply Chain Management (e.g., APICS), or Project Management would be a significant asset.