National Director of Operations

Canada’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system operates at a provincial level, thus the specific regulations and the types of products covered by EPR programs can vary across the country. However, where possible, there are synergies and benefits to having harmonization at a national level.

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced National Director of Operations to join our Operations team! The National Director of Operations is responsible for operational harmonization across jurisdictions, implementing a national approach to supply procurement, contract management for logistics and operational services as well as improving operational, risk management and financial performance across regions. This is a new role providing an opportunity to help advance and shape some of our core operational processes and workflows. Reporting to the Vice President – Operations, this role will work closely with senior leadership, operational teams, and external stakeholders to support the short and long-term strategies of the organization and drive a roadmap of initiatives aligned with company goals and objectives.
Responsibilities:
Leadership

Lead a comprehensive operational plan aligned with the corporate strategy, focusing on sustainability, risk management, cost-effectiveness, and operational excellence.
Continue to build a strong national presence in the Operations sector, keeping abreast of trends and challenges relevant to the industry.
Develop and maintain strong relationships with internal team members and external stakeholders – suppliers and vendors. Establish channels for ongoing feedback between team members, service providers and stakeholders.
Collaborate with the Executive Team and Senior Management Team by contributing expertise and perspective regarding major organizational decisions, planning, supporting business needs and management reporting.
Represent Product Care at external stakeholder events, where required.

Operations Management

Develop and implement a national approach for contracting operational services (transportation and processing), collaborating with regional leads as appropriate.
Harmonize and maintain standard agreements for common services that can easily be deployed in the different regions.
Harmonize transportation and processing standards for the different material streams.
Optimize approaches to evaluating and managing rate negotiations backed by a thorough understanding of the market costs across regions.
Lead licensing and permitting initiatives in collaboration with regional teams.
Responsible for oversight and management of compliance of service providers related to transportation, logistics and material management (non-EPR compliance), including monitoring regulatory changes as well as auditing processors and transporters.
Evaluate regional and national operational performance and identify opportunities for improvement by working collaboratively with regional leads.
Lead IT related operations projects nationally and regionally, in collaboration with regional teams, and IT team (ex: dispatching, traceability, inventory, etc.).
Develop and standardize national operations organizational assets such as templates, guidelines, forms, filings, etc.
Lead national research and development on material end markets, emission reductions, circularity opportunities under Product Care programs including testing initiatives.
Assess and implement inventory tracking solutions nationally, ensuring transparency, efficiency and accountability across all our programs.
Assess supply procurement nationally versus regionally and supports the implementation of a harmonized approach.
Lead and support initiatives to improve sustainability practices within the organization, including resources efficiency and establishing an approach to reporting and tracking greenhouse gas emissions.

What you bring

The ideal candidate will possess the following skills, experience, and qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Logistics, Supply Chain, Engineering, Business Administration, or related field. Master’s degree or MBA is an asset.
10+ years of relevant experience; at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.
Strong experience in procurement and logistics.
Experience working in a highly regulated industry, overseeing compliance and risk management.
Possess a continuous improvement and sustainability mindset and seek to incorporate innovative sustainable practices where possible.
Thrive in a fast-paced constantly evolving environment with a complex changing regulatory landscape.
Skilled at managing budgets. Proven experience of financial acumen related to servicing, operations cost and impact.
Experience dealing with vendors, contracts, and negotiations.
Strong comprehension of acts, regulations, contractual language and legal terminology and its application and interpretation pertaining to logistics, transportation of hazardous waste and/or dangerous goods, permitting and licensing requirements for material management facilities.
Proven knowledge and experience with managing or overseeing the transport and handling of dangerous goods and hazardous waste, ideally in multiple jurisdictions.
Excellent interpersonal communication and relationship management skills.
Ability to facilitate discussions and collaboration across stakeholders.
Experience with emergency preparedness and business continuity planning and execution.
Understand business processes within a recycling organization across multiple jurisdictions, or similar highly regulated multi-stakeholder industry.
Superior analytical, problem solving, troubleshooting and decision-making skills, a high level of organizational ability, and the ability to deal with multiple deadlines and demands in parallel.
Experience translating organizational goals into action, monitoring success and implementing continuous improvement.
Willingness to travel as required across Canada.
Proficient in MS Office Suite and various business software (e.g. CRM). Experience in managing/developing complex data management systems for operations is an added asset.
Bilingual in English and French is an added asset.