Vice President, Operations

Victoria Newitt Recruitment Inc has been retained by Purdys Chocolatier to search for a Vice President of Operations.

Job Summary
Reporting to the COO, the Vice President, Chocolate Operations oversees the Company's procurement, manufacturing, fulfillment and distribution functions and personnel. This includes purchasing, planning and production, inventory management, quality, maintenance and engineering, warehousing, fulfillment and logistics functions. The primary function of this position is to ensure that all products are produced within established cost and quality structures and distributed to customers and stores on time, all the time. The role will also lead to changes in cost, efficiency, and quality and ensure that competent sources of supply are secured.

Main Responsibilities

1. Operational Leadership and Management
   • Leads functional areas, including manufacturing, product costing, scheduling, commercialization, purchasing, inventory management, quality assurance, safety, security, maintenance, warehousing, and transportation.
   • Manages cost of all functional areas, focusing on continual process improvement without compromising quality.
   • Achieves key performance indicators in quality, safety, service, cost, yield, environmental responsibility, training and customer and employee experience.
   • Maintains efficient, safe, clean, and well-organized facilities and equipment that meet or exceed regulatory requirements and requirements for Purdys continued production of quality product.
2. Cost Management and Continuous Improvement
   • Responsible for cost management across all functions while maintaining quality standards.
   • Establishes goals focused on continuous cost improvement, quality, safety, and customer and employee experience.
   • Plans, designs, and assesses, using existing internal rates of return expectations, to prioritize and implement key capital initiatives of infrastructure to support growth and production equipment for productivity improvement.
   • Performs capacity analysis to effectively plan for infrastructure and equipment changes needed to support the business's growth plans and changing regulatory requirements.
   • Develop contingency plans around potential supply or labour disruptions.
3. Supply Chain Optimization
   • Views the supply chain as a single function and makes decisions to optimize the entire process while balancing the needs of the customer and product.
   • Works with third-party suppliers and external providers to optimize value and service for the customer.
4. Strategic Planning and Relationship Management
   • Establishes long-term and short-term operational goals aligned with growth and quality objectives.
   • Manages relationships with third-party suppliers, union leaders, and other external stakeholders.
   • Works closely with the COO on operational plans and goals and new equipment decisions to support future product innovations and has an active role in senior-level negotiations with client companies and manufacturing partners.
5. Performance Monitoring and Reporting
   • Reports on and strives to achieve daily and monthly cost, quality, safety, service, and environmental responsibility KPIs.
   • Provides regular operations analysis insights and financial summaries to the executive team.
   • Owns commercialization, including developing and testing new processes, labelling to meet regulatory requirements, product food safety, and delivering the production requirements to meet sales plans.

1. Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in a related field, such as Operations Management, Supply Chain, Industrial Manufacturing, or Engineering. At least ten years of experience managing manufacturing, operations, supply chain, and logistics and five years in senior management.
2. Industry Expertise: Demonstrated experience in a unionized environment with deep sector expertise in the manufacturing food industry. Familiarity with Canadian food safety and WSBC regulations, with superior analytical and organizational skills.
3. Management Skills: Proven track record managing operations financially and managerially, including budgeting, in both large and small companies. International management experience and managing a global supply chain.
4. Leadership: Strong background in sales/service-based companies, with multi-unit management experience.

Compensation

The range offered for this position is: $200,000 – $250,000 annually.

Executive compensation package, including participation in Purdys’ incentive and benefits programs.

Compensation offered within this range is based on factors unique to each candidate, including skills, qualifications, experience and credentials.

If this position suits your skills and experience, we want to talk to you!

Please apply by submitting your resume and a covering letter outlining why you are a suitable candidate for this exciting role.