Chief Operating Officer

LifeSmart Health Group; Calgary; Hybrid; CAD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Group benefits

Company pension plan

LTIP (long-term incentive plan)

Hybrid work model

Job summary

LifeSmart Health is searching for an experienced Chief Operating Officer to lead operational discipline across its multi-region healthcare platform. You will design scalable frameworks, align leadership teams, and drive integration of newly acquired businesses.

The role partners closely with the CEO/President to translate growth strategy into actionable plans, oversee budgeting and performance dashboards, and ensure regulatory and quality standards across pharmacies, clinics, and allied health

Qualifications

• 5+ years leadership experience in COO, VP Operations, or equivalent executive role.
• Experience scaling operations in healthcare or multi-site environments.
• Direct experience with M&A integration.
• Strong track record designing executive governance and meeting frameworks.
• Excellent financial acumen, with budgeting across multiple units.
• Based in Calgary, AB or Winnipeg, MB, with willingness to travel monthly to the opposite office and to Edmonton, AB and Vancouver, BC.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement a detailed executive management and meeting framework.
• Develop and implement business strategies for growth and market expansion.
• Build and strengthen the leadership team with clear reporting lines.
• Lead post-acquisition integration and alignment of new businesses.
• Partner with finance to manage budgets and financial targets across units.
• Provide regular updates to the CEO/President and ownership.
• Ensure governance, compliance, and operational discipline across regions.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

M&A integration

Governance

Financial acumen

Communication

Budgeting

Healthcare experience

Multi-site management

Executive collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA preferred

Job description

LifeSmart Health|Calgary, AB or Winnipeg, MB

• Reports To: President & CEO
• Location: Calgary, AB or Winnipeg, MB (candidate's choice of home office) — required monthly travel to the opposite regional office, plus periodic travel to Edmonton, AB and Vancouver, BC
• Work Arrangement: Hybrid — primarily in-person at head office and site locations
• Hours: 40 hours/week; core Monday–Friday business hours, with occasional evening and/or weekend commitments
• Employment Type: Full-time, permanent, executive leadership team
• Compensation: Competitive base salary, commensurate with experience — group benefits, company pension plan, and a lucrative long-term incentive plan (LTIP)

About LifeSmart Health

LifeSmart Health is one of Canada's fastest-growing privately owned healthcare organizations — a founder-led, locally and independently owned group operating primarily in Western Canada. Headquartered with regional offices in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Calgary, Alberta, LifeSmart Health has grown to 18 locations across Western Canada, spanning community pharmacy, medical clinics, allied health, diagnostics, and home mobility and accessibility solutions.

Since its founding, LifeSmart Health has pursued an active growth and acquisition strategy, bringing together strong independent healthcare businesses under a shared platform while preserving the local, patient-first character that built each of them. As the organization scales, LifeSmart Health is investing in the leadership structure, systems, and operating discipline needed to support its next phase of growth — and is seeking an experienced Chief Operating Officer to help lead that evolution.

The Opportunity

Reporting directly to the President & CEO, the Chief Operating Officer will be a foundational member of the executive leadership team, responsible for bringing structure, discipline, and scalable operating systems to a fast-growing, multi-entity healthcare organization. This is a rare opportunity for an operating executive to shape the operational backbone of a company in the midst of rapid regional expansion — building the management framework, processes, and team that will carry LifeSmart Health through its next stage of growth and acquisition integration.

The COO will work in close partnership with the CEO/President and the broader leadership team across all business lines — pharmacy, clinics, allied health, diagnostics, and mobility — with regular travel between Calgary, Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Vancouver to support site leaders and integrate newly acquired businesses.

Key Objectives

• Design and implement a clear, detailed executive management and meeting framework — establishing cadence, structure, and accountability across the leadership team and all business units.
• D evelop and implement new business strategies that support LifeSmart Health's continued growth, diversification, and market expansion across Western Canada.
• Build out and strengthen the management team as the organization scales, adding structure, reporting lines, and operational discipline.
• Lead the operational integration of newly acquired businesses into the LifeSmart Health platform, ensuring consistency, efficiency, and cultural alignment.

Strategic Leadership & Planning

• Partner with the CEO/President to translate the company's growth strategy into an executable operating plan across all business lines.
• Lead annual and long-range operational planning, budgeting, and performance target-setting in collaboration with finance and business unit leaders.
• Identify operational risks and opportunities across the portfolio and bring forward recommendations to the executive team and ownership.

Operational Oversight & Performance

• Own day-to-day operational performance across all pharmacy, clinic, allied health, diagnostic, and mobility locations.
• Establish standardized operating procedures, KPIs, and performance dashboards to drive consistency and accountability across a multi-site, multi-entity organization.
• Monitor site- and entity-level performance, intervening proactively where operational, financial, or service issues arise.

M&A Integration & Business Development

• Lead post-acquisition integration planning and execution for newly acquired businesses, including operations, systems, HR, and reporting alignment.
• Support due diligence on prospective acquisitions from an operational and organizational readiness perspective.
• Work with regional leaders to identify organic growth and new service line opportunities within existing markets.

Organizational Design & Team Leadership

• Design and build out the management team structure required to support a growing, multi-region organization — including reporting relationships, role clarity, and succession planning.
• Directly lead and mentor regional and functional leaders, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Partner with HR leadership on organizational development, talent planning, and performance management practices across the group.

Governance & Executive Communication

• Establish and lead a structured executive management and meeting framework — including regular leadership meetings, operational reviews, and reporting cadences.
• Ensure clear, consistent communication and information flow between head office, regional offices, and individual site locations.
• Prepare and present operational and strategic updates to the CEO/President and ownership.

Financial & Risk Management

• Partner with finance to manage operating budgets, cost structures, and profitability across business units.
• Ensure operational compliance with applicable healthcare regulations, licensing requirements, and internal policies across all jurisdictions of operation.
• Oversee risk management practices related to operations, safety, and regulatory compliance across a diverse portfolio of healthcare businesses.

What We're Looking For

• 5+ years of progressive leadership experience, with a track record in a COO, VP Operations, or equivalent executive role — ideally within healthcare, healthcare services, multi-site retail, or another regulated, multi-location industry.
• Demonstrated success building and scaling operational structure and management teams within a fast-growing or acquisitive organization.
• Direct experience with M&A integration — bringing newly acquired businesses onto a shared operating platform.
• Strong track record designing executive governance and meeting frameworks, with the discipline to drive consistent execution across a leadership team.
• Excellent financial acumen, with experience managing budgets and performance across multiple business units or locations.
• Bachelor's degree required; MBA or other relevant advanced degree preferred.
• Experience in pharmacy, medical clinics, allied health, diagnostics, or healthcare services is a strong asset.
• Based in Calgary, AB or Winnipeg, MB, with willingness to travel to the opposite regional office on a monthly basis, plus regular travel to Edmonton, AB and Vancouver, BC, and flexibility for occasional evening or weekend commitments.
• A hands-on, builder mentality — comfortable operating in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial, privately owned environment. mentality — comfortable operating in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial, privately owned environment.
• Competitive base compensation, commensurate with experience.
• Comprehensive group benefits plan and pension plan.
• A lucrative long-term incentive plan (LTIP), aligning executive success with the company's long-term growth.