Chief Operating Officer

Gilmore Partners; Toronto; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

A premium surface materials distributor is seeking a Chief Operating Officer to lead supply chain and operational strategies. The ideal candidate will possess significant experience in logistics and inventory management, focusing on efficiency and cost reduction. This hands-on leadership role offers the chance to build a best-in-class operational infrastructure to drive growth and customer satisfaction.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of experience in supply chain or operations leadership.
• 5+ years in a senior or executive role required.
• Demonstrated success in improving inventory turns and reducing OPEX.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement supply chain strategies with measurable KPIs.
• Establish and maintain inventory accuracy at 99%.
• Lead logistics and freight management strategies.

Skills

Supply chain expertise

Inventory management

Operational leadership

Negotiation skills

Budget management

Education

Bachelor’s in Supply Chain Management, Operations, or Engineering

MBA preferred

Tools

WMS

ERP systems

Logistics platforms

Job description

On behalf of our client, Stone Tile International, Gilmore Partners has been retained to help recruit a new Chief Operating Officer.

Stone Tile International is a Canadian importer and distributor of premium surface materials, specializing in high-end tiles, natural stone, and architectural surfaces. Family-run and entering into their 35th year in business, Stone Tile is headquartered in Toronto, with multiple showrooms/warehouses across Canada, including Vancouver, Calgary, and Montreal. Stone Tile serves both commercial and residential markets.

We are seeking a results-driven Chief Operating Officer (COO) with proven expertise in supply chain, inventory, and logistics operations to build and lead a best-in-class infrastructure that supports aggressive growth, efficiency, and customer satisfaction targets. This role will own the development and execution of operational strategies across supply chain, warehousing, inventory control, logistics, and fulfilment, with a sharp focus on efficiency, cost savings, working capital optimization, and scalability.

This is a hands-on leadership role focused on establishing foundational systems, KPIs, and teams while aligning operational performance to financial goals, including inventory turns, OPEX as % of sales, supplier costs, and overall cash flow improvements.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Supply Chain Strategy & Optimization

• Design and implement a best-in-class supply chain with measurable KPIs across efficiency, cost savings, speed, and service levels.
• Drive improvements in cash flow through smarter procurement, faster inventory turns, and reduction of working capital tied in inventory.
• Implement supply chain technologies and automation to streamline sourcing, ordering, and planning.

2. Inventory Management

• Establish and maintain inventory accuracy at 99%, leveraging robust SOPs, cycle counting programs, and audit practices.
• Optimize inventory allocation and replenishment strategies across all distribution centers and warehouses.

3. Warehouse Network Development

• Set up a best-in-class warehouse network, including ABC product allocation and layout design to maximize space and throughput.
• Define and manage metrics such as:
• Order pick accuracy and efficiency
• Shipping error rates
• Average time to process orders
• Drive warehouse automation and real-time tracking to improve fulfilment speed and accuracy.
• Drive sample /facilities

4. Logistics & Freight Management

• Lead strategy and execution for inbound and outbound freight, including internal fleet and external logistics providers.
• Negotiate favourable freight terms and service-level agreements while ensuring reliability and scalability.
• Optimize transportation routes, costs, and delivery SLAs.

5. Supplier Management

• Oversee supplier performance, relationship management, and contract negotiations.
• Ensure supplier accountability to lead times, quality, and service metrics.
• Develop vendor scorecards and performance reviews tied to cost, reliability, and responsiveness.

6. Operational Performance & Financial Alignment

• Work with the CFO to design and implement bonus programs across all operations departments, aligned with profitability, revenue, and efficiency KPIs.
• Improve operating expenses (OPEX) as a % of sales to 35% or better, using data to reduce waste and increase throughput.
• Manage and report on department budgets, forecasts, and cost-saving initiatives.
• Maintain and track budgets for gallery construction costs and other capital expenditures as required.

7. Samples & Facilities Management

• Oversee the Samples department to ensure timely processing, fulfilment, and replenishment across all sales and showroom channels.
• Lead and improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of Facilities operations, ensuring all sites (offices, warehouses, showrooms, etc.) are optimized for safety, cleanliness, and operational readiness.
• Implement preventative maintenance schedules, vendor management, and facility upgrade planning aligned with growth

8. Acquisitions

• Oversee and own all operational aspects of acquisitions, from due diligence to post-acquisition integration.
• Lead operational audits, supply chain assessment, and logistics integration for acquired entities.
• Ensure cultural and process alignment of new operations with core business standards, technology platforms, and cost structures.

9. Reporting & Executive Communication

• Deliver a detailed monthly operations scorecard to the President and Executive Team, covering performance metrics across inventory, supply chain, logistics, and budget adherence.
• Identify risks and provide strategic recommendations to improve operations, profitability, and scalability.

10. Customer Experience Support

• Collaborate with the Chief Customer & Gallery Officer (CCGO) to ensure a seamless customer experience.
• Use customer satisfaction surveys, operational feedback loops, and issue resolution metrics to align operations with customer expectations.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations, Engineering, or a related field (MBA preferred).
• Minimum 10 years of experience in supply chain, logistics, or operations leadership, including 5+ years in a senior or executive role.
• Demonstrated success in improving inventory turns, reducing OPEX, and implementing logistics KPIs at scale.
• Deep experience in WMS, ERP, and logistics platforms; data-driven with a passion for process improvement.
• Proven ability to build high-performance teams, lead change, and scale operations for growth.
• Strong negotiation, budgeting, and vendor management skills.

Stone Tile International is committed to providing equitable treatment and accommodation to ensure a barrier-free recruitment process. In accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and our AODA policy, a request for accommodation will be accepted as part of the hiring process. If you require accommodation to apply or if selected to participate in an assessment process, please provide your accommodation needs in advance to Gilmore Partners for this opportunity.

We thank all interested candidates in advance; however, only individuals selected for interviews will be contacted.