Director of Operations

Kuehne+Nagel; Mississauga; On-site; CAD 208,000 - 264,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and dental benefits

Retirement savings plan

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Kuehne+Nagel is seeking a Director of Operations to design, manage, and optimize contract logistics across facilities in Canada. You will lead cross-functional teams to improve profitability, productivity, and service levels, while aligning with regional and global initiatives.

You will oversee vendor relations, QBRs, KPIs, and customer relationships, driving strategic growth and continuous improvement within distributed warehouses and transportation networks.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive experience in logistics, supply chain, or operations management.
• 5+ years in a senior leadership role (Director, Senior Manager, or equivalent).
• Proven track record managing large-scale logistics/contract logistics operations (multi-site, national scope).
• Experience leading P&L management (gross profit, NP-1-1 accounting).
• Vendor management and supplier compliance in regulated industries.
• Customer relationship management at a strategic level, incl. QBRs, KPIs, SLAs.
• Background in change management and strategy deployment aligning local with global initiatives.
• Familiarity with QSHE systems and regulatory compliance.

Responsibilities

• Lead and evaluate operational financial performance, medium- and long-term objectives, and risk-reduction initiatives.
• Implement new programs, strategies, and regulatory actions into contract logistics operations.
• Provide commercial guidance, business investment evaluations, and support business development to mitigate idle space and drive growth.
• Directly implement new business into operations and contribute to national strategy as part of the Canadian management team.
• Clearly communicate strategies across operations to ensure alignment with regional and global initiatives.
• Lead change management deployment and facilitate collaboration across business departments.
• Conduct regular team and one-on-one meetings with direct reports.
• Own customer relationships, ensuring service levels meet evolving customer needs; monitor KPIs and drive profitability initiatives.
• Oversee employee relations, engagement, and performance management.

Skills

P&L management

Vendor management

Change management

QBRs & KPIs

Strategic leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in SCM/Logistics

Tools

APICS CSCP

CPSM

PMP

Six Sigma / Lean

Job description

It's more than a job As part of the Contract Logistics team at Kuehne+Nagel, you will play a key role in designing, managing, and optimizing solutions that keep goods moving efficiently. Whether you’re leading a team, engineering processes, or driving projects, your work ensures that our customers’ products are stored, handled, and delivered with precision. From everyday essentials to seasonal items, what we do in Contract Logistics impacts businesses and communities around the world. At Kuehne+Nagel, your contribution goes far beyond the warehouse—it helps shape the flow of global trade.

The Director of Operations is responsible for all Contract Logistics operational facilities including but not limited to the national strategy and initiatives, to ensure compliance to the QSHE Management system, employee experience, communication, customers, profitability and productivity, within these facilities.

How you create impact

Functional Responsibility

• Lead and evaluate operational financial performance, medium- and long-term objectives, and risk-reduction initiatives.
• Implement new programs, strategies, and regulatory actions into contract logistics operations.
• Provide commercial guidance, business investment evaluations, and support business development to mitigate idle space and drive growth.
• Directly implement new business into operations and contribute to national strategy as part of the Canadian management team.

Communication

• Clearly communicate strategies across operations to ensure alignment with regional and global initiatives.
• Lead change management deployment and facilitate collaboration across business departments.
• Conduct regular team and one-on-one meetings with direct reports.

Customer Responsibilities

• Own customer relationships, ensuring service levels exceed expectations.
• Monitor KPIs, participate in QBRs, and implement processes and programs to meet evolving customer needs.
• Profitability
• Drive initiatives to increase gross profit and NP-1-1.
• Lead continuous improvement to boost productivity, reduce costs, and support market pricing strategies.

Employee Responsibilities

• Oversee employee relations, engagement, and overall experience within distribution centers.
• Manage performance, development planning, and succession to build a strong workforce.

Vendor Responsibilities

• Ensure vendor qualifications meet company standards and maintain strong supplier relationships.
• Enforce compliance with company protocols, health and safety, quality, security, environmental, legal, and regulatory requirements.

Community & Corporate Responsibilities

• Ensure operational alignment with QSHE, company policies, legal, and industry standards.

What we would like you to bring

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Logistics, or a related field (required)

Professional certifications (nice to have but not required)

• APICS CSCP (Certified Supply Chain Professional)
• CPSM (Certified Professional in Supply Management)
• PMP (Project Management Professional) if heavy on program execution
• Six Sigma / Lean certification for continuous improvement focus
• 7+ years of progressive experience in logistics, supply chain, or operations management
• 5+ years in a senior leadership role (Director, Senior Manager, or equivalent)
• Proven track record managing large-scale logistics/contract logistics operations (multi-site, national scope preferred)
• Experience leading P&L management (gross profit, NP-1-1 accountability)
• Demonstrated success in vendor management and supplier compliance, particularly in regulated industries
• Experience with customer relationship management at a strategic level, including QBRs, KPIs, and service-level agreements.
• Background in change management and strategy deployment, aligning local operations with global initiatives.
• Familiarity with QSHE (Quality, Safety, Health, and Environment) systems and regulatory compliance.

What's in it for you

At Kuehne+Nagel we strive daily to inspire, empower, and deliver not only to our customers, but also to our colleagues. We offer a dynamic global work environment with opportunities for excellent training programs and career mobility. The salary range for this position is between $150,000.00 and $190,000.00. Base wage is part of a competitive total rewards package that includes health and dental benefits, a retirement savings plan, and tuition reimbursement. Individual pay may vary from the target range and is determined by a number of factors including experience, skills, job location, internal pay equity, and other relevant business considerations. Kuehne+Nagel reviews pay ranges regularly to ensure competitive and fair pay based on industry market data. “Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used to assist in [specific process, e.g., screening applications, interview scheduling]. These tools analyze information to support decision-making, but final decisions are made by human reviewers.”

Who we are

Logistics shapes everyday life - from the goods we consume to the healthcare we rely on. At Kuehne+Nagel, your work goes beyond logistics; it enables both ordinary and special moments in the lives of people around the world. As a global leader with a strong heritage and a vision to move the world forward, we offer a safe, stable environment where your career can make a real difference. Whether we help deliver life‑saving medicines, develop sustainable transportation solutions or support our local communities, your career will contribute to more than you can imagine.