DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS – FOOD MANUFACTURING

In Demand Recruitment and Consulting Inc.; Edmonton; On-site; CAD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

IN DEMAND Recruitment & Consulting Inc. partners with a leading Canadian food manufacturer in Edmonton, seeking a Director of Operations to lead manufacturing, processing, warehousing and related functions.

The role reports to the senior leadership team and will guide the transition into a new, larger facility planned for commissioning in 2027. The successful candidate will drive operational excellence, safety, quality and customer service while developing leadership, processes and systems to

Qualifications

• Senior operations leadership experience in food manufacturing.
• Track record of building high-performing teams and scalable processes.
• Strong focus on safety, quality, and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership to manufacturing, processing, warehousing and related operational functions.
• Build and develop an engaged operations team with clear accountability.
• Establish SOPs, standardized work, and performance expectations to improve efficiency.
• Collaborate with cross-functional leaders across Quality, Supply Chain, Finance, HR and Sales.
• Drive capacity planning and capital projects to support growth and new facilities.
• Monitor KPIs, analyze data, and implement corrective actions to enhance performance.

Job description

IN DEMAND Recruitment & Consulting Inc. is proud to partner with our client in the search for an exceptional Director of Operations to join its senior leadership team in Edmonton, Alberta.

Founded in Edmonton in 1989, our client is an established Canadian food manufacturer specializing in high-quality commercial bakery products and customized food solutions for customers across North America.

The company is entering one of the most exciting periods in its history, with significant investment being made in its next stage of growth. This includes the continued optimization and expansion of its existing Edmonton operation and the development of a new, substantially larger manufacturing facility targeted for commissioning in 2027.

For the right operations leader, this represents considerably more than an opportunity to run an established manufacturing operation.

It is an opportunity to help build the next generation of our client!

Reporting directly to the President & CEO, the Director of Operations will assume overall leadership of manufacturing, processing, warehousing and related operational functions while serving as a key member of the senior leadership team.

The successful individual will be expected to bring a strong and visible leadership presence to the organization, develop and empower the existing team, strengthen operational discipline, increase capacity and performance, and help build the people, processes, systems and infrastructure required to support significant future growth.

The Mandate

The Director of Operations will lead the development of an industry-leading food manufacturing operation built around engaged people, operational excellence, food safety, product quality, employee safety, continuous improvement and exceptional customer service.

This is broader than a traditional Plant Manager position.

With the CEO operating remotely for portions of the year, the Director will become an important on-site senior leadership presence and organizational integrator, working closely with leaders across Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Warehousing, Finance, HR, Sales and other functional areas.

The Director will be expected to understand what is happening on the plant floor while simultaneously maintaining sight of the broader business—its customers, people, financial performance, capacity requirements and future growth.

Over the first 12–24 months, this individual will play a pivotal role in strengthening today’s operation while helping design and prepare tomorrow’s, including the transition into Crust Craft’s new manufacturing facility.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership to manufacturing, processing, warehousing and related operational functions.
• Build, coach and develop a highly engaged operations team capable of supporting significant organizational growth.
• Develop frontline leaders and establish clear expectations, accountability, ownership and decision-making throughout the operations organization.
• Serve as a highly visible, hands-on senior on-site leader, supporting the CEO and collaborating closely with leaders across the business.
• Strengthen operating discipline through effective SOPs, standardized work, work instructions, operating procedures and performance expectations.
• Champion an uncompromising culture of food safety, product quality, employee safety, sanitation and regulatory compliance.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that generate measurable gains in capacity, throughput, productivity, labour efficiency, yield, quality, waste reduction, downtime and manufacturing cost.
• Develop and execute capacity plans required to support significant increases in production and revenue.
• Optimize the existing Edmonton operation through improvements to equipment, processes, workflows, plant layout, labour utilization, material movement and facility capacity.
• Establish meaningful operational KPIs and use data to identify constraints, determine root causes and implement sustainable corrective action.
• Partner closely with Supply Chain and Warehousing to improve material flow, inventory management, production planning, scheduling and customer delivery performance.
• Provide operational leadership to capital planning and ensure investments in equipment, automation, technology and infrastructure deliver appropriate operational and financial returns.
• Identify opportunities to introduce technology and automation that improve scalability, consistency, productivity and manufacturing performance.
• Play a key leadership role in the planning, operational readiness and execution of the transition into the company’s new manufacturing facility targeted for commissioning in 2027.
• Help establish the organizational structure, leadership capability, operating processes and systems required for the expanded operation.
• Foster strong cross-functional collaboration and ensure Operations remains closely aligned with Quality, Supply Chain, Finance, HR, Sales and customer requirements.
• Help preserve the entrepreneurial culture and customer responsiveness that have contributed to Crust Craft’s success while introducing the structure and discipline required to successfully scale.

The Leadership Profile

Our client is particularly interested in a leader who puts people first while maintaining high expectations for performance.

The right person develops people rather than simply directing them. You create ownership rather than dependency and understand that sustainable operational improvement comes from combining capable people, disciplined processes, appropriate technology and clear expectations.

You listen and gather the facts before making decisions. You identify root causes rather than treating symptoms. You create accountability without micromanaging.

You operate with urgency without sacrificing food safety, quality or employee safety, and you are comfortable challenging established practices when there is a better way forward.

You understand that numbers matter—but so do the people responsible for producing them.

Most importantly, you bring a genuine passion for continuous improvement and building high-performing teams, along with the maturity to help an established entrepreneurial organization evolve without losing the culture and customer focus that made it successful.

Why Our Client?

Our client has been building its business in Edmonton for more than three decades and is now making a significant investment in its future.

The company’s expansion represents a major commitment to increased manufacturing capacity, technology, innovation and future growth, with a new manufacturing facility targeted for commissioning in 2027.

The incoming Director of Operations will join the organization at a point when many of the decisions that will shape its future operating model are still ahead.

That means the successful candidate will have the opportunity to:

• Shape the future operating model, rather than simply inherit it.
• Help plan and execute the transition into a major new manufacturing facility.
• Influence decisions around equipment, technology, automation, workflow and capacity.
• Build and develop the operations leadership team required for future growth.
• Strengthen systems and processes while preserving an entrepreneurial culture.
• Work directly with the President & CEO and have meaningful influence across the organization.
• Leave a measurable and lasting impact on a successful Canadian food manufacturer.

For an accomplished operations leader who enjoys building teams, scaling manufacturing organizations, developing people and creating something better than what existed before, this is an exceptional opportunity to help lead Crust Craft through its next chapter.

Disclosure of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use

IN DEMAND Recruitment & Consulting Inc. may use artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled tools to support certain aspects of our recruitment process, including the screening and assessment of applications. These tools are used to assist with organizing, reviewing and evaluating candidate information and do not replace human judgment or decision-making.