Operational Excellence Specialist

Array Marketing; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 77,000 - 82,000; Full time

Job summary

Array Marketing, a leader in retail experiences, seeks an Operational Excellence Specialist in Toronto. The hybrid role collaborates across manufacturing, supply chain, and commercial teams to redesign processes with AI and automation, strengthening KPI governance and data integrity.

You will work four days onsite and one day from home, applying S&OP improvements and turning insights into scalable, AI-enabled solutions that drive performance across the organization.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience in manufacturing, supply chain or operations analytics.
• Proven ability to apply AI/automation to real business problems with practical solutions.
• Strong data interpretation, KPI governance, and data integrity experience.
• Excellent cross-functional collaboration and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Identify and improve processes across manufacturing, supply chain, and operations.
• Build AI-enabled solutions and deploy them using Copilot Studio, Power Automate, and BI tools.
• Strengthen KPI governance and data integrity across systems and teams.
• Support S&OP and supply chain performance with data-driven insights.
• Turn insights into actionable improvements and ensure adoption of new processes.
• Partner across Sales, Planning, Purchasing, Manufacturing, and Operations to align requirements.

Skills

Operational experience

AI and automation

Analytical skills

Process improvement

Communication

Tools

Microsoft Copilot Studio

Power Automate

SharePoint

Power BI

Azure AI

Power Apps

Python

RPA

Job description

For over 40 years, Array Marketing has been a global leader in retail displays and in-store merchandising solutions. With more than 1,800 employees worldwide, we partner with leading brands including Sephora, L'Oréal, Coty, PUIG, Amazon, and many others to design, engineer, manufacture, and deliver bespoke retail environments that bring their brands to life.

No two projects are the same. Combining award-winning design, engineering expertise, skilled craftsmanship, and state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies, we create highly customized solutions that help the world's leading brands stand out where it matters most - in store.

Our success is built on the way we work as One Team fostering open communication, collaboration, and a shared commitment to excellence. We strive to be Better Every Day by continuously learning, improving, and taking initiative. We also Have Fun, creating a positive, engaging workplace where people enjoy what they do and celebrate wins together.

We're looking for curious, open-minded problem-solvers who enjoy tackling complex challenges, thinking critically, and collaborating across disciplines. If you're ready to make an impact while helping shape the future of retail, we'd love to hear from you.

Who we need

Reporting to the Operational Excellence Manager, we are hiring an Operational Excellence Specialist to help transform how operational work gets done across Array. As our new Operational Excellence Specialist, you will work across manufacturing, supply chain, operations, and commercial teams to understand processes end to end, strengthen KPI governance and data integrity, and identify opportunities to improve performance. You will combine operational excellence practices with AI and automation to redesign workflows, reduce manual effort, improve decision-making, and build practical solutions that can be embedded into day-to-day operations. From S&OP and inventory performance to root cause analysis and process improvement, you will turn operational challenges into scalable, AI-enabled solutions and help establish more consistent, data-driven ways of working across the business.

This is a hybrid role based in our Scarborough office, currently requiring four days onsite and one day working from home.

What's in it for you

Build and apply AI where it makes a difference. You will have the opportunity to take AI beyond experimentation and apply it to real manufacturing, supply chain, and operational challenges. You will identify where automation can reduce manual work, improve data quality, accelerate decisions, and strengthen performance, then help build and deploy solutions that become part of how teams work every day.

Influence how operational excellence takes shape. You will join a newly built Operational Excellence team with the opportunity to bring fresh thinking, external practices, and new approaches to an evolving function. You will help strengthen KPI governance, S&OP, data integrity, and process improvement while influencing how AI and automation are incorporated into operational excellence across the business.

Broaden your expertise and impact. You will work across manufacturing, supply chain, planning, purchasing, sales, and commercial operations, gaining visibility into how decisions and processes connect across the organization. You will deepen your expertise in operational excellence while expanding your hands‑on capabilities with AI, automation, data, and process improvement tools.

As our new Operational Excellence Specialist, you will

• Identify and improve processes. You will work closely with manufacturing, supply chain, operations, and commercial teams to understand how work gets done today. You will map processes, identify bottlenecks, manual touchpoints, and recurring challenges, and use root cause analysis and operational excellence practices to determine where processes can be redesigned, standardized, or improved.
• Build AI-enabled solutions. You will identify opportunities to apply AI and automation to operational challenges, translating business needs into practical solutions that reduce manual effort, improve accuracy, and support faster decision-making. You will help design, configure, deploy, and continuously improve solutions using tools such as Microsoft Copilot Studio, Power Automate, SharePoint, Power BI, and Azure AI or equivalent technologies.
• Strengthen KPI governance and data integrity. You will take ownership of operational KPI data integrity, working across functional teams and systems to validate information before it is used for reporting and decision-making. You will identify recurring data quality issues and introduce standard processes, validation controls, and, where appropriate, AI-enabled checks that improve the reliability and consistency of operational data.
• Support S&OP and supply chain performance. You will bring together sales forecasts, supply commitments, inventory information, and planning data to strengthen S&OP processes and keep information aligned and decision-ready. You will analyze raw materials, work in progress, and finished goods to uncover the drivers of shortages, excess inventory, obsolescence, and other performance challenges.
• Turn insights into action. You will investigate the processes behind recurring KPI misses, connect data to what is happening on the manufacturing floor and across the supply chain, and work with stakeholders to implement sustainable improvements. You will help ensure new processes, automation, and AI solutions are documented, governed, adopted, and sustained after implementation.
• Partner across the business. You will build relationships across Sales, Planning, Purchasing, Manufacturing, Operations, and other teams contributing operational data. You will translate operational needs into clear requirements for reporting, dashboards, automation, and AI solutions, helping technical and business teams stay aligned on the problem being solved and the outcome required.

You bring:

• The operational experience. You have hands‑on experience in manufacturing, supply chain, operational excellence, continuous improvement, or operations analytics. You understand how processes, data, and decisions connect in a manufacturing environment and can work through ambiguity to identify what is happening, why it is happening, and what needs to change.
• The AI and automation experience. You have applied AI or automation tools to real business or operational problems and can point to practical solutions you have helped build or implement. You understand how to move from identifying an opportunity to designing a workflow or solution that people can use, with exposure to tools such as Microsoft Copilot Studio, Power Automate, Power Apps, Python, RPA, or similar AI and low-code/no-code technologies.
• The analytical skills. You are comfortable working with operational data to identify trends, investigate performance gaps, and support better decisions. You understand KPI governance, data integrity, inventory and supply chain flows, S&OP processes, and root cause analysis, and you can connect what the data is showing you to what is happening operationally. You have advanced Excel skills and experience working with BI tools such as Power BI, Qlik, or Tableau.
• The process improvement mindset. You know how to examine a process end to end, uncover bottlenecks and manual touchpoints, and translate your findings into practical improvements. You can use process mapping and continuous improvement approaches to bring structure to evolving processes and are equally comfortable analyzing a problem and working alongside teams to implement the solution.
• The communication and collaboration skills. You can work effectively with stakeholders across manufacturing, operations, supply chain, planning, purchasing, sales, and technical teams. You ask thoughtful questions, communicate complex information clearly, and can translate operational requirements into actionable specifications for reporting, automation, and AI solutions.

Compensation:

The salary range for this role is $77,000–$82,000 CAD annually. Compensation is thoughtfully determined based on your experience, skill set, and alignment with our internal compensation framework. We’re always happy to answer questions about compensation throughout the hiring process.

What you can expect from the interview process:

• A virtual interview with a Talent Advisor to discuss your interest in joining the company and in the role. The conversation will be recorded using BrightHire, an AI-powered video interview tool. More details will be shared when you are invited to interview.
• A 30-minute virtual interview with the Hiring Manager to discuss your experience and learn more about the role and the Operational Excellence team.
• A one-hour in-person interview with the Hiring Manager, Operational Excellence Manager, a subject matter expert, and a member of the HR team.

Diversity, equity and inclusion are a critical component of life at Array Marketing and we are committed to making these values an integral part of our culture. We encourage applications from all qualified applicants, including women, persons with disabilities, Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC), people from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Transsexual, Queer, Questioning, Two-Spirit, Intersex, Asexual + (LGBTQ2SIA+) community, and other equity-seeking groups.

Array Marketing is committed to providing accessible employment practices that are in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act ('AODA'). If you require accommodation, please notify our HR team at [e-mail]