Head of Operations

Head of Operations – Manufacturing

Location: Barrie, Ontario (Manufacturing Facility)

Geographic Scope: North America

About the Role

A growing North American manufacturer of specialty industrial materials is seeking a hands-on Head of Operations to lead its next phase of scale. The business serves a diverse customer base across Canada and the United States through a mix of direct sales and channel partners.

This role is accountable for translating strategy into execution across manufacturing, commercial operations, systems, and people. The Head of Operations acts as the integrator, aligning operational excellence, revenue execution, and financial discipline. This is a highly hands-on, field-facing leadership role requiring strong judgment, direct engagement, and an owner’s mindset. Advancement is driven by results and impact.

Location & On-Site Expectations

Regular presence at the Barrie manufacturing facility is required (approximately 2–3 days per week or an agreed travel cadence). The role requires visible, credible leadership with plant teams and functional leaders. Relocation may be considered over time but is not required.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive revenue growth and commercial execution, including sales strategy, key account management, channel partners, and adoption of new products.
• Oversee manufacturing operations with full P&L responsibility, ensuring safety, quality, compliance, throughput, cost control, and capacity planning.
• Implement scalable systems and operating disciplines (ERP, CRM, SOPs, KPIs) in partnership with finance to improve visibility and decision-making.
• Build, lead, and develop a high-performance leadership team and culture, establishing accountability and addressing performance gaps.
• Oversee product development and technical functions, ensuring regulatory compliance, innovation, cost efficiency, and quality standards.

Success Metrics

• Predictable, profitable revenue growth
• Improving gross margin and EBITDA
• Stable, efficient manufacturing operations
• A repeatable and scalable sales pipeline
• A capable leadership team operating with minimal executive oversight

The Ideal Candidate

• 10+ years of senior leadership experience in manufacturing or industrial materials, with full P&L ownership
• Proven hands-on operator and business builder
• Strong commercial instincts; comfortable selling, negotiating, and closing
• Financially literate with a clear understanding of margin, cash flow, and EBITDA
• Builder mindset with experience adding structure to fast-growing environments
• Clear communicator with sound judgment and high integrity

REF #1514