Director of Operations

"I am a master of communicating, I manage every detail of a business’ day-to-day functions. I plan, organize, direct and control the operations, often production, functions of my business. My attention to detail is unparalleled, and I enjoy managing a great deal of factors which go into a finished product. I am responsible for driving and managing all manufacturing and order fulfillment activities at the facility while maintaining efficient production in desired quality and quantity. I delegate tasks to people and ensure that a company is functioning a peak efficiency."

Salary Range:

$94,000 - $151,000

The Tip

Do co-op work experience. Period. This forces you to get out of a classroom and apply yourself.

Priority Knowledge & Skills

Customer Relationship Management

Knowledge & ability to:

Apply principles of CRM
Manage a sales process
Compelling presentation & report writing
Develop & execute a distribution strategy
Leverage e-commerce
Develop & execute a merchandising strategy
Leverage co-operative marketing
Provide customer support
Develop & execute a pricing strategy

General Management

Knowledge & ability to:

Manage budgets
Manage projects
Negotiate contracts
Conduct competitive analysis
Conduct environmental scan
Leverage contextual knowledge
Analyze data & leverage business intelligence
Develop and manage forecasts
Manage business intelligence and analytics
Negotiate and manage contracts

Internal Supply Chain Management

Knowledge & ability to:

Collaborate with partners in product/service design
Manage inventory and warehousing
Manage order fulfillment
Manage transportation logistics
Design, establish and manage related contracts
Identify and develop strategic sourcing relationships
Establish strategic and tactical SCM plans and processes

Building Block Experiences

Education & Learning:

Bachelor of Commerce (human resources) with a minor in SCM
Diploma in finance from local college
Listen weekly to Under the Influence Podcast

"I always wanted to manage people. The challenge is, it’s what many aspire to. This role is at the forefront of change in many organizations, so to compete I need to be current. Leveraging education and learning is critical to be one step ahead of my competition."

Employment Experiences:

Did a co-op work term at a large packaged goods company. This company offered me a position upon graduation.
Was on a structured development plan with my company and in five years worked in human resources, sales, finance and operations. I found my HR and finance background positioned me well in operations
Following the development plan, was promoted to operations coordinator and three-years later as the operations manager.

"My big break happened by deciding to do a co-op. This single decision defined my career. It showed me what I love to do and what I am good at. It also allowed me to demonstrate this to others. I didn’t always love the jobs I was assigned to do, but I realized that to become a manager, I was accountable to the whole business. Finally, my commitment to the organization built my personal brand equity—I have an excellent professional reputation."

Community Experiences:

Board of my local chapter of Supply Chain Management Association (SCMA).
Chaired fundraising committee of my child’s pre-school

"Volunteering not only allows me to contribute my skills to my community, it broadens my network and relationships. The diversity of these relationships forces me out of my comfort zone."

Contextual Experiences:

Becoming a parent

"Balance requires discipline and perspective. I’ve become a better manager because I’ve internalized the principle of “don’t sweat the small stuff.”

Relationships:

Cold-called a HR manager in my first year of university. This cold call led to my internship and 13 years later this HR manager is both a mentor and a friend.

"All relationships require risk taking. The biggest challenge was that first phone call I made. I realized that if I didn’t make the call, someone else would. I took a leap and never regretted it."