Senior Director, National Operations & Program Implementation

OVERVIEW
Reporting to the VP, National Operations & Program Implementation, the Senior Director, National Operations & Program Implementation is a key member of the leadership team, acting as a hands-on participative Director. This includes overseeing and advising on the design and continuous improvement of residential Printed Paper and Packaging (PPP) collection and post-collection recycling systems across all jurisdictions where Circular Materials operates. Additionally, the Senior Director is responsible for the development and implementation of processes and strategies to support the ongoing expansion of CM's role in Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Printed Paper and Packaging recycling across Canada through optimization in operational procurement, managing supplier relations, liaising with communities, and providing strategic advice to the VP and COO on operational compliance matters.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Business Plan and Operations Strategy

Develop background documents, operational updates and strategic recommendations to be provided to senior management team, Board Committees and the Board of Directors as requested to inform approval on operational initiatives and objectives.

Delivery of Residential Collection and Post-Collection Recycling Services

Provide oversight on the delivery of collection and post collection recycling services nationally to ensure operational excellence and adherence to service standards. This includes guiding and assisting the local Operations Team in each jurisdiction, in the design, launch and implementation of EPR programs system requirements as well as ongoing management of programs and service providers.

Work with the jurisdictional Operations Teams to establish robust quality management and continuous improvement systems to analyze and assess the effectiveness and efficiency of collection and post collection recycling services. This is inclusive of the establishment of robust standard metrics and KPIs for operations, enabling effective performance monitoring and continuous improvement initiatives. These KPIs include monitoring vendors' performance against contract metrics.

Working with post collection members of National Implementation and Material Quality and Audit teams to plan, implement and oversee material marketing capabilities as well as negotiate contracts with Pre-Conditioning / Material Recovery Facilities to support the highest revenue for producers. This includes a robust attestation process that supports best practices.

Identify and pursue opportunities for enhancing delivery standards, improving operational efficiencies, reducing residue, reducing contamination, increasing commodity revenue, and directing more materials from Circular Materials' post-collection recycling system to its customers.

Relationship Management

Cultivate and manage relationships with key stakeholders within the collection and post-collection recycling system, escalating critical issues to the VP and COO when necessary.

Manage relationships with contracted municipalities and private sector companies, identifying, anticipating, and resolving risks and disputes as needed.

Management and Leadership

Manage the National Operations staff, ensuring the effective fulfillment of assigned objectives and maintaining flexibility to address unforeseen operational challenges and opportunities.

Cultivate a high-performance environment and implement a comprehensive people strategy aimed at attracting, retaining, developing, and motivating team members through the promotion of an inclusive work environment. This includes effective communication of vision, values, and business strategy, as well as managing succession and development planning.

Drive a winning team and customer centric, performance driven culture.

Lead by example to establish a work environment where employees are empowered, engaged, and motivated to excel.

Proactively cultivate future leadership bench strength through rigorous career management, employee development, and succession planning practices.

Special Projects

Stay abreast of local, provincial, inter-provincial, national, and international updates and policies related to collection, processing, downstream processing, commodity markets, recycled content, and design of paper products and packaging. Evaluate emerging issues and provide recommendations to leadership as needed.

Identify strategies to support the development and investment of secondary processing capabilities that currently do not exist.

Work in collaboration with the PM/PD Team in designing, implementing, and managing producer material access capabilities to support returning materials directly back to producers.

Contribute to producer engagement sessions that support improvements in circularity and result in changes to either the Supply Chain Operations or Producer packaging choices.

Engage with key investors to support funding of supply chain enhancements to offset costs for Producers.

Process and Document Management

Work closely with Procurement, Finance and Business Intelligence to ensure all national operations processes are developed to support the requirements of on-going procurement, service provider reporting, budgeting and forecasting to ensure adequate resourcing and preparation for Producer fee setting.

Provide input on operational reporting practices, leveraging data-driven insights to drive operational excellence and business growth.

Collaborate closely with Business Intelligence to design and implement dynamic dashboards and reports, empowering stakeholders with real-time access to key operational insights.

Ensure the seamless fulfillment of daily operational reporting requirements, enabling self-service access to relevant data and enhancing organizational agility.

Prepare detailed activity reports for the VP, National Operations, highlighting key achievements, challenges, and strategic initiatives.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Designation Requirements

Bachelor's degree in business, marketing or other related field is required

Continuing education and professional development

Experience Requirements

10+ years of experience in operational leadership or in equivalent senior leadership roles.

Knowledge

Proven expertise in recycling collection systems, encompassing types, specifications, operating standards, performance metrics, and outcomes.

Extensive understanding of post-collection recycling systems, covering primary and secondary processing, downstream processing, commodity markets, operating standards, and performance metrics.

Comprehensive knowledge of procurement processes.

Proficient in contract management, negotiation and vendor relations.

Proficient project, product and data management experience.

Competencies

Demonstrates leadership skills to foster a positive and productive work environment.

Possesses strong general business acumen in strategic and business planning, with the ability to synthesize and interpret extensive organizational information.

Exhibits effective management skills to direct, motivate, and mentor staff while managing performance.

Capable of envisioning, articulating, and executing operations strategies to drive change in alignment with strategic objectives, while keeping long-term goals at the forefront during short-term executions.

Skilled in building relationships, fostering collaboration, negotiating effectively, and cultivating teams.

Upholds unquestionable integrity, ethics, and business standards consistent with organizational values.

Ensures personal and team behaviors align with high ethical standards and company values.

Demonstrates adept issue management skills, including risk anticipation, problem identification and resolution, impact assessment, and proactive engagement with the VP, National Operations, for strategic problem-solving and communication of solutions.

Exhibits political acuity to anticipate and navigate politically sensitive situations effectively.

Displays strong judgment and decision-making abilities, leveraging logic and reasoning to evaluate alternative solutions and approaches.

Generates creative ideas and solutions for challenging situations or topics.

Possesses exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor messages effectively for diverse audiences.

Translates technical information into clear and understandable messages.

Demonstrates robust stakeholder management skills, encompassing negotiation, persuasion, and collaboration.

Exhibits quick-thinking and flexibility under complex and challenging circumstances, managing stress effectively and maintaining composure in unexpected situations to provide a stabilizing influence during crises.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Flexible work schedule, including extended hours during peak periods to meet deadlines effectively.
• Occasional site visits to the Circular Materials Head Office in Toronto, Ontario.
• Ability to travel across Canada, as needed to support business requirements and initiatives.
• This role requires coordinating and meeting with internal and external stakeholders in multiple Canadian time zones.
• Driver's License - A valid driver's license is required.