Director Operations, Pine

Overview

Director Operations, Pine – reporting to the General Manager of Pine and Harwood Sawmills. Responsible for the operation and productivity of the Pine Mills located in Dixfield, Maine;
Doaktown, New Brunswick; and the value-added plant in Cobleskill, New York. The pine mill managers and value-added mill manager report directly to the Director of Operations and drive strategy, budgeting, profitability, productivity, and continuous improvement for these regional operations. The ideal candidate will be based out of the operation in Dixfield, Maine, with travel between US operations; relocation support is provided for out-of-area candidates.

• Safety
  • Maintain the highest standards of safety, provide strong leadership, and ensure the team follows all policies, procedures and regulations
  • Be knowledgeable about high-risk areas of the pine mills and ensure action plans are in place to mitigate risk
  • Chair the bi-annual safety management review meeting at the sites
  • Ensure resources are deployed to meet improvement goals on the Safety Scorecard
• Strategy
  • Participate in the development of the Pine mills operations strategy
  • Identify resources required to meet the goals (including prioritizing CAPX requests)
  • Ensure mill managers understand expectations, roles and responsibilities to deliver on the business strategy; ensure site-level alignment to overall Division goals
  • Identify talent internally and externally, and develop succession plans for key roles; develop high potential talent for next career step
• Operations
  • Manage and identify opportunities to improve productivity, reduce cost, and maximize quality, value and recovery of wood products across pine mills and the value-added facility
  • Ensure daily management system is in place and mills are delivering results
  • Engage with mill leadership teams to ensure site meets or exceeds budgeted targets
  • Provide leadership on maintenance audits; ensure implementation and improvement plans to achieve Tier 1 measures; identify resource requirements and synergies
  • Identify high risk areas and prioritize resources; have contingency plans in place
  • Provide clear direction and oversight of maintenance projects and prioritization of work
  • Ensure CI resources are deployed where they yield the best ROI
  • Oversee Environmental Audit and ensure sites adhere to best practices
• Quality
  • Engage mill managers and value-added manager to deliver on recovery and grade targets
  • Ensure customer delivery expectations are met
  • Oversee sites to ensure a minimum of 3.0 on all areas of Quality Audit; review audit parameters and adjust as required
  • Partner with Woodlands to link log quality and lumber value (stain, rot, etc.)
  • Address customer complaints promptly with corrective actions linked to the quality audit
• Other Duties
  • Lead budgeting for sites
  • Lead period forecasts and stay within +/- 10% of forecast submissions
  • Maintain controls to manage inventory accuracy and prevent gaps that could expose risk of theft or fraud
  • Utilize JDI systems and data to drive effective business decisions and improve profitability

• Postsecondary education in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, Business or equivalent;
  Master’s level education and/or willingness to complete an MBA with the company is required
• 7-10 years of management experience within forest products
• Solid budget and business planning experience
• Superior analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to facilitate and lead change with multiple stakeholders (business leaders and operators)
• Demonstrated ownership and ability to handle multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Driven, self-starter with pragmatic thinking
• Ability to use data to drive solutions

Founded in 1882, J.D. Irving, Limited (JDI) has operations in Canada and the United States and employs 20,000 people. JDI emphasizes integrity, talent development, inclusion, and delivering results. We offer opportunities to grow across divisions and locations.

We are committed to accessible environments for colleagues, candidates, and customers. Requests for accommodation due to disability can be made at any stage of application and employment, and we encourage candidates to…