Bilingual Director of Operations

Meridia Recruitment is working with J.D. Irving, Limited (JDI) to recruit a Bilingual (French/English) Director of Operations to support a broad portfolio of industrial operations across its Woodlands and Sawmill network. This is a senior leadership opportunity designed to strengthen operational capability, drive performance across complex production systems, and build long-term leadership depth within the organization.



Role Description

The Director of Operations will be responsible for leading and influencing large-scale, multi-site industrial operations, with accountability for safety, productivity, cost performance, and continuous improvement. This role operates across interconnected manufacturing and resource-based systems, ensuring alignment between upstream supply, operational execution, and downstream production outcomes. This is a highly data-driven and performance-oriented role, requiring strong analytical capability and the ability to translate operational metrics into clear actions on the ground. The successful candidate will be comfortable working across multiple facilities, influencing senior stakeholders, and driving consistency in execution across diverse operating environments.



The structure of the role is intentionally flexible and may vary depending on the background of the successful candidate. It may suit individuals coming from manufacturing, forestry, heavy industry, or other large-scale production environments with experience leading multi-site operations.





Your Qualifications

• Bilingual proficiency in French and English (spoken and written) is required
• 10+ years of leadership experience in industrial, manufacturing, forestry, or other complex production environments
• Proven experience managing multi-site or large-scale operations
• Strong background in operations management, production systems, or engineering-led environments
• Experience leading supervisors, managers, and cross-functional operational teams
• Demonstrated ability to drive KPI performance, operational efficiency, and continuous improvement
• Strong financial and business acumen, including budgeting and forecasting experience
• High level of analytical capability with a data-driven approach to decision-making
• Strong leadership presence with the ability to influence across all levels of the organization
• Experience in safety-critical, high-output operational environments
• An engineering or technical background is considered an asset
• Willingness to travel regularly across operational sites

This is a high-impact leadership role within J.D. Irving, Limited’s operations network, offering exposure to some of the most complex integrated industrial systems in Atlantic Canada. The successful candidate will play a key role in strengthening operational performance, developing leadership capability, and supporting the long-term growth of the organization’s operations leadership pipeline.

To express interest in this opportunity please apply online by clicking “Apply Now” below.

For more information contact Thomas Pugh, Partner, at View phone number on meridiarecruitment.ca and View email address on meridiarecruitment.ca or Heather Simmons, Consultant at View phone number on meridiarecruitment.ca and View email address on meridiarecruitment.ca . If you require accommodation to participate in the recruitment process, please let us know.

Meridia Recruitment Solutions connects leading organizations with top talent by building strong relationships and creating ideal matches with candidates because we are only successful when you are. We appreciate your interest in this opportunity.

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