Operations Manager

Main Functions

Reporting to the VP Commercial North America, the Operations Manager will plan and coordinate the movement of products from the production warehouse to the final customer, in collaboration with all relevant departments and partners, across North America, aiming to optimize the cost of freight, the timeliness of delivery, and the quality of customer service. Responsibilities include demand and supply planning, inventory management and staging, raw material sourcing, and toll manufacturing coordination. More specifically:

Administrative and logistical order processing

• Enters and manages customers order in the system and ensures the timely fulfillment of each order.
• Establish and ensure compliance of all documents related to goods shipments.
• Sets up and manages external staging warehouses for product to be close to market.
• Designs and adapts routes for deliveries.
• Ensures customers receive product on-time and in excellent condition.
• Ensures freight partners understand proper carrying conditions for our products.
• Manages intercompany imports, tracking, and alerting of stock needs.
• Collaborates with sales team and keeps them informed of delivery timelines.
• Maintains an elevated understanding of regulatory restraints.
• Maintains full inventory control, including monthly physical reconciliation.

Procurement and Planning

• Monitors sales forecasts in relation to aging inventory and production schedules.
• Develops and adapts production plans in accordance with demand.
• Manages a network of third-party production partners and aligns internal production sites within North America.
• Submits inter-company production requests.
• Initiates and aligns all purchasing needs for North America, including materials consumed in production.
• Maintains production recipes, material SKU’s in accordance with budgeted costs.
• Performs virtual production runs to capture ingredient usage and finished goods production in the system.
• Designs operational processes that align necessary functions including production scheduling.
• Supply contingency planning and risk management.

Team management

• Supervises the team: recruitment, onboarding, training, workflow organization, activity and performance tracking, schedule management, performance evaluation, skills, and career development, etc.

Internal and external relations

• Internal: Works in collaboration with the sales, accounting, marketing, regulatory affairs, warehouse teams.
• External: Work directly with external service providers (logistics warehouses, carriers, direct contractors).

Technical skills

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in International Trade, Logistics, Supply Chain, Business Management, or related field
• 10+ years of experience in a similar role, in an industry setting with an international import/export context
• Knowledge of import/export activities
• Expertise in logistics, supply chain, commercial/client administration, customer service, accounting, and/or billing management
• Proficiency in Incoterms and their application
• Ability to execute and help develop protocols/processes
• Direct experience with customers and providing high-level service
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365; Power BI is a plus; Expertise in Cognos and ERP systems
• Proficiency in oral and written communication in English required, French would be an asset
• Team management or multidisciplinary coordination experience is preferred

An asset

• Experience in the agri-food industry and/or with microorganisms and agricultural inputs is a plus

Personal abilities

Required

• Ethical and honest
• Excellent written and oral communication skills; Active listening skills; Strong collaborative skills
• Technical, multi tasking and process improvement skills
• Excellent planning, organization, time management, and diligence
• Analytical mindset, reliable, logical with a good judgment
• Ability to work under pressure; High tolerance for unforeseen events and quick or last-minute requests; High problem-solving skills
• Strong sense of autonomy, initiative and responsibility
• High self-motivation and positive attitude

General criteria

Required

• Willingness, interest and ability to travel up to 20% per year
• Possess a valid passport, driver’s license, and clean driver record
• Able to sit for long periods of time (driving, being on a plane, or at the desk)
• Able to visit plants and work around machinery, noise, warm temperatures, etc.

Organization

Lallemand is a privately held Canadian company founded in the late 19th century, which develops, produces, and markets microorganisms for various markets. The administrative offices of the parent company are in Montreal, Canada. Today, Lallemand employs more than 6,500 people working in more than 45 countries on 5 continents.

Yeasts, bacteria, fungi: microorganisms have always lived in harmony with plants since their origin and are now recognized for their multiple agronomic benefits. As a world specialist in microorganisms, Lallemand Plant Care carefully selects strains for agricultural use, to improve the nutrition, health, and productivity of plants.

Lallemand Plant Care is a growing business unit and offers many opportunities for career development and professional development on a local and international scale. Joining the Lallemand Plant Care team means collaborating with people who work passionately to develop sustainable, efficient, and clean solutions for agriculture professionals, horticulture, green spaces, and the forestry sector. We regularly recruit new talent from around the world to support our growth and our sales, logistics, marketing, production and research and development efforts.

Please take note that accommodations will be provided in all parts of the hiring process. Applicants need to make their needs known in advance.