Job Description

The Director of Pine Operations, reporting to the General Manager of Pine and Harwood Sawmills, will be 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 will report directly to the Director of Operations and they will drive strategy, budgeting, profitability, productivity, and continuous improvement for these regional operations. The ideal candidate will be based out of our operation in Dixfield, Maine or Saint John, New Brunswick. Relocation support will be provided to out-of-area candidates.

Safety

• Maintain the highest standards of safety, providing strong leadership and ensuring the team follows all policies, procedures and regulations
• Become knowledgeable about the high-risk areas of the pine mills and ensure actions plans are in place to mitigate the risk
• Chair the bi-annual safety management review meeting at your sites
• Ensure resources are deployed to meet improvement goals on Safety Scorecard

Strategy

• Participate in the development of the Pine mills operations strategy
• Based on the above, identify resources required to meet the goals (including prioritizing CAPX requests)
• Ensure mill manager and value-added manager understand their expectations, roles and responsibilities to deliver on the business strategy. Ensure alignment at the site level to the overall Division goals
• Identify talent, both 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 the quality, value and recovery of wood products produced throughout the 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 exceed budgeted targets
• Provide leadership on the maintenance audit, ensure itis implemented and improvement plans are in place to get to a 3.0 on Tier 1 measures – identify resource requirements and synergies where possible
• Identify high risk areas (extended production or quality losses) and prioritize resources to address where possible and have contingency plans in place
• Provide clear direction and oversight of maintenance projects and prioritization of work
• Ensure CI resources are deployed where we get the best ROI
• Oversee Environmental Audit understanding all risk areas and ensure sites are adhering 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 confirm all get minimum of 3.0 on all areas of Quality Audit; review audit parameters to ensure they cover all areas and adjust as required
• Partner with Woodlands to ensure link is clear between log quality and lumber value (stain, rot, etc)
• Deal with customer complaints in a timely fashion, with corrective actions linked back to the quality audit.

Other Duties

• Lead budgeting for sites
• Lead period forecasts and be within +/- 10% of forecast submissions
• Ensure controls/processes are in place to manage inventory accuracy (stores, lumber) ensure no gaps exist in internal controls that could expose us to theft or fraud
• Utilize JDI systems and data to drive effective business decisions to improve profitability

• Postsecondary education in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, Business or equivalent Master's level education and/or the 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)
• Must demonstrate ownership, and the ability to handle multiple priorities in a faced-paced environment
• Driven, self starter with pragmatic thinking ability
• Ability to use data to drive solutions

#LI-EM1

Founded in 1882, J.D. Irving, Limited (JDI) has operations in Canada and the United States and are a team of 20,000 dedicated employees. At J.D. Irving, Limited, you are part of a dynamic team of professionals who lead with integrity and are passionate about delivering results. With a culture that nurtures talent and creates an inclusive workplace, you can grow your career across our various operating divisions.
We are committed to creating accessible environments for our colleagues, candidates, and customers. Requests for accommodation due to a disability (which may be visible or invisible, temporary, or permanent) can be made at any stage of application and employment. We encourage candidates to make their accommodation needs known so that we can provide equitable opportunities.
Worried you do not meet all the requirements? Studies have shown that many applicants apply only to job opportunities when they feel they meet 100% of the criteria. We promote an inclusive environment where everyone is appreciated, recognized, and empowered to contribute fully. If you are interested in this position but are worried you did not meet all the requirements, we would encourage you to still apply.
We appreciate your interest in our company however only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.