Mandates

Tafisa®

Leading the way is second nature at Tafisa® (“Tafisa”) Canada, owner and operator of North America’s largest particleboard manufacturing facility. Since its inauguration in 1992, the company has quadrupled its production, increased its employee base from 60 to 380 and firmly established itself as an industry leader.

Tafisa operates out of the magnificent Mégantic region, where its manufacturing facility measures close to 71,000 square metres. Over the past 31 years, the company has invested more than $500 million to ensure continuous process improvements. Tafisa is a subsidiary of the Sonae Industria Group.

Selling to both residential and commercial markets, Tafisa has maintained a balanced share of business between Canada and the United States. Each week, more than 700 truckloads of wood fibre are transformed into 300 truckloads of finished products – particleboard or decorative panels.

Tafisa conforms to the most stringent environmental standards and is an industry leader in recycling and sustainable development.

Vision

To be recognized as a sustainable world leader in the wood-based panels industry, consistently providing customers with the best value products, upholding the highest standards of service and promoting responsible business and environmental practices.

Mission

To deliver the full potential of wood-based panels for the benefit of customers, shareholders, employees and society. Operations are based on sound corporate governance, continuously improving efficiency, actively promoting innovation and providing a motivated, safe and fair working environment.

More about Tafisa’s organizational culture and values, and videos available at https://tafisa.ca/en/about-us.

Position

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer of Tafisa, the Vice President, Operations has management responsibility for over 300 employees, including 7 direct reports. 

He* oversees all operational activities in the country’s main production site, planning and coordinating production and available resources, according to the Tafisa Canada’s Management Committee guidelines and Company policies, ISO norms and the Unit’s budget. 

The Vice President, Operations will be leading projects that achieve business objectives, improve asset performance, develop capabilities that help build and sustain reliable operations, improve productivity and increase profitability. 

The incumbent will promote a continuous improvement culture, process and work environment, and constantly aim at improving quality standards, while following sales forecasts and fulfilling clients’ expectations.

Working with the other members of Tafisa Canada’s Management Committee, the Vice President, Operations may recommend and approve the industrial strategy and budget and define country initiatives with the Operations Committee.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, plan, organize, and lead the Operations Committee (PB & MFC production, maintenance, quality, environment, process and engineering teams) to ensure meeting customer expectations with world-class performance and cost efficiency.
• Participate in the Tafisa Canada’s Management Committee decision process concerning activity plans, budget approval, and resources allocation. Play an active role in operational issues, providing and presenting relevant information, in order to help the decision-making process and to maximize results.
• Define and recommend for approval by Tafisa Canada’s Management Committee, the industrial activity plan, budget, initiatives, and strategies, supervise its deployment and its implementation, to ensure the achievement of objectives and business strategies, corporate industrial initiatives and policies integration while increasing profitability.
• Develop, recommend and oversee the implementation and follow up of industrial plan and budget, in order to optimize production capacity, according to sales forecast and maximize  profitability.
• Manage the industrial strategic operations, preparing the strategic investment plan to promote efficiency, quality improvement, health and safety, risk management, insurance companies concerns, and cost reduction. Ensure investment plan execution synergy between engineering, maintenance and production.
• Revise and coordinate the Risk management plan and ensure Industrial operations meet safety requirements for Environment and Health of its workers and community.
• Supervise the implementation of the Action Plan and Resources (PAR) and guarantee its consecution, to ensure the alignment between strategic objectives and specific activities, integrating the corporate policies and initiatives, promoting a culture, environment, attitude, and procedures of continuous improvement.
• In collaboration with the Logistics and finance departments, plan, structure, organize, and conduct the inventory levels in the course of the plant’s operations.
• Follow the needs of the most important clients, in order to understand their main challenges and concerns and to identify potential operational improvement opportunities.
• Support operations managers’ activities, orienting them in respect to plant process efficiency, following plant monthly activities and budget, to achieve pre-established global results and strategic objectives, and integrate corporate policies and initiatives promoting a continuous improvement mindset.
• Promote a culture and practices of continuous improvement in accordance with Lean manufacturing and Kaizen principles aiming to improve the production process and industrial performance, developing service levels and quality, promoting cost optimization or reduction and stock reduction.
• Accountable for the application of Health, Safety, Quality, Environment, and Eco-Efficiency policies, in line with Tafisa Canada’s policies, to fulfil all Company’s duties and legal requirements.
• Identify resource requirements to meet compliance requirements (various certifications such as ISO 14001, ISO 9001, ISO 45001 and other regulations).
• Encourage key employees participation and participate in best practices forums to develop strategies to implement world class practices in order to determine key areas of actuation and resource allocation.
• Ensure involvement of “Industry Experts” sharing information and expertise, with the intent of reaping the benefits of production processes optimization and synergies, assuring the implementation of best practices to define the company’s own technology intelligence.
• Support HR and operations managers in the negotiation and relations with the Labour Union to define the best HR strategies and conditions for plant employees.
• Constantly monitor laws and regulations related to Environment and propose action plans to comply with the new requirements.
• Oversee that the Industrial Human Resources management is conducted according to policies and processes, ensuring individual evaluations are completed to guarantee the team’s alignment with Tafisa Canada’s strategy and maximise productivity.
• Report and manage any problem or non-compliance in his sector of activity.
• Apply and respect company rules and policies.
• Identify and take steps to eliminate or minimize risks to health and safety.
• Collaborate on continuous improvement of the organization’s management systems, processes and performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering; Master of Business administration (MBA), an asset;
• Over 10 years of experience in a senior management position;
• Experience in managing large industrial assets with exposure to innovative management practices. The ideal candidate will have relevant experience in a similar industrial environment: wood transformation, thermal oil network, around the clock operation, highly automated, etc;
• Health & safety mindset, environment and quality skills;
• Demonstrated competencies or achievements in continuous improvement and reaching growth objectives;
• Industry 4.0 competencies; demonstrated interest towards sustainable development,  innovative production methods and strategic asset management;
• Knowledge of Lean manufacturing and/or Kaizen principles, an asset;
• Knowledge of laws and regulations (labour, health & safety, environment, etc.);
• Bilingual (French and English);
• Proficiency in Office and SAP.

Skills and Knowledge

• Capacity to develop and maintain positive relationships;
• Leadership and managerial courage;
• Capacity to develop and communicate a global vision;
• Strategic thinker and business acumen;
• Superior communication skills and ability to persuade, influence and inspire;
• Innovative, creative and result-oriented.

*  The use of the masculine gender only is intended to lighten the text and is done without discrimination.