Director, Operations

This role provides in-person support at our Bradford facility location and there are times when it will be necessary to provide support in-person at other locations, including Markham. Although not regularly required, commitments may extend beyond regular office hours to provide support across multiple time zones internationally.

A Little About Us

Hi, we’re Aurora Cannabis, and we’re so excited to meet you!

We’re a global cannabis company with operations across Europe and North and South America. We’re driven by our passion to help people improve their lives and have a diverse team who bring their best every day, so Aurora can be the cannabis provider of choice for patients and consumers. We love our work, and we especially love our high quality, innovative brands that make up the Aurora family – from Aurora, Aurora Drift, San Rafael ’71, Greybeard and Whistler.

Our people combined with our collective passion for the industry is what makes Aurora a special place to work and defines what we call our “A-Team”. We are a high-performing team of cannabis experts, innovators, and champions, that work, learn and win together. We think BIG, act BOLD and execute with PURPOSE in all that we do, and will stop at nothing to cultivate the ultimate cannabis experience for our community.

Are you looking to join a vibrant culture? Does the idea of working with a group of cannabis experts, innovators and enthusiasts excite you? – If so, the A-Team is the perfect place for you.

We’re on the search for a dynamic professional to join our Operations team in the role of Director, Operations. Reporting to the Senior Director, Operations you will be responsible for leading daily operation activities at the River facility (Bradford). The Director, Operations is responsible for the operations departments, leading the safe execution of activities while ensuring quality and consistency of product. The Director, Operations will also contribute to strategic planning, forecasting, and general business activities of the site.

As the Director, Operations you will be…

• A compassionate, hands-on, motivating leader who provides coaching and mentoring in a supportive team environment.
• Responsible for day-to-day execution and long-term planning of cultivation, manufacturing, sanitation, packaging, warehouse, maintenance and office support team activities, including accountability for the delivery of safety, quality, cost, delivery, and engagement objectives.
• Responsible for recognizing unsafe conditions and practices and making corrections to prevent injuries.
• Actively participating in the Internal Responsibility System, including the completion of safety inspections, accident investigations and the Joint Health and Safety committee to ensure safe working conditions for all team members.
• Responsible for identifying measures of performance and actions required to achieve organizational goals and objectives, as well as continuous improvement opportunities.
• Skilled in data analysis and interpretation, including strong analytical and problem-solving skills and high level of attention to detail. This includes an above average comfort level working in common business systems (Microsoft 365 applications, ERP applications, Smartsheet)
• Establishing and maintaining excellent business relationships with key support groups including Quality Assurance, Production Planning, Health Safety & Environment, Finance, Engineering, Product Development and Security.
• Partnering with the Senior Director, Operations and cross-functional stakeholders in the development of strategic plans, including workforce and capacity planning.
• Developing and maintaining professional relationships with all external vendors and contractors.
• Responsible for maintaining compliance with regulatory requirements, including effective investigations, validation protocols, change controls, and SOP/process updates. Where applicable, the Director, Operations must adhere to Aurora's SOPs and comply with Health Canada’s Cannabis Act. In addition, must adhere to all ISO requirements and the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA). 
• Partnering with the Quality Assurance Manager to ensure compliance with GMP practices and regulatory requirements in all domestic and international regions supplied by the River facility.
• Required to apply for Health Canada Cannabis Security Clearance as a member of the site leadership team.
• Supporting other duties as assigned

It would be great if you have…

• Bachelor’s Degree, preferably in Engineering, Science or Finance
• Previous experience in a leadership role within manufacturing or in a relevant industry, including food, health care, pharmaceuticals, etc. 
• Previous experience managing sites or teams of 100+ employees and successfully coaching and mentoring leaders (managers and supervisors).
• 5+ years’ experience in a GMP environment is preferred
• Strong leadership, communication and influencing skills, and the ability to collaboration cross-functionally
• Ability to engage and excite diverse teams to identify common goals, drive consensus and manage conflict
• Exceptional change management skills adopting and implementing tools and programs
• Proven ability to develop and build high performing teams and strong cross functional stakeholder relationships
• Ability to think strategically, problem solve and make quick decisions
• A high degree of accountability for results, striving to meet and exceed expectations, owning and learning from opportunities

Bonus Points if you have…

• Demonstrated knowledge of process and system implementation, including ERP systems
• Working knowledge of planning and forecasting systems is an asset  
• Experience with Lean methodology or other continuous improvement tools and working knowledge of statistical process control

Why you’ll love working at Aurora

Our people are at the heart of everything we do here at Aurora, and we take pride in fostering an inclusive space that inspires our team to love where they work! From rewarding career opportunities to flexible work environments to team activities, we go above and beyond to prioritize your success and here’s how we do it… 

• Flexibility: you will enjoy a flexible work environment that is the perfect blend of work and fun! With flexible working hours to paid sick and vacation time, you will be empowered to achieve work-life balance in all that you do.
• Total rewards: we will motivate you to go above and beyond with a competitive salary, stock options, an RRSP program, annual bonuses, and a health and personal care spending account for you to use for gym memberships, ski passes or staycations.
• Benefits: we will foster your health and wellness (and your dependents) with our employee benefits package including, employer-paid health and dental care premiums, life insurance and LTD policies and a medical cannabis coverage program, designed exclusively for our A-Team.
• Life-long learning: we’re lifelong learners here at Aurora and will invest in your professional development throughout all aspects of your career! You will have access to a tuition assistance program, virtual learning activities and annual performance reviews, to ensure you are provided with the toolkit and support you need to succeed.
• Perks: we love to celebrate our people by providing corporate perks including employee discounts, perkopolis memberships, company SWAG, paid volunteer time, modern technology and snacks and beverages at all our office locations.
• Team: we are a diverse and global team of cannabis enthusiasts, energetic innovators, fitness gurus, caring parents, foodies and more, with a collective passion to nurture an inclusive environment that helps you grow and provide people better days with medical cannabis.

Next steps

Apply today by submitting your resume through our website. You can expect your application to be reviewed by a human recruiter (not a robot) shortly after you apply, and our team will contact you via email if we see a fit.

Think you’re the ideal candidate but you don’t meet all the requirements? Apply anyways! We would love to review your application to see if you’re the right fit or find you an alternative opportunity. Not the role for you?

That’s okay! Visit our careers page to find the perfect opportunity for you or share this posting with a friend or colleague that you think would be a great fit (hot tip: if you are an Aurora employee, take advantage of the employee referral program by sharing this posting with someone in your network! If they are the successful candidate, you may be eligible for a bonus!).

Diversity and inclusion

At Aurora, we are proud to foster and celebrate a diverse community of professionals! We take pride in nurturing an inclusive culture that empowers our people to be their authentic selves, celebrate their differences and love where they work.

Our diverse community combined with our inclusive culture, is what sets us apart in the industry and equips our A-Team with superpowers – and this is why, we encourage all candidates to apply for job opportunities regardless of race, national origin, colour, religion, age, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital and family status, disability, or any other identifying characteristic. If you require accommodation (including, but not limited to, an accessible interview site or alternate format of job posting) during the recruitment and selection process, please do not hesitate to let our team know.

Health and safety

Our mission at Aurora has always been to improve the health and wellness of our core community. We strive to create a safe, healthy, and inclusive environment for our team and strongly believe introducing a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy will help us achieve this.

As of February 2022, Aurora has introduced a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy for all employees and as a condition of employment, all candidates must provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or receive an approved medical or human rights accommodation prior to commencing employment with Aurora. If proof of vaccination is not provided or a request for accommodation is not approved, the offer of employment will be rescinded.

If applicable, Aurora Human Resources will contact you via your email address provided. We do not contact candidates over Facebook or other Social Media apps. You will never be requested to provide confidential information such as banking information or your Social Insurance Number in the interview process.