National Warehouse Manager

Job Title: Manager, National Warehousing

Location: Position available at one of these three locations: Toronto, Mississauga (DC) or Calgary

About Us:

Welcome to Lactalis Canada – where we take pride in being recognized as one of Forbes' 2022 top employers Our journey revolves around enhancing the lives of Canadians through a rich variety of dairy delights, including some of Canadian’s favourite dairy brands such as Black Diamond Cheese, Lactantia Milk, Astro Yogourt, Balderson Cheese, and Cheestrings. In fact, we’re proud to say our products grace the shelves of an incredible 94% of Canadian households

With a 140-year legacy driven by innovation and unwavering quality, we’re seeking like-minded individuals to join us in shaping our next chapter. Our flexible hybrid work model accommodates 40% remote work, adapting to the evolving needs of our workforce.

About the opportunity:

The National Manager Warehousing will be responsible for all warehousing operations, activities, and projects for the distribution centers (DC’s) within the division under his responsibility. The division are segregated like the following:

• Fluid division
• Culture division
• Cheese and Tablespread
• Ingredients & Export division.

The position is primarily responsible to manage safely, accurately, efficiently, and in a timely manner: receive and store products, preparation of customer orders, prepare and load orders to ensure the on-time delivery of orders requested by customers for all sites under his responsibility.

Additionally, the position is also responsible for all warehousing metrics at all warehouses within their network, including safety, quality, cost, productivity, and security. The position will also manage and elaborate the operational budget (OPEX), the capital expenditure (CAPEX), cost saving and continuous improvement (CI) projects for all sites under his responsibility. The Manager will empower his team/partners and champion the improvement of DC’s operations across his network.

The attributes we are looking for:

• Provide leadership to improve health and safety performance by being a role model in safety and demonstrating due diligence through applying the corporate health & safety program elements. Focus on incident prevention through hazard identification, implementing necessary controls, training, education, and audits. Where necessary, take corrective action to address unsafe situations and employee behaviors, uphold Lactalis’ cardinal and other safety rules and procedures, and communicate with appropriate resources to address any hazardous conditions or unsafe employee conduct.
• Responsible for the management of the operations of Lactalis Canada and the 3rd party warehouses (3PL) either directly or through local DC managers/supervisors. This person will ensure that Key Performance indicators (KPI) are meet or above the set targets for the different aspects of the operation like health & safety, company social responsibility (CSR), site security, GMP, product quality, financials, productivity, inventory accuracy, order accuracy, on-time loading, customer satisfaction, staffing and process improvement initiatives.
• Manage and review the operating budget (OPEX) of the distribution centers under their responsibility by developing and maintaining an annual budget, reviewing/approving expenses, and explains all variance to plan.
• Manage the Capital expenditure plan (CAPEX) of the distribution centers under their responsibility by developing and maintaining an annual budget, reviewing/approving expenses in collaboration with the Facility Maintenance and Continuous improvement Manager.
• Develop and execute strategic warehousing initiatives to reduce overall operating costs for the division under his responsibility. Maintain cold chain integrity, optimize service and ensure short-term and long-term storage requirements are planned for and met for Supply Chain and Support Manufacturing in selecting third party warehouses for external storage and provide input on efficiency improvements in plant warehouse operations.
• Define and implement service standards for warehouse service providers (3PLs) under their responsibility. Review, negotiate, implement, and maintain rates for warehouse service providers and establish contracts as required for the network under his responsibility. Review warehousing operational results and establish procedures to improve overall performance for his network.
• Implement, maintain, review, and automate key performance metrics (KPI) that demonstrate operational efficiency and effectiveness.
• Elaborate and lead warehousing improvement projects/action plans for his division. Drive warehouse operational excellence to optimize service and cost by working closely with divisional leaders and teams (Commercial, Sales, Industrial, HR, Finance, IT, etc.)
• Lead and manage staff by hiring, reviewing performance, and providing feedback, determining training and development needs, and providing coaching and work direction.
• Ensure all warehouse policies, procedures and operations are in compliance with all applicable laws and statutory regulations for all sites under his responsibility.
• Develop and execute strategies in support of Supply Chain and Corporate goals.

What you will bring:

• University or College degree in a related discipline or equivalent business experience, MBA degree an asset.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in a CPG warehousing leadership role (preferably food related, managing temperature-controlled products)
• Experience with contract management and negotiation an asset
• Leadership capability that delivers results in a fast-paced environment.
• Engaging leader with ability to act as a positive role model, influencing and motivating others and enhancing their ability to contribute to the organizational goals.
• Ability to work collaboratively and effectively within and across functions to achieve goals.
• Thorough knowledge of all applicable laws and regulations impacting regional warehousing.
• Ability to travel outside the province up to 25% of the time.
• Bilingual (English & French) an asset.

What Lactalis will offer:

Lactalis Canada believes in rewarding its people with the following comprehensive benefits package and perks:

• A Competitive Base Salary
• A Performance-Based Bonus System
• 4 Weeks of Vacation
• Benefits starting day 1
• A Pension Program with an Employer Match at 100% of up to 6%
• Tuition reimbursement plan of up to $3,000/year
• A Volunteer Day to give back to your community
• Learning and Development opportunities
• A commitment to internal career advancement with potential for international mobility

Our ESG commitment:

Our ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) roadmap drives our sustainability mission. We aim to positively impact communities and the planet by enabling stakeholders including our people, consumers, customers, suppliers, dairy farmers, government, and industry partners to have a positive impact on the wellbeing of our communities and the planet through all that we do.

At Lactalis Canada, we value our employees as catalysts for positive change. Together, we will create a sustainable future, promote belonging, and make a lasting impact on the world.

Our commitment to DEI:

Fuel Our Culture with Your Uniqueness Lactalis thrives on the value each person brings. We're dedicated to amplifying diverse voices, inviting personal and professional growth, and embracing everyone's true selves. We're committed to crafting an environment that genuinely welcomes all, reflecting the richness of our people and communities.

Our promise extends to accessible processes and spaces. If you require accommodation due to a disability (which may be visible or invisible, temporary, or permanent), please inform our Talent Acquisition team – confidentiality will be maintained.

Note: Lactalis Canada does not conduct credit or background checks through LinkedIn. If required, we'll contact you after signing a Job Offer.