Chief Operating Officer

**Overview**
The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is a strategic, hands-on leader responsible for unifying, optimizing, and scaling operations across Linkletter’s Welding Limited (LWL). This role bridges strategy and execution—driving operational excellence, workforce development, safety leadership, and profitable growth across three divisions - LWL Trailers, Parts Department, and LWL Hydraulic and Services.

The ideal COO is a **modern operator**: data-driven, people-first, systems-minded, and comfortable leading through change in manufacturing, repair and fabrication, and field-service environments.

**Responsibilities**
- **1. Operational Leadership & Execution**:

- Oversee day-to-day operations across our business segments, ensuring consistency, efficiency, and quality

**2. People, Culture & Leadership**
- Build, mentor, and lead high-performing leadership teams (shop managers, project managers, supervisors)
- Foster a strong, safety-first, accountability-driven culture across both organizations
- Champion workforce development, succession planning, and skills training
- Improve employee engagement, retention, and performance metrics

**3. Systems, Data & Process Optimization**
- Implement and optimize operational systems (ERP, job costing, scheduling, time tracking)
- Establish clear KPIs and dashboards for productivity, margin, safety, and utilization
- Use data to drive continuous improvement and informed decision-making
- Standardize best practices across both companies while respecting local strengths

**4. Safety, Quality & Compliance**
- Own and elevate health & safety performance across all sites and field operations
- Ensure compliance with industry regulations, certifications, and client standards
- Lead incident prevention, reporting, and corrective action processes
- Maintain high standards of weld quality, inspection, and documentation

**5. Financial & Commercial Performance**
- Partner with finance and ownership to improve margins, cost control, and cash flow
- Oversee job costing accuracy and post-project reviews
- Support pricing strategy, bid reviews, and contract risk assessment
- Identify operational synergies and cost efficiencies between divisions.

**6. Growth & Strategic Initiatives**
- Execute operational strategy aligned with long-term growth plans
- Support expansion into new markets, services, or large-scale projects
- Lead integration efforts for new contracts, teams, or acquisitions
- Act as a key advisor to ownership on operational and organizational strategy
- Align shop, field, and project operations to shared performance standards
- Identify bottlenecks and implement lean, scalable processes
- Ensure on-time, on-budget project delivery across fabrication and field work

**What Success Looks Like (12-24 Months)**
- Strong, aligned leadership teams
- Improved safety record and operational consistency
- Higher project margins and reduced rework
- Clear visibility into performance through data and KPIs
- Scalable systems that support growth without chaos
- A culture of accountability, pride, and continuous improvement

**Experience**
- 10+ years in operations leadership within welding, fabrication, construction, industrial services, or related trades
- Proven experience overseeing multi-site or multi-business operations
- Track record of scaling operations and leading change
- Strong understanding of job costing, project execution, and field operations

**Skills & Mindset**
- Modern, people-centric leader with strong emotional intelligence
- Systems thinker who values structure, data, and repeatable processes
- Decisive, accountable, and comfortable in fast-paced environments
- Strong communicator who can align shop floor, field crews, and leadership
- Safety-driven with uncompromising standards

**Education (preferred)**
- Engineering, Business, or Trade background (Red Seal or equivalent is an asset)
- Lean, Six Sigma, or operational excellence training is a plus

**Why Join Us**
- Lead a respected, growing Atlantic Canadian welding company
- Real influence over strategy, culture, and long-term success
- Opportunity to modernize and scale operations with ownership support
- Competitive compensation, performance incentives, and long-term upside

Pay: $100,000.00-$125,000.00 per year

**Benefits**:

- Dental care
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- RRSP match

Work Location: In person