Director of Operations and Compliance

Director of Operations & Compliance

Location: Canada (remote-first with periodic in-person requirements)

Reports to: President or Vice President

Employment Type: Full-time

Role Overview

The Director of Operations & Compliance (Canada) serves as a senior operational partner supporting the company's work in Canada and across regulated programs. This role is focused on sustaining and strengthening operational, regulatory, and compliance practices, while flexing across priority programs and initiatives as organizational needs evolve.

The Director maintains a strong, ongoing connection to operational leadership, supporting high-impact programs, cross-entity efforts, and expansion initiatives that require disciplined execution in regulated environments. The scope of the role is intentionally designed to remain relevant as programs, customers, and regulatory requirements change over time.

This position blends operations leadership, compliance execution, and senior-level project and program management, with responsibility that extends well beyond any single entity or initiative.

Key Responsibilities

Responsibilities may evolve over time based on program needs, regulatory requirements, and organizational priorities, with a consistent focus on operational excellence and compliance.

Canadian Operations & Regulatory Support

• Support and maintain the company's Canadian operational footprint, ensuring ongoing operational readiness and effective internal controls.

• Develop, maintain, and evolve operational policies and procedures aligned with Canadian legal, regulatory, and defence requirements.

• Serve as a key point of operational coordination for Canada-based activities and programs.

Compliance, Regulatory &DefenceReadiness

• Plan, coordinate, and support compliance activities required for regulated programs operating in Canada.

• Lead preparation for certifications, registrations, and compliance programs as required by customers or regulatory bodies (e.g., security, controlled goods, defence contracting prerequisites).

• Coordinate with Legal, Security, IT, and external advisors to ensure compliance across people, systems, and processes.

• Monitor regulatory changes and adapt operational practices to maintain compliance.

Project & Program Management

• Provide strong project and program management leadership across complex, regulated initiatives.

• Serve as a flexible operational lead across priority programs, adjusting focus as new initiatives, customers, or regulatory requirements emerge.

• Support the administration of programs requiring:

• Clear reporting and accountability structures

• Compliance-aligned hiring and onboarding

• Structured stakeholder communication and reporting

• Documentation and audit readiness

• Ensure programs meet contractual and stakeholder deliverables and remain aligned with the company's product roadmap, operational priorities, and strategic direction.

• Establish project plans, timelines, risk registers, and regular status reporting to support executive visibility.

• Identify operational, regulatory, and delivery risks and proactively escalate mitigation options to leadership.

Operational & Program Support

• Partner closely with executive and operational leadership to support planning, execution, and operational decision-making across regulated initiatives.

• Ensure all program-related activities—including communications, reporting, hiring, and vendor engagement—are conducted in compliance with applicable regulations.

• Work closely with recruitment and leadership to identify, scope, and fill program-required roles in a compliant and timely manner.

• Support program and operational budgeting, tracking, and cost controls in coordination with Finance.

• Support audits, reviews, and assessments related to operational or program execution.

• Own the operational use of SharePoint to support compliance, program execution, and regulated operations, ensuring documentation, access controls, and workflows are structured, maintained, and audit-ready.

Special Projects & International Support

• Support special projects as assigned by executive leadership, including operational and compliance planning for international initiatives such as UK-based programs.

• Apply structured, repeatable operational approaches that can be leveraged across multiple programs and regions.

Relationship Management & Strategic Support

• Act as a liaison between Operations, Compliance, and Business Development.

• Support relationship management with partners, stakeholders, and advisors as needed.

• Contribute to efforts that position Atreides as a leader in multi-source intelligence in Canada, including operational readiness for partnerships, pilots, and government-adjacent engagements.

Qualifications

Required

• 8+ years of experience in operations, compliance, program management, or related leadership roles.

• Demonstrated strong project and program management skills, including managing complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives.

• Experience operating in regulated environments.

• Ability to translate regulatory and contractual requirements into practical, executable operational plans.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• High degree of autonomy, sound judgment, and comfort operating in ambiguity.

Preferred

• Experience in defence, national security, intelligence, or government-adjacent industries.

• Familiarity with Canadian regulatory, defence, or security frameworks.

• Experience supporting international programs or multi-entity operations.

• Exposure to compliance programs, certifications, audits, or government contracting environments.