IT Director

Inovata Foods isn't your average Food Manufacturing company. We offer the stability of a large company with the feel of a small family business. We have the privilege of partnering with many of North America's largest retailers, just like a publicly traded tier one company, but our team members have a large degree of control over their roles and an ability to make a real impact. This position reports directly to Inovata Foods' CFO and will have a high level of collaboration with all department directors and our COO and President. Our mission is to “Create Wholesome and convenient meals that bring families and friends together.” We do this by upholding our RECIPE core values which include Respect, Engagement, Courage, Integrity, Passion, and Excellence.
This position is available at our Tillsonburg, Ontario or Edmonton, Alberta Manufacturing plants and this job posting will be cross-posted.
Job Summary:
As the Director of IT, you will play a critical role in the success of Inovata Foods. You will lead and oversee the IT department, ensuring that we effectively use IT as an accelerator of our operational excellence. Your responsibilities will encompass strategic planning with our executive team, project management, change management and team leadership, to ultimately ensure we are effectively using technology solutions to achieve our business objectives. Inovata has grown substantially over the last few years and our executive team is looking to make sizable investments into technology to achieve our future growth and operational objectives. You will experience a large amount of support and engagement from company leadership in this position.
Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Planning: Develop and implement a comprehensive IT strategy in line with the company's manufacturing and operational goals. Collaborate with executive leadership to ensure that technology investments support business growth and operational excellence.
• Project Management and Change Management: Lead the execution of IT projects, including QMS, CMMS, ERP system upgrades, software implementations, and infrastructure enhancements. Ensure projects are delivered on time and within budget. This will include leading a cross functional team made up of Inovata employees and external subject matter experts.
• Team Leadership and development: Manage and build a team of 3rd party IT support professionals, providing clear guidance, and fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, accountability and excellence.
• IT Infrastructure: Oversee the design, implementation, and maintenance of a reliable and secure IT infrastructure that supports manufacturing processes, including ERP systems, production control software, and network infrastructure.
• Data Security: Ensure the protection and security of sensitive company data through robust cybersecurity measures, including regular audits, security awareness training, and incident response planning.
• Budget Management: Develop and manage the IT department budget, optimizing costs while ensuring the necessary resources are available for IT initiatives. This includes making decisions on in/outsourcing IT talent and services.
• Vendor Relationships: Manage vendor relationships, negotiating contracts and service level agreements to ensure that the company receives quality services and value for investments.
• Compliance and Regulation: Ensure that the IT department complies with all relevant regulations and standards, including data privacy laws, industry-specific requirements, and best practices.
• Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity: In partnership with our 3rd party providers, develop and maintain disaster recovery and business continuity plans to minimize downtime and data loss in the event of system failures or disasters.
• Performance Metrics: Establish and monitor key performance indicators to evaluate the effectiveness of IT operations and report regularly to executive leadership.
• Digital Transition - Lead in the identification of opportunities to develop paper based and manual processes, into digital paperless systems and maintain these systems to support the continuity of business activities.
• Artificial Intelligence- Support the business regarding Artificial Intelligence (AI) and develop, implement, and maintain company AI Policy, whilst strategically identifying opportunities to leverage AI in the business appropriately.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field (Master's preferred)
• Proven experience (7+ years) in IT management, particularly in a manufacturing environment with 100+ employees. Excellent and proven proficiency in project management and change management methodologies with at 5+ years of relevant experience.
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing systems, including ERPs (preferably Navision), MES, BI tools such as PowerBi, CMMS, QMS, and SCADA systems.
• Demonstrated experience in leading and developing internal and external IT teams.
• Excellent understanding of cybersecurity and data protection principles.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.
• Relevant certifications (e.g., PMP, CISSP, ITIL) are preferred.

Rewards:

• Salaried position based on experience and education. Salary to be negotiated.
• Bonus program that is based on company profitability and paid out quarterly.
• 4 weeks of vacation plus 5 sick days.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and retirement benefits, 100% employer covered.
• Professional development and training opportunities.
• A supportive and collaborative work environment with a high level of access and engagement with company leadership.
• Ability to work from home, up to two days per week.

Working Conditions:
We strive to help our team members maintain a positive balance between life and work. There are no fixed “9-5” hours or bureaucratic approvals for taking time off or running a personal errand. As a director level team member, we lean heavy into trusting the individual. That said, we do believe that being in person is crucial to building relationships between team members and learning our culture. The expectation is that the successful candidate will be in person at our Tillsonburg or Edmonton facility working with team members for most of the time for the first few months. After relationships are built, we are comfortable with averaging 3 days per week in the office and working from home the rest of the time, knowing that there will be some weeks heavy with project work that requires 5 days at the plant and occasional travel between our facilities.
Our Commitment:
Inovata Foods Corp. is an inclusive employer. If selected for an interview, please advise our Human Resources Department if you require any accommodation during the interview and assessment process, and we will work with you to meet your accessibility needs.
If you are a visionary IT leader with a passion for leveraging IT to enhance manufacturing excellence and a desire to drive technological innovation, we invite you to apply for the position of Director of IT at Inovata Foods. Join us in our mission to “create wholesome meals that bring families and friends together.”
Please apply directly through the job posting. Additionally, if you have any questions about this role or want to reach out further, please contact Elise Lamothe at HR @ inovatafoods.com.

Job Type: Full-time

APPLY