Director, Operations / Operationeel Directeur
Key Skills
Job Description
Village Farms International (Nasdaq: VFF) is een verticaal geïntegreerde wereldwijde leider op het gebied van cannabis, plantaardige consumentenproducten en duurzame innovatie. Als een van de langst bestaande CEA-operators in Noord-Amerika, gebouwd op tientallen jaren expertise, brengen wij telers, innovators en makers samen om de toekomst van hoogwaardige plantaardige merken wereldwijd vorm te geven.
Werken bij Village Farms betekent deel uitmaken van een wereldwijd team dat wordt gedreven door doelgerichtheid, integriteit en ambitie. Hier laten we mensen, ideeën en mogelijkheden groeien.
De Kans
Wij zijn op zoek naar een Directeur Operations die verantwoordelijk wordt voor de prestaties, integratie en verdere ontwikkeling van onze vestigingen in Drachten en Groningen. Dit is een unieke kans voor een resultaatgerichte leider die begrijpt hoe een operationele organisatie van wereldklasse eruitziet, kansen voor verbetering herkent en energie krijgt van het realiseren van verandering. In deze rol brengt u beide locaties samen tot één hoog presterende regionale operatie en vertaalt u bedrijfsstrategie naar operationele uitvoering. Rapporterend aan de President, Global Operations, versterkt u leiderschap, optimaliseert u GMP-gerichte systemen en stimuleert u veilige, conforme, efficiënte en schaalbare prestaties.
Belangrijkste Verantwoordelijkheden
Leidinggeven aan de Regio
- Leiding geven aan Drachten en Groningen als één geïntegreerde regionale operatie.
- Verantwoordelijkheid dragen voor Cultivation, Primaire en Secundaire Productie, Logistiek & Supply Chain, Facilities en Quality teams.
- Bedrijfsstrategie, klantvraag en marktprioriteiten vertalen naar duidelijke operationele plannen.
- Consistente standaarden, werkritmes, verantwoordelijkheden en prestatieverwachtingen vaststellen.
- Risico’s, beperkingen en prestatieproblemen tijdig identificeren en corrigeren.
Integratie van de Waardeketen
- Cultivation, Productie, Supply Chain, Logistiek en ondersteunende functies integreren voor optimale end-to-end uitvoering.
- Productiecapaciteit, materialen, voorraad en middelen afstemmen op klant- en marktvraag.
- Cross-functionele samenwerking versterken om operationele prestaties te optimaliseren.
- Wendbaarheid creëren om effectief in te spelen op veranderende marktomstandigheden.
Operationele Excellentie
- Processen, systemen en standaarden ontwikkelen en continu verbeteren.
- Gestructureerde probleemoplossing en root cause analyses leiden.
- Lean- en continuous improvement-initiatieven stimuleren.
- Productiviteit, doorvoer, kwaliteit en kostenprestaties verbeteren.
- Schaalbare operationele modellen ontwikkelen die duurzame groei ondersteunen.
Systemen en Infrastructuur Versterken
- KPI’s, dashboards en managementrapportages ontwikkelen en beheren.
- ERP-, productie-, onderhouds- en BI-systemen optimaliseren.
- Datakwaliteit, procesdiscipline en systeemadoptie verbeteren.
- Processen en workflows standaardiseren en automatiseren.
- Digitale integratie en operationele transparantie bevorderen.
Kwaliteit, Compliance en Veiligheid
- Waarborgen dat alle activiteiten voldoen aan GMP-, kwaliteits-, veiligheids- en wettelijke vereisten.
- Samenwerken met Quality op audits, CAPA’s, afwijkingen en verbeterprojecten.
- Operationele wijzigingen effectief beheren en implementeren.
- Een sterke cultuur van kwaliteit, veiligheid en compliance bevorderen.
Financieel Leiderschap
- Verantwoordelijkheid dragen voor operationele budgetten en kostenefficiëntie.
- Inzicht creëren in arbeids-, materiaal-, onderhouds- en operationele kosten.
- Kosten- en margeverbeteringen realiseren zonder concessies te doen aan kwaliteit of compliance.
- Kapitaalprojecten ondersteunen en businesscases ontwikkelen.
- Samenwerken met Finance en Commercial op forecasting, planning en budgettering.
Leiderschap en Teamontwikkeling
- Sterke operationele leiderschapsteams ontwikkelen.
- Samenwerking tussen Operations, Quality, Commercial, Finance en HR versterken.
- Een cultuur van eigenaarschap, verantwoordelijkheid en samenwerking creëren.
- Leiders coachen tijdens groei, verandering en transformatie.
Wat U Meebrengt
- Relevante opleiding in Bedrijfskunde, Operations Management, Engineering of een vergelijkbare richting.
- Minimaal 10 jaar leidinggevende ervaring binnen multi-site productieomgevingen.
- Ervaring in sterk gereguleerde industrieën zoals cannabis, farmaceutica, food & beverage of vergelijkbaar.
- Lean Six Sigma, PMP of vergelijkbare certificeringen zijn een pré.
- Ervaring met ERP-optimalisatie, automatisering en operationele transformatie.
- Aantoonbare ervaring met het leiden van complexe multi-site operaties.
- Expertise in operationele excellentie, supply chain, planning, voorraadbeheer en kwaliteitssystemen.
- Sterke financiële en commerciële vaardigheden, inclusief budget- en P&L-verantwoordelijkheid.
- Uitstekende leiderschaps-, communicatie- en stakeholdermanagementvaardigheden.
- Het vermogen om data en KPI’s te gebruiken om prestaties te verbeteren en bedrijfsresultaten te realiseren.
Werken bij Village Farms
Wij geloven dat It Takes A Village®, en dat menen we echt.
Dat zie je terug in hoe we elkaar ondersteunen, hoe we innoveren en hoe we samen succes behalen.
Onze waarden sturen elke beslissing die we nemen:
Viriliteit | Innovatie | Leiderschap | Loyaliteit | Verantwoordelijkheid | Doorzettingsvermogen | Ondernemerschap
Wat je hier doet, maakt een verschil — voor onze mensen, onze producten en onze klanten.
We bieden uitstekende, door het bedrijf betaalde secundaire arbeidsvoorwaarden en studiekostenondersteuning om jouw groei te stimuleren.
Wil je deel uitmaken van iets dat echte impact heeft?
Dan ontmoeten we je graag.
*****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Village Farms International (Nasdaq: VFF) is a vertically integrated global leader in cannabis and plant-based consumer packaged goods, and sustainable innovation. As one of North America’s longest-standing -CEA operators built on decades of expertise, we’re a company where growers, innovators, and creators come together to shape the future of high performing plant-based brands, globally.
Joining Village Farms means joining a global team built on purpose, integrity, and ambition. Here, we grow people, ideas and possibilities.
The Opportunity
We are seeking a Director, Operations to lead the performance, integration, and continued evolution of our Drachten and Groningen facilities. This is an opportunity for a builder, someone who understands what world-class operations look like, can identify the gap between current and future state, and is energized by leading the change. Reporting to the President, Global Operations, you will bring both sites together as a high-performing regional operation, translating business strategy into execution while strengthening leadership, enhancing GMP-focused systems, and driving safe, compliant, efficient, and scalable performance. Success in this role requires a hands-on leader with strong systems thinking who can connect decisions, processes, and performance across functions to identify constraints, resolve root causes, and improve overall operational effectiveness. You will build an operation that is reliable, adaptable, customer-focused, and positioned to support future growth.
What You’ll Do
Lead the Region
- Lead Drachten and Groningen as one connected regional operation, providing leadership to Cultivation, Primary and Secondary Production, Logistics & Supply Chain, Facilities, and Quality teams.
- Translate business strategy, customer demand, and market priorities into clear operational plans and execution objectives.
- Establish consistent standards, operating rhythms, accountability, decision rights, and performance expectations.
- Build strong leadership alignment across both sites and ensure operations deliver safely, efficiently, on time, and to quality and compliance standards.
- Identify emerging risks, constraints, and performance gaps and ensure timely corrective action.
Integrate the Value Chain
- Integrate Cultivation, Primary & Secondary Production, Supply Chain & Logistics, Maintenance, and supporting functions to deliver reliable end-to-end execution.
- Align production, capacity, materials, inventory, and resources with customer and market requirements.
- Enhance cross-functional planning and execution by managing dependencies and constraints to optimize end-to-end operational performance.
- Build the flexibility required to respond effectively to changes in demand, product mix, customer requirements, and business priorities.
Drive Operational Excellence
- Build and continuously improve operating systems, processes standards and capabilities required for safe, compliant, and reliable execution.
- Lead structured problem-solving and root-cause analysis to eliminate recurring issues and improve operational performance.
- Drive standardization, continuous improvement, and operational excellence initiatives that improve productivity, throughput, quality and cost performance across the operation.
- Establish scalable operating practices, and performance discipline that support sustainable growth.
- Champion Lean and continuous-improvement methodologies, fostering a culture of accountability, ownership and execution excellence.
Strengthen Systems and Infrastructure
- Establish clear operational KPIs, dashboards, and management reporting that provide visibility into performance, risks, opportunities and decision making.
- Strengthen use of ERP, production, maintenance, and business intelligence systems to improve planning, execution and operational control.
- Improve data integrity, process discipline, and systems adoption to ensure timely, accurate and actionable information.
- Simplify, standardize, and automate business processes and workflows to increase efficiency, consistency and scalability.
- Partner with Technology and cross-functional teams to enhance system integration, reporting capabilities, traceability, and digital enablement across the operation.
Protect Quality, Compliance & Safety
- Ensure the operations consistently meet applicable GMP, regulatory, quality, safety, and operating standards.
- Partner closely with Quality on deviations, CAPAs, investigations, audits, and change controls, and continuous improvement.
- Ensure operational changes are appropriately assessed, documented, controlled, and sustainably implemented.
- Build and sustain a strong culture of GMP, quality, and safety by embedding these principles into operational decision-making, leadership practices, training, and performance expectations.
Own Operational Financial Performance
- Manage operating budgets and key cost drivers.
- Establish clear visibility into labor, materials, waste, maintenance, productivity, and other operating costs while optimizing resource utilization and capacity.
- Identify and deliver sustainable cost and margin improvement opportunities without compromising safety, GMP compliance, quality or customer service.
- Participate in capital planning and develop business cases for operational investments and improvements.
- Partner with Finance and Commercial to strengthen forecasting, planning, budgeting and operational performance management.
Build Strong Leaders & Teams
- Build and develop high-performing operational leadership teams.
- Strengthen cross-functional ways of working and collaboration across Cultivation, Quality, Commercial, Finance, HR, and other key functions to improve overall operating capability.
- Create a culture of ownership, accountability, transparency, and collaboration.
- Coach leaders to think enterprise-wide and lead effectively through growth and change.
What You Bring
- Relevant advanced education in Business Administration, Operations Management, Engineering, or a related discipline is preferred.
- 10+ years of progressive leadership experience, including senior leadership responsibility for multi-site operations in regulated manufacturing environments
- Experience in cannabis, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, or other highly regulated GMP manufacturing environments is strongly preferred.
- PMP, Lean Six Sigma, technical, engineering, or related qualifications are considered assets.
- Experience with ERP optimization, automation, data-driven performance management, and operational transformation.
- Proven success leading complex, multi-site operations in regulated environments.
- Strong experience building, scaling, and transforming operations.
- Deep expertise in operational excellence, supply chain strategy, planning, inventory management, and quality systems.
- Strong financial and commercial acumen, including operating-budget and P&L accountability experience.
- Exceptional leadership, communication, collaboration, and stakeholder-engagement skills with the ability to influence across functions, organizational levels, and regions.
- Demonstrated ability to use data and KPIs to identify problems, establish priorities, and drive measurable performance improvement.
- Ability to lead through ambiguity, align diverse perspectives, solve complex problems, and translate strategy into measurable business outcomes.
Life at Village Farms
- At Village Farms International, you’re part of something bigger — a global organization where you can grow your career across brands, functions, and countries.
- We believe It Takes A Village ®, and we mean it.
- Our values guide every decision we make: Versatility | Innovation | Leadership | Loyalty | Accountability | Grit | Entrepreneurship
- What you do here matters — to our people, our products, and the customers we serve.
- We’ve got you covered with company-paid comprehensive benefits and education assistance to support your growth.
Ready to Grow With Us?
If you want to be part of something that has real impact - we’d love to meet you.
Core Responsibilities
The Director of Operations will lead the integration and performance of the Drachten and Groningen facilities, overseeing cultivation, production, logistics, and quality teams. This role involves translating business strategy into operational plans while ensuring GMP compliance, safety, and scalable growth.
Requirements
Candidates must have at least 10 years of progressive leadership experience in multi-site manufacturing environments, preferably within highly regulated industries like cannabis, pharmaceuticals, or food and beverage. A relevant advanced degree in business, engineering, or operations management is preferred, along with strong financial acumen and expertise in operational excellence.
Benefits
- Company-paid comprehensive benefits
- Education assistance
About Village Farms International
Industry: Manufacturing
Company size: 1,001-5,000 employees
Village Farms International, Inc. (Nasdaq: VFF) is a vertically integrated global leader in cannabis and plant-based consumer packaged goods, built on decades of Controlled Environment Agriculture expertise and a foundation as one of North America’s longest-standing produce operations. Village Farms operates high-performing brands in regions globally: In Canada, its portfolio includes Pure Sunfarms, Soar, Super Toast, The Original Fraser Valley Weed Co., Tam Tams, Promenade, and Pure Laine; in the United States, CBDistillery is one of the country’s most trusted hemp-derived wellness brands; in the Netherlands, Leli Holland is one of only ten licensed cultivators in the government’s regulated cannabis program; and the company serves international medical cannabis markets through EU GMP-certified exports. Beyond cannabis, the company operates Village Farms Clean Energy (VFCE), a clean energy division that transforms landfill gas into renewable natural gas, and also holds an equity interest in Vanguard Food LP, a joint venture pursuing strategic acquisitions to build a premier branded food platform.