Chief Operating Officer

Our Client

Our client is a growing North American manufacturer of advanced road marking and protective coating materials serving municipalities, government agencies, infrastructure contractors, and commercial customers across Canada and the United States. The organization is a leading domestic provider of traffic paints, thermoplastics, and specialty coating solutions that support critical infrastructure projects.

As part of a vertically integrated infrastructure platform, the company is entering an accelerated growth phase with significant investment in manufacturing capacity, U.S. market expansion, and product qualification initiatives. With a strong foundation in place, the organization is seeking a Chief Operating Officer (COO) / President to lead the next stage of growth, operational transformation, and long-term value creation.

Reporting to the ownership group, the COO / President will have full accountability for the business, including P&L ownership, operational performance, commercial growth, team development, and execution of strategic initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Leadership & Business Growth

• Lead all aspects of the business, including Operations, Sales, Quality, Finance, and supporting functions.
• Own the company’s growth strategy, driving revenue expansion, profitability improvement, and market development.
• Develop and execute annual operating plans, strategic priorities, and growth initiatives.
• Build and develop a high-performing leadership team while establishing a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement.
• Serve as the primary operator of the business, reducing ownership involvement in day-to-day execution.

Operational & Manufacturing Excellence

• Own end-to-end manufacturing operations, including production, supply chain, inventory, quality, safety, and continuous improvement.
• Drive improvements in manufacturing efficiency, cost structure, throughput, and on-time delivery.
• Optimize working capital, inventory management, and production planning processes.
• Implement scalable systems, processes, and operating rhythms to support future growth.
• Establish disciplined KPI reporting and performance management across the organization.

Commercial Leadership & Market Expansion

• Partner with the commercial team to accelerate revenue growth across infrastructure, contractor, municipal, and government channels.
• Build and strengthen strategic customer relationships with contractors, distributors, and institutional buyers.
• Identify new market opportunities and support expansion into the United States.
• Drive product adoption, customer retention, and long-term account growth.
• Leverage strong business development skills to personally engage with key customers and strategic partners.

Strategic Growth & Professionalization

• Lead initiatives supporting U.S. market entry, including regulatory approvals, product qualifications, and procurement requirements.
• Establish an institutional operating standard through improved reporting, processes, systems, and organizational discipline.
• Support ownership-level reporting, financial planning, and long-term value creation initiatives.
• Build organizational depth and reduce key-person dependency through effective talent development.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience within manufacturing, industrial products, coatings, chemicals, building materials, or related sectors.
• Proven experience owning a P&L for a business or business unit, ideally within the $15M–$50M revenue range.
• Demonstrated success scaling a manufacturing organization, improving profitability, and driving operational transformation.
• Strong commercial capabilities with a track record of growing revenue through B2B, institutional, government, or infrastructure-related channels.
• Hands-on operator with the ability to move between the plant floor, customer meetings, and executive-level discussions.
• Strong financial acumen with experience managing budgets, margins, EBITDA improvement, and working capital.
• Experience operating in a private equity-backed, board-governed, or professionally managed environment is an asset.
• Experience with coatings, DOT specifications, government procurement, or infrastructure markets is highly preferred.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to thrive in a high-autonomy, growth-oriented environment.
• Strong leadership presence, accountability mindset, and ability to build trust across all levels of an organization.

Why This Opportunity

This is a unique opportunity to lead an established manufacturing business through a significant growth and transformation phase. The successful candidate will have full ownership of the company’s performance and the autonomy to shape strategy, build a high-performing team, improve operations, and drive expansion into new markets.

Working closely with ownership, this leader will play a critical role in creating a scalable, profitable organization with the potential to become a recognized North American leader in protective coatings and infrastructure materials.

REF: LI1514