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About the Company

In a recent review, one shopper said, ‘I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THIS PLACE’! Another gushed, ‘best Natural Food Grocery in the city with a huge array of natural foods, organic options and unique choices. Eat Clean and Enjoy!’

Launched as a passion project in 1981, our client has grown into a thriving health products retailer with 13 stores across Southern Ontario and plans for many more. They exist to help people live longer, happier and healthier lives by providing the highest quality product offerings, a unique focus on education, and exceptional customer service. They assist their customers navigate the confusing world of health and nutrition to craft a plan specific and most beneficial to their individual needs.

Since their very beginnings, our client has also been dedicated to building community through food. They partner with local communities, from farmers to businesses, neighbours, artists and artisans that share similar values. They source responsibly with a commitment to the highest quality and healthiest product standards in the market. They advocate tirelessly for honesty in food and a positive impact on the overall ecosystem. Our client leads the way to great health for people, their communities, and the planet.

As our client continues to grow it seeks to ensure that its systems, applications and operations are competitive advantages, tightly aligned with the needs of the business. Driving this agenda will be the task of the Leader of IT. Leveraging a coveted brand and functioning IT infrastructure, the successful candidate will build a technology capability/roadmap across the organization to enhance the way it competes.

This role will appeal to hands-on IT Managers/Directors with the drive, confidence and sophistication to be the catalyst for change that our client requires. Individuals comfortable working in slow paced, bureaucratic organizations need not apply!

Scope of the Position

Broadly, the objective of the IT Leader is to cultivate an environment that attracts, deploys and retains the resources required to effectively select, develop, deliver and support IT offerings that will provide value to the company’s employees and customers, while meeting the business strategy and goals for profitable growth.

Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, the IT Leader will help develop and implement the company’s technology strategy, building IT capacity and leading day-to-day execution, while ensuring alignment of IT activities and initiatives with the company’s business strategy. This position is critical in driving overall technology sophistication and standardization across the company’s locations.

The IT Leader will also be responsible for providing leadership in all activities related to the development and delivery of the firm’ web, mobile and eCommerce offerings from definition and specification through design, release, enhancement, quality assurance, implementation and support. The successful candidate will lead a small team who are characterized by their loyalty, creativity and commitment to delivering a ‘best in class’ IT Services and support.

This is an outstanding opportunity that features:

• Strong industry and company growth
• Committed and well-funded ownership
• Transparent, open, friendly culture
• Purpose driven organization
• An opportunity to make a real difference

Functional Tasks

• Work with the CFO to evaluate current capabilities and shape IT to improve service levels, reduce risk, improve efficiency, leverage resources, and ensure appropriate and consistent technologies across the organization to support the firm’s business strategy.
• Work with the senior management team to develop, deliver and support the digital roadmap consistent with and reflecting the company’s overall strategic plans for corporate growth
• Maintain keen awareness of the trends and conditions in technology, products and development tools relative to the needs of the company’s customers and business
• Identify, procure and implement and support ERP (Finance, HR, Supply chain etc) and other end-user required SaaS and cloud-based applications and solutions.
• Lead and Support the organization on web, mobile and eCommerce initiatives necessary for competitive success.
• Ensure that the existing IT organization is able to securely and reliably support efficient operations across locations while simultaneously assessing and advancing new initiatives and technologies that will directly support the success of our operating teams and functional departments.
• Establish key indicators for competitive performance in completion of projects and for rapid, realistic decisions on strategies, plans and projects
• Build and facilitate the development of strong relationships and synergy with all other areas of the business, with key suppliers and with the company’s technical partners in order to achieve the corporate goals and objectives while executing technology development plans
• When appropriate, hire and manage direct reports, along with their goal setting, performance measurement and development feedback.
• Work with managers in functional areas to understand information technology needs and opportunities to drive business improvement through technology.
• Oversee and develop business cases with time estimates and cost/benefit analyses on the implementation of new or revised systems and technologies.
• Keep the CFO and senior management abreast of important issues, capital expenditures and commitments with respect to the Information Services budget.
• Lead and oversee IT due diligence and integration of newly acquired and developed locations.

Key Performance Deliverables

Specific measures of performance relating to growth, profitability, quality, customer satisfaction, etc. will be discussed and agreed upon with the successful candidate.

Competency Profile

The following competencies listed below define the role of the IT Leader;

Strategic Approach

Develops a strategic plan to realize the vision. Revises strategy in light of changing circumstances. Takes a long-term view of organizational success. Works to clarify long term organizational goals. Able to stand back from immediate problems in order to focus on more far reaching ideas.

Results Orientation

Focuses strongly on achieving agreed upon outcomes and ensures that key objectives are met. Conveys a sense of urgency and drives issues to closure. Aims to improve upon past performance. Establishes aggressive personal targets and strives to achieve them.

Customer/Client Orientation

Strives to provide customers/clients with personalized and efficient service. Anticipates customers’/clients’ needs. Quickly follows up on customer/client contacts and complaints. Monitors and acts on measures of customer/client satisfaction.

People Management

Establishes and communicates clear priorities and sense of direction. Clarifies roles and responsibilities. Adapts management style to achieve optimum results.

Integrity & Sincerity

Inspires trust and supports others through own authenticity and following up on commitments. Maintains high ethical standards both personally and professionally. Shows consistency among principles.

Leading Change

Recognizes when change is necessary; Challenges the status quo and champions new initiatives; Acts as a catalyst to change and stimulates others to change; Develops an effective action plan to implement change and monitors results. Role Expertise

Commercial Acumen

Applies appropriate commercial and financial principles; Understands situations in terms of costs, profits, added-value and return on investment; Imagines future possibilities. Thinks broadly and investigates a wide-range of alternatives in developing a vision for the future. Selects the most promising vision from a range of alternatives and communicates this vision to others.

Team Skills

Helps to create a sense of team spirit and harmonious relations through cooperation and support; Balances personal goals with those of the team; Fosters collaboration among team members.

Preferred Experience and Education
The following indicates specific industry, academic and functional experience/qualifications that are important to the successful achievement of the identified responsibilities and performance deliverables.

• Bachelors degree in Computer Science or equivalent
• Eight to ten years of progressively increasing responsibility in technology.
• Demonstrated success in building reliable and scalable infrastructure in a distributed environment.
• Experience with implementing ERP, SaaS and related Cloud-based systems and solutions
• Demonstrated ability to conceptualize, launch and deliver multiple technology projects on time and within budget
• Demonstrated ability to partner with the business to deliver on business goals in a highly customer service-oriented organization.
• Ability to think creatively, conceptually and strategically, while maintaining a results-driven approach focused on solving business issues.
• Broad-based business and technical acumen in all aspects of information technology including full technology life cycle, budget management, resource allocations, network, hardware, software development, communications, and vendor/partner management.
• Retail experience an asset
• Excellent leadership skills, well-defined interpersonal skills and outstanding communication skills.
• Development and fostering of a fun, high energy, team-oriented and results-driven environment.
• Ability to build relationships and influence people at all levels within and outside the organization.

Remuneration & Benefits

Highly competitive compensation package tailored to the successful candidate.

If interested, please contact:

Robert Hebert StoneWood Group Bus: 416-365-9494 Ext. 777[email protected]