COO

Run everything after the buy at a 20-year closeout toy distributor, reporting straight to an owner ready to hand over operations.

About the role

Chief Operating Officer

REPORTS TO

President and Owner

LOCATION

Montreal (St. Laurent, Québec)

On-site, with some US travel and occasional international trade shows

Our client is a North American importer and wholesale distributor with more than 20 years in business, buying excess and closeout inventory from major branded products and brands and selling it into the discount retail channel. The business has grown fast, and too much of how it runs still sits with the owner. This role exists to change that.

You’ll own everything after the buy: retail customer relationships, pricing and terms, inbound shipments, the 3PL relationship, warehousing and inventory, plus margin and cash discipline alongside a long-tenured accounts lead. Year one means mapping how the business really runs, writing the SOPs, putting controls on pricing, terms and approvals, and leading the office team. Then you’ll build the case for the next growth move, deeper in toys or into new categories sold to the same retailers.

THE HONEST PART

This is a hands-on seat in a small company, and the first six months are mostly in the weeds. The owner is decisive and knows his business well. You will need the confidence to push back, the judgment to know when, and the respect to remember it is his company. The growth direction is ambitious but not fully defined; you will shape it as you learn the business.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Required

Preferred

• A senior operations role (COO, VP Operations, GM or equivalent) in consumer products distribution, wholesale, importing, or off-price and closeout trading
• Hands-on ownership of the chain after the purchase: customer pricing and terms, logistics and 3PL partners, and inventory
• Responsibility for margin, cash and reporting for a business or division
• Has turned a business or function that ran on one or two people's knowledge into documented, repeatable process
• Has hired and led a team
• Able to work on-site in Montreal, with some travel to the US
• Experience managing large discount or mass retail accounts
• Fluency in both English and French
• Has added a product category or new retail customers to a distribution business