ABOUT PROLIFERATE INC.

Proliferate Inc. is a Canadian contract manufacturer of clean cosmetic and personal care products, headquartered in Morden, Manitoba. The company specializes in natural and certified organic formulations, working with purpose‑driven beauty brands to create safer, healthier alternatives to conventional cosmetics. From formulation and production through to dispensing and packaging, Proliferate partners with entrepreneurs and established brands alike to bring high‑quality clean beauty products to market in Canada and globally.

Founded in the philosophy of authentic, natural formulation, Proliferate has earned a strong reputation for uncompromising product quality, responsiveness to clients, and a collaborative, people‑first approach to manufacturing. The company is known for offering some of the lowest minimum order quantities in the industry—making clean beauty accessible to emerging brands—while maintaining rigorous production standards and consistency at scale.

At the heart of Proliferate’s success is its culture. The organization has built a genuinely inclusive, community‑anchored workplace that provides meaningful employment to people from diverse backgrounds. This people‑centered philosophy is not incidental to the business—it is core to how Proliferate operates and grows. 

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

Proliferate is at a pivotal inflection point. With a strong operational foundation and growing demand for clean cosmetic manufacturing, the company is entering its most ambitious phase of growth to date. Supported by engaged ownership and deliberate investment in leadership and infrastructure, Proliferate is scaling its production footprint, strengthening operational systems, and building the platform required for rapid, responsible growth—without compromising values or product integrity.

The Owners, having built Proliferate from the ground up, remain highly involved in the operational core of the business. As the company scales, they are seeking a Chief Operating Officer to serve as a true operational partner—assuming full accountability for production and execution, and enabling the owners to focus on strategic growth, client relationships, long‑term direction, and innovation.

ABOUT THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER POSITION

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) will be a critical member of Proliferate’s leadership team, serving as the operational architect and execution lead as the company enters its next phase of growth. Reporting directly to the Owners, the COO will assume end‑to‑end accountability for the production and operations engine—ensuring the organization can scale rapidly, responsibly, and without sacrificing quality, culture, or values.

This role is suited to a hands‑on, commercially minded operations leader who thrives in growth environments. The COO will bring structure, discipline, and clarity to manufacturing, logistics, facilities, and people systems, while maintaining the agility and entrepreneurial spirit that defines Proliferate. They will translate strategy into execution, build scalable processes, and establish the operating pulse required to support increased demand, expanded capacity, and a growing workforce.

Equally important, the COO will be a visible, trusted leader on the production floor—someone who understands that operational excellence is inseparable from how people are treated. This leader will foster a safe, respectful, and engaged workplace culture, ensuring that Proliferate’s people‑first philosophy remains a competitive advantage as the business scales.

This is not a maintenance role. It is a build mandate for a leader who excels in scale‑up environments, brings structure without bureaucracy, and understands that sustained performance is inseparable from how people are treated and supported.

KEY LEADERSHIP ACCOUNTABILITIES

Leadership

• Serve as a core member of the leadership team and a trusted operational partner to the Owners during a period of rapid growth and transformation.
• Provide visible, values‑driven leadership across the organization, modelling Proliferate’s commitment to respect, safety, accountability, and people‑first culture.
• Build, lead, and develop a high‑performing operations leadership team with clear accountability, decision‑making authority, and succession depth.
• Foster strong communication and alignment across functions, ensuring teams remain engaged, informed, and focused as the organization scales.
• Act as a steady, credible presence on the production floor, building trust and reinforcing culture through consistent leadership behaviors.

Operational Management

• Hold end‑to‑end accountability for all operational activities, including manufacturing, production planning, logistics, facilities, and day‑to‑day execution.
• Lead the scaling of production capacity and operational systems to support increasing demand while maintaining quality, safety, and regulatory compliance.
• Establish and refine operational processes, performance metrics, and management cadences required for disciplined execution and continuous improvement.
• Oversee supply chain, procurement, and vendor relationships to ensure continuity of supply, cost control, and production readiness.
• Translate strategic growth priorities into executable operational plans, balancing speed, quality, and sustainability.
• Ensure the operational infrastructure, systems, and workflows are fit for scale and resilient under rapid growth.
• Partner with the Owners to design and implement the enterprise automation and AI roadmap (targeted for Q2 2026).

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

The ideal candidate is a hands‑on, values‑driven operations leader with a proven track record of scaling production environments through periods of rapid growth, bringing discipline, structure, and operational rigor without bureaucracy. Equally comfortable on the production floor and at the leadership table, this individual is people‑first in mindset, deeply committed to quality and clean standards, and understands that sustainable growth is built through strong systems, trusted teams, and consistent leadership.

This is a build role, not a maintenance role, offering the opportunity to shape the operational future of a values‑driven manufacturing company at a defining moment in its evolution.

Experience

• 7–15 years of progressive operations leadership experience, including direct responsibility for production or manufacturing environments.
• Demonstrated success scaling a manufacturing or production‑based business—ideally within consumer goods, cosmetics, nutraceuticals, food and beverage, or other regulated industries.
• Proven ability to lead through growth inflection points (2x–5x scale), building systems, processes, and teams that support expansion without compromising quality or reliability.
• Experience operating within the Canadian business and regulatory environment preferred.

Leadership and Cultural Fit

• A hands‑on leader who leads from the floor, not the corner office—visible, accessible, and comfortable in production environments.
• People‑first in orientation, with a deeply held belief that safe, respected, and engaged teams drive sustainable performance.
• Brings structure, discipline, and clarity without unnecessary bureaucracy; a builder who thrives in growth environments rather than maintenance roles.
• Authentic, direct, and trustworthy, with consistency of character across all levels of the organization.
• Unwavering commitment to quality, clean standards, and ethical operations; intolerant of shortcuts that compromise product integrity or people’s wellbeing.

If you wish to explore this opportunity, please contact or submit your resume to:  

LILLIAN WONG, Director, Executive Search and Recruitment Email: lillian.wong@mnp.ca

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