Director of Certification Operation

QPS Evaluation Services Inc•Toronto, ON

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Certification Operations – Electrical & Electronic (E&E) is responsible for the strategic leadership, operational excellence, and continuous improvement of Applus+ QPS’s certification services related to electrical and electronic products. This role oversees end‑to‑end certification operations, ensuring compliance with applicable standards, accreditation requirements, and regulatory expectations while driving efficiency, quality, and business growth. The Director serves as a key leader within the TIC organization, partnering closely with Quality, Engineering, Sales, Regulatory, and Global Operations to ensure consistent, scalable, and high‑quality certification services across regions.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, or a related technical field
10+ years of experience in Testing, Inspection, and Certification (TIC), with significant exposure to electrical and electronic certification programs.
5+ years in a senior leadership or management role overseeing certification or technical operations.
In‑depth understanding of electrical and electronic product safety standards and certification schemes.
Strong knowledge of TIC industry regulations, accreditation requirements, and compliance frameworks.
Familiarity with regulatory markets in North America and internationally.
Experience working with accredited certification bodies and regulatory authorities.
Ability to travel domestically and internationally as required.
Must have a valid driver's license
Comfortable operating in a global, matrixed organization.

Nice To Haves

Professional certifications (PE, CET, or equivalent) are a plus.
Executive leadership and decision‑making
Deep technical and regulatory knowledge in Electrical & Electronic certification
Strong operational, financial, and analytical acumen
Change management and continuous improvement leadership
Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills
Ability to lead global and cross‑functional teams

Responsibilities

Provide overall leadership and direction for laboratory certification operations, ensuring alignment with Applus QPS corporate strategy and growth objectives.
Establish and execute operational strategies to improve efficiency, scalability, service delivery, and profitability within certification programs.
Develop and track key performance indicators (KPIs), operational metrics, and service-level agreements (SLAs).
Owns full profit and loss responsibility for the E&E certification business unit, including revenue planning, cost management, margin optimization, and financial forecasting.
Develop and manage annual operating budgets in alignment with corporate financial targets, ensuring disciplined resource allocation across headcount, capital, and operating expenses.
Monitor financial performance against plan, identify variances, and drive corrective actions to protect and improve profitability.
Partner with Finance to produce accurate monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting, and present results and outlook to senior leadership.
Identify and pursue revenue growth opportunities through capacity utilization, service expansion, and operational efficiency gains that directly improve contribution margin.
Oversee certification activities related to electrical and electronic standards, including but not limited to: UL, IEC, CSA, EN, and other applicable national and international standards; NRTL, CB Scheme, SCC, OSHA, IECEE, and other accreditation frameworks.
Ensure consistent application and interpretation of standards across teams.
Provide technical governance and escalation support for complex certification decisions.
Ensure compliance with ISO/IEC 17065, ISO/IEC 17025 (as applicable), and other relevant accreditation requirements.
Partner closely with Corporate Quality and Accreditation teams to prepare for and successfully complete audits, assessments, and surveillance activities.
Drive corrective and preventive actions related to non‑conformances, customer complaints, and audit findings.
Lead, develop, and mentor certification managers, engineers, reviewers, and operational staff.
Support workforce planning, succession planning, and capability development for certification operations.
Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, technical excellence, and continuous improvement.
Act as an executive sponsor for key certification clients, supporting strategic relationships and resolving escalated issues.
Collaborate with Business Development and Sales teams to support proposals, pricing strategies, and new certification offerings.
Identify market trends, regulatory changes, and emerging technologies to expand and enhance certification services.
Drive standardization and optimization of certification workflows, documentation, and reporting.
Support the implementation and effective use of certification management systems and digital platforms.
Champion efficiency initiatives that improve turnaround times, quality, and customer experience.
Foster strong collaboration across regions, laboratories, and service lines.
Represent Applus QPS in industry committees, standards bodies, and external stakeholder forums as required.
Ensure alignment between regional operations and global certification governance models.
Other duties to be assigned to meet business demands.