Jennifer Griffiths Recruitment are seeking to appoint an Operations Manager to join a Global Engineering Group.
Purpose of the Role:
The Operations Manager leads the delivery of the Clients operation, bringing together Production, Engineering, Maintenance and Facilities activities into a single operational leadership structure. Working through others, including the QHSE Manager and Production Planning and Procurements Manager, they develop people, improve performance and create the conditions for operational excellence, supporting both the continued growth of the clients operating model.
Key Accountabilities:
- Creates clarity by translating the sites priorities into clear operational plans, expectations and objectives for a combined production, engineering, maintenance and facilities team.
- Builds high-performing teams through coaching, development, regular feedback and consistent accountability, including at manager level (QHSE Manager, Production Planning and Procurement Manager).
- Delivers operational excellence by ensuring safety, quality, delivery and cost objectives are achieved across both industrial and all work streams.
- Drives continuous improvement by using operational data to encourage problem solving and embed better ways of working.
- Makes sound operational decisions balancing customer needs, business priorities, capacity constraints and available resources across the combined site.
- Builds effective partnerships across the company, to remove barriers and achieve shared outcomes.
- Creates a positive team culture where people feel safe to contribute ideas, challenge constructively and take ownership for results.
- Ensures operational control by managing performance, resources, risk and compliance, including qualification integrity across both Nadcap/AS9100 and ISO 13485 MDR regimes, to deliver reliable and sustainable operations.
Leadership Expectations:
Success in this role is demonstrated through behaviours as much as results.
All leaders within our group business are expected to:
- Lead with integrity and build trust.
- Take ownership and accountability.
- Deliver through people as well as performance.
- Build positive relationships.
- Encourage learning and continuous improvement.
- Make informed, timely decisions.
- Role model the behaviours expected of others.
Lead Others – Additional Leadership Expectations:
- Develop people as well as performance.
- Create clarity and accountability.
- Coach more than they direct.
- Build engaged, high-performing teams.
- Foster a culture of continuous improvement.
Strengths and experience needed to do a great job:
Ideally you will have…
- Experience leading operational teams within a manufacturing, engineering or production environment.
- Experience leading a multi-disciplinary site, production, engineering, maintenance and facilities, rather than production alone.
- Proven ability to lead, coach and develop others, including other managers, to improve performance and build capability.
- Experience managing operational performance through the use of KPIs and data.
- Experience operating within a matrix organisation, balancing site, functional and group priorities.
- Ability to make informed decisions, balancing safety, quality, delivery and cost.
- Excellent communication and relationship building skills, with the ability to influence across functions.
- Strong organisational skills with the ability to prioritise and adapt in a fast paced environment.
Advantageous but not essential:
- Experience within a highly regulated manufacturing environment.
- Experience integrating two operations or sites following organisational change or M&A.
- Knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma or other continuous improvements.
- IOSH Managing Safety or equivalent health and safety qualification.
- Management or leadership qualification.
Success Measures
- Operational targets for safety, quality, delivery and cost are consistently achieved.
- Customer commitments are delivered reliably and efficiently.
- Teams demonstrate high levels of ownership, capability and engagement.
- Continuous improvement is embedded in everyday operations and delivers measurable results.
- Cross-functional and cross-group relationships enable effective collaboration and problem solving.
- Risks are managed proactively, maintaining compliance and operational resilience.
- People are developed, creating a strong pipeline of future talent.
We continually evolve what we do and how we do things so what you ar doing may vary from time to time without changing the essence of the role or the level of responsibility.
As a member of the team, you will play a key part in defining the future of your role to ensure we continue to delight our customers and those around us.
