Operations Manager

Operations Manager

Key Areas of Responsibility, Duties and Deliverables Expected

Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day production operation across injection moulding, painting and assembly.
• Ensure production plans are achieved against customer demand and agreed schedules.
• Establish clear operational priorities and communicate them effectively across all shifts.
• Maintain strong management presence across the production operation.
• Ensure effective handovers between shifts and consistent standards of operation.
• Monitor production performance and take timely corrective action where targets are at risk.
• Ensure production processes are adequately resourced with people, equipment, materials and support.
• Develop robust contingency plans for production disruption and respond effectively to operational issues.
• Provide visible leadership on Health, Safety and Environmental performance.
• Ensure safe working practices are embedded throughout the manufacturing operation.
• Drive compliance with company policies, statutory requirements and relevant automotive industry standards.
• Ensure incidents, near misses and unsafe conditions are investigated and corrective actions implemented.
• Promote a proactive safety culture in which employees are encouraged to identify and address risks.
• Maintain a strong customer-focused quality culture across all manufacturing areas.
• Work closely with Quality to prevent defects and reduce internal and customer complaints.
• Ensure production teams understand and consistently follow standardised processes and quality requirements.
• Lead rapid containment and corrective action when quality issues arise.
• Support compliance with customer-specific requirements and relevant automotive quality standards, including IATF 16949.
• Own production performance against agreed targets for output, efficiency, schedule adherence and productivity.
• Develop and maintain appropriate KPIs and visual management systems.
• Analyse production losses, downtime, scrap, rework and other performance indicators.
• Drive structured problem solving and ensure corrective actions are sustained.
• Escalate significant risks to customer delivery and site performance promptly.
• Drive improvements in labour productivity, OEE, scrap, rework, downtime and manufacturing efficiency.
• Identify and deliver cost-reduction and productivity initiatives.
• Ensure effective utilisation of labour and manufacturing assets.
• Support annual budgeting, forecasting and operational cost control.
• Challenge inefficient processes and promote a continuous improvement mindset.
• Lead, develop and motivate the production leadership team.
• Establish clear objectives, performance expectations and accountability.
• Build a strong pipeline of operational talent and succession capability.
• Ensure effective training, development and competency management across production.
• Promote employee engagement, teamwork and effective communication across all shifts.
• Work with HR to address performance, attendance, capability and employee relations matters appropriately.
• Develop a culture where leaders are accountable for performance and actively engage with their teams.
• Champion Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Drive the use of structured problem-solving techniques such as 5 Why, Ishikawa and 8D.
• Identify opportunities to improve flow, line balance, standard work, changeovers and overall equipment effectiveness.
• Support the development of a culture of right first time, waste elimination and continuous improvement.
• Ensure improvements are standardised and sustained across all shifts.

General Responsibilities & Duties

• Adhere to company quality awareness.
• Meeting Health and Safety standards, supporting others to do the same.
• Assist other areas of the business when required to carry out the same or similar tasks.
• Any other reasonable duties required.

Personal Attributes

• Visible – spends time in the manufacturing environment and understands what is happening across every shift.
• Accountable – takes ownership of operational performance and expects the same from the leadership team.
• Data-driven – uses facts, KPIs and structured analysis to make decisions rather than relying on assumptions.
• People-focused – develops capable leaders and creates an engaged, high-performing workforce.
• Customer-focused – understands the critical importance of quality and delivery within a Tier 1 automotive environment.
• Decisive – able to make timely decisions and maintain control during periods of operational pressure.
• Continuous-improvement minded – constantly challenges waste, inefficiency and poor standards.

Required Education, Skills, Training and Experience

Experience

Essential:

• Significant senior management experience within a high-volume manufacturing environment.
• Proven experience leading large production teams, ideally within automotive or another demanding manufacturing sector.
• Experience managing multiple manufacturing processes and production areas.
• Strong understanding of production planning, performance management and manufacturing KPIs.
• Demonstrable experience of improving productivity, quality and delivery performance.
• Experience working within a shift-based manufacturing operation.
• Strong understanding of Lean Manufacturing and structured problem solving.
• Proven ability to lead, develop and hold operational teams accountable.
• Strong commercial and financial awareness.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder-management skills.

Desirable:

• Tier 1 automotive manufacturing experience.
• Experience of injection moulding, automotive painting and/or assembly.
• Knowledge of IATF 16949 and automotive customer requirements.
• Formal Lean / Six Sigma qualification.
• Engineering or manufacturing-related degree or equivalent professional experience.
• Experience of working with automated manufacturing and robotics.
• Experience managing significant operational change or transformation.

Manufacturing Environment

The successful candidate will have responsibility for a complex, high-volume manufacturing operation incorporating:

• Plastic injection moulding.
• Automotive painting / finishing.
• Component and vehicle assembly processes.
• Automated and semi-automated production equipment.
• High-volume, customer-driven production schedules.
• Tier 1 automotive customer and quality requirements.

Key Performance Indicators

The role will be accountable for driving improvement across the site's core operational measures, including:

• Safety performance and incident reduction.
• Production plan attainment.
• On-time delivery.
• OEE and equipment utilisation.
• Labour productivity.
• Scrap and rework.
• First-time-through / right-first-time performance.
• Customer quality performance.
• Downtime and manufacturing losses.
• Cost per unit.
• Employee engagement and attendance.
• Continuous improvement / cost-saving delivery.

Key Relationships

The Operations Manager will work closely with:

• Plant Director.
• Production Manager and Team Leads.
• Quality.
• Engineering.
• Maintenance.
• Logistics / Supply Chain.
• Finance.
• HR.
• Health, Safety & Environmental.
• Continuous Improvement.
• Programme / Project teams.
• Customers and other external stakeholders where appropriate.

Core Values

We pride ourselves on our attitude & culture. It is essential that our Core Values are met irrespective of the job role.

TRUST

Belief and confidence in the reliability of what we do and how we behave.

OPENNESS

Acting with sincerity and transparency.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Taking ownership of our actions and behaviours and delivering our objectives.

RESPECT

Positive behaviours and actions towards others for their abilities, qualities and achievements.

ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT

Applying an enterprising mindset to create new opportunities for change, growth for personal and/or business success.

AGILITY

Operating with a rapid and continuous approach to grow our business and our competitive advantage.

Health & Safety Responsibilities

• Set a good example of safe behaviour, particularly to new entrants and young persons.
• Work in a safe manner and observe site Health and Safety rules and procedures.
• Do not misuse or interfere with anything provided to ensure the Health and Safety of themselves and others.
• Correctly use the protective clothing and equipment provided.
• Report any safety concerns promptly to their Supervisor and take action to prevent injury if it is safe to do so.
• Report all injuries that occur at work and obtain the necessary first aid treatment.
• Help in the investigation of accidents to prevent recurrence.

Additional Information

This job description reflects the general nature and level of work assigned to the role. It does not restrict management's right to reassign duties, responsibilities or location at any time based on business needs if the work is similar, related or a logical reassignment for the position. The company will, where possible, take into account your personal circumstances.

If you feel you're the right fit for this position, please click 'Apply' to join our team!

Please note: We operate an exclusive recruitment partnership with Owen Daniels and therefore kindly request no agency contact.

For any recruitment-related enquiries, please contact Owen Daniels directly.