Manufacturing Operations Manager

Manufacturing Operations Manager

Salary: £65,000 – £78,000 plus bonus and car allowance

Location: Leicester

Contract: Permanent, full-time

A growing, multi-site manufacturing group is looking for an Operations Manager to lead its Leicester site, reporting directly to the Managing Director. This is a senior role with full site responsibility, ideal for an experienced operations leader who wants to shape a business during a period of growth and investment. You'll be the senior voice of operations to customers and the board.

The role

• Lead all site operations at Leicester, including production, planning, quality, maintenance and logistics, with full accountability for site performance.
• Report directly to the Managing Director, acting as the senior operational leader on site and a key member of the leadership team.
• Set and deliver the site’s operating plan, budget and KPIs, covering safety, quality, delivery, productivity and cost, and report on progress with clarity and honesty.
• Manage the site P&L or budget, monitoring performance against plan, forecasting accurately and taking early action to protect margin.
• Develop the site management team, coaching department heads and building succession so the site has a strong leadership bench.
• Build a high-performance culture based on accountability, engagement and clear standards, where people understand how their work contributes to the business.
• Lead investment projects and capacity growth, including business cases, equipment installations, layout changes and the ramp-up of new capability.
• Drive process improvement across the site, using Lean and structured problem-solving methods to reduce waste, improve flow and lift productivity.
• Work closely with Sales, Commercial and Customer Service teams to align capacity, lead times and delivery performance with customer expectations.
• Represent operations to customers, the wider group and the board, including customer visits, audits, performance reviews and strategic discussions.
• Collaborate with colleagues at the group’s other sites, sharing best practice and contributing to group-wide operational strategy.
• Drive health and safety standards and ensure compliance with legislation, quality systems and customer requirements, keeping the site audit-ready.
• Oversee supply chain and logistics performance, making sure materials, stock and outbound deliveries support the production plan.
• Be a visible and approachable presence on the shop floor, staying close to the operation and to the people who run it.

About you

• A proven track record as an Operations Manager or Senior Production Manager in a manufacturing environment, with accountability for a whole site or a significant operation.
• Experience of managing a P&L or site budget, with a good understanding of margins, cost drivers and how operational decisions affect financial results.
• A history of leading multi-functional teams across production, planning, quality, maintenance and logistics.
• Strategic and commercially minded, able to look ahead and shape the direction of a growing site while still managing the detail of the day-to-day operation.
• Visible and approachable on the shop floor, with the credibility to earn the trust of operators and managers alike.
• Excellent leadership skills, with experience of developing managers, building teams and creating a culture of accountability.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, comfortable dealing with customers, directors and the board.
• Experience of leading investment projects, capacity expansion or major process change, and of delivering them on time and to budget.
• A track record of driving continuous improvement and delivering measurable gains in productivity, quality, cost and delivery performance.
• A strong working knowledge of health and safety, quality systems and customer audit requirements.
• Resilient, decisive and calm under pressure, with the confidence to make tough calls and to challenge constructively at senior level.
• Comfortable operating in a growing, multi-site group, with the flexibility to work across sites and contribute to wider strategy.
• Degree-qualified or chartered status would be valued, as would Lean, Six Sigma or a recognised senior leadership qualification.

What's on offer

• Annual bonus
• Car allowance
• Company pension
• Private healthcare
• A seat at the leadership table in a growing group