Operations Manager

Operations Manager

Location: Rugby, Warwickshire

Starting Salary: £50,000 per annum

The Opportunity

We are recruiting on behalf of an established manufacturing and engineering business seeking an experienced, hands-on Operations Manager to take responsibility for the day-to-day running and continued development of its manufacturing operations.

This is an excellent opportunity for an individual with a strong background in manufacturing, production or engineering operations who enjoys being visible on the shop floor, leading teams and driving operational performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Take overall responsibility for the daily running of assembly, packing and picking operations.
• Ensure production schedules and customer orders are effectively planned, prioritised and delivered on time.
• Monitor productivity, workflow, labour utilisation and operational performance, identifying and resolving bottlenecks.
• Work closely with the Production Planner to ensure resources are appropriately allocated.
• Maintain high standards across production areas, equipment, processes and operational procedures.
• Take a proactive, hands-on approach to resolving day-to-day operational challenges.
• Support the introduction of new products and the improvement of existing manufacturing processes.
• Develop and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to improve consistency and efficiency.
• Work alongside technical and engineering teams to ensure products can be manufactured efficiently and to specification .

Team Leadership & Development

• Provide leadership and direction to the Production Planner and wider operational team.
• Manage and develop a workforce of approximately 10–15 employees.
• Set clear expectations around performance, attendance, quality, productivity and safe working practices.

Quality Management – ISO 9001

• Maintain and support the implementation of ISO 9001 quality management standards.
• Ensure procedures, work instructions and quality records are accurate and up to date.
• Support internal and external audits and ensure corrective actions are completed.
• Investigate quality issues, non-conformances and recurring defects.
• Promote a right-first-time approach and continuous quality improvement.

Environmental Management – ISO 14001

• Maintain and support ISO 14001 environmental management requirements.
• Ensure environmental procedures and records are maintained.
• Monitor waste management, recycling, resource usage and general housekeeping.
• Support environmental audits and compliance requirements.
• Identify opportunities to reduce waste and improve environmental performance.

Health, Safety & Compliance

• Take an active role in promoting and maintaining high health and safety standards across the site.
• Ensure risk assessments and safe working procedures are reviewed and maintained.
• Identify and address unsafe working practices and workplace conditions.
• Ensure accidents, incidents and near misses are appropriately investigated and recorded.
• Oversee fire safety checks, emergency procedures and fire drill records.
• Support employee health and safety training and ensure relevant records are maintained.
• Liaise with external health and safety advisers where required.

Training & Competency

• Maintain accurate employee training records and individual training files.
• Develop and maintain training and skills matrices.
• Identify mandatory, role-specific and refresher training requirements.
• Coordinate induction and ongoing employee development.
• Ensure relevant qualifications, authorisations and competency assessments are recorded.

Site & Facilities Management

• Maintain high standards of housekeeping, organisation and general site presentation.
• Coordinate maintenance, repairs and servicing requirements.
• Ensure buildings, equipment and working areas remain safe and fit for purpose.
• Monitor site inspections and ensure any required actions are completed.

Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Develop and maintain operational reports and key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Monitor production output, productivity, labour efficiency, delivery performance, quality, waste and downtime.
• Provide regular operational updates to the Managing Director.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce costs and minimise waste.
• Lead practical continuous improvement initiatives across the operation.
• Work closely with Quality and Technical departments to ensure components meet the required specifications.
• Assist with the testing and introduction of new and existing products where required.
• Encourage employee involvement in identifying and implementing operational improvements.

The successful candidate will be:

• A hands-on and visible manager who enjoys being involved in day-to-day operations.
• A confident leader who can motivate, develop and engage a team.
• Approachable, fair and capable of managing performance effectively.
• Practical, organised and solutions-focused.
• An effective communicator who can work with employees and management at all levels.
• Adaptable and resilient, with the ability to manage changing priorities.
• Proactive in identifying opportunities for improvement.
• A team player who can build strong working relationships across the business.

The Package

• Starting salary of £50,000 per annum.
• Permanent opportunity within an established manufacturing and engineering business.
• A key management position with direct exposure to the Managing Director.
• Opportunity to influence operational performance, processes and future business development.