Job Description:

Confidential – Operations Director Specialist Engineering & Manufacturing Business

Location: Derbyshire
Package: c£100,000 + Benefits

The Business

Our client is a well-established, privately owned specialist engineering and manufacturing business supplying technically demanding products to customers across the UK and international markets.

The company designs, machines, assembles and tests high-integrity engineered products used within safety-critical and highly regulated applications. It has developed a strong reputation for technical expertise, product quality and responsive customer service.

As the business enters its next phase of development, it is looking to appoint an Operations Director who can strengthen operational leadership, develop the existing management team and create the capacity required to support sustainable growth.

This is an opportunity to join an entrepreneurial, owner-led SME where the successful individual will work closely with the Managing Director and have a meaningful influence across the business.

The Role

The Operations Director will assume responsibility for the day-to-day operational performance of the business, providing leadership across manufacturing, engineering, supply chain, quality and continuous improvement.

The role requires a practical and commercially aware leader who is comfortable operating at both strategic and hands-on levels. They will bring greater visibility, structure and accountability to operations without introducing unnecessary corporate processes.

Working closely with the Managing Director and existing leadership team, the Operations Director will identify the operational constraints affecting growth and establish a clear improvement plan focused on capacity, productivity, customer delivery, margin and working capital.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day manufacturing and operational activities of the business.
• Develop an operational strategy aligned with the company’s commercial and growth ambitions.
• Improve productivity, capacity utilisation, operational flow and schedule adherence.
• Strengthen production planning and ensure resources are aligned with customer demand.
• Improve on-time delivery, lead times and the overall reliability of customer service.
• Develop appropriate operational KPIs and establish clear ownership and accountability.
• Identify and remove operational bottlenecks affecting output and growth.
• Improve inventory management, material availability and working-capital performance.
• Work closely with engineering to support new product introduction, manufacturing capability and design for manufacture.
• Strengthen supply-chain performance and develop strategic supplier relationships.
• Ensure quality, traceability, testing and compliance requirements are consistently achieved.
• Maintain high standards of health, safety and environmental performance.
• Lead capital investment and operational improvement projects, ensuring clear commercial returns.
• Support the development of systems, processes and management information.
• Coach and develop the existing operational management team.
• Create a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration and practical problem-solving.
• Work cross-functionally with commercial, engineering and finance colleagues to ensure operational decisions support customers, margin and growth.
• Provide the Managing Director with greater operational capacity to focus on customers, strategy and future business development.

Candidate Profile

The successful candidate will be an experienced operations or manufacturing leader from a specialist engineering environment. They will understand the demands of operating within an owner-led SME and will be equally comfortable on the shop floor, working with customers and contributing at leadership-team level.

They are likely to demonstrate:

• Senior operational leadership experience within precision engineering, advanced manufacturing, flow-control products or another technically demanding sector.
• Experience of machining, assembly and test-led manufacturing operations.
• A strong understanding of low-to-medium-volume, high-value or engineered-to-order production.
• Evidence of improving productivity, capacity, delivery, quality and operational margin.
• Experience reducing inventory and releasing working capital without compromising customer service.
• Strong production-planning, supply-chain and operational problem-solving capability.
• Experience supporting business growth and increasing output without relying solely on additional headcount.
• The ability to introduce structure, performance measures and accountability proportionate to an SME.
• A practical and inclusive leadership style, with a track record of coaching existing managers and building capability.
• Commercial awareness and an understanding of how operational decisions affect customers, cash and profitability.
• The credibility to work closely with an entrepreneurial Managing Director and contribute to wider business decisions.

Experience gained within pressure control, valves, pumps, fluid handling, instrumentation, hydraulics, pneumatics or safety-critical engineered products would be advantageous but is not essential.

Leadership Style

This appointment will suit someone who is visible, grounded and comfortable remaining close to the operation. The successful individual will respect the knowledge already within the business and bring people with them through change.

They will be expected to challenge constructively, make evidence-based decisions and translate operational improvements into measurable benefits for customers and the business.

This is not a purely corporate or advisory position. The Operations Director will be expected to take ownership, solve problems and deliver sustainable results alongside the existing team.