Operations Manager

Are you ready to step into a role where operational leadership genuinely matters? This is a critical opportunity to take ownership of performance within a complex, regulated manufacturing environment where standards, discipline and delivery are non-negotiable.

As an Operations Manager, you will lead one of the site's key operational areas, with full accountability for Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost and People. The operation requires visible leadership, structured thinking and the ability to raise standards in an environment that has historically underperformed. This role will suit a hands-on operational leader who understands regulated manufacturing and knows how to stabilise, improve and sustain performance.

What You Will Do:

- Take full accountability for Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost and People performance within your operational area.

- Lead, manage and develop Production Supervisors, Team Leaders and shop-floor teams, setting clear expectations and standards.

- Drive operational performance against KPIs including OTIF, scrap, labour utilisation, arrears and customer quality concerns.

- Manage the effective utilisation of labour, equipment and manufacturing resources to achieve consistent, repeatable output.

- Apply lean principles to improve flow, reduce waste and increase operational discipline within a standardised environment.

- Own the operational interface with planning, quality and engineering support functions to ensure alignment and execution.

- Manage customer delivery and quality issues using structured problem-solving tools to deliver robust, long-term solutions.

- Drive disciplined use of the ERP system (IFS preferred), ensuring clean production and inventory data at all times.

- Lead housekeeping and 5S standards, ensuring a safe, compliant and controlled working environment.

- Define and deliver annual improvement plans aligned to wider operational and business objectives.

What You Will Bring:

- Proven experience in production or operations management within a complex manufacturing environment.

- Experience working in defence, aerospace or similarly regulated, contractual environments is more than desirable, though not strictly essential.

- A strong understanding of the contractual and compliance-driven nature of regulated manufacturing programmes.

- Experience translating batch manufacturing environments into more flow-based, pull-driven operations using lean principles.

- A practical working knowledge of ERP systems, ideally IFS, from a production and inventory control perspective.

- The ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, including GD&T.

- A track record of improving operational performance, raising standards and developing teams in challenging environments.

- Eligibility to work in the UK, with the ability to meet nationality and security requirements associated with UK Eyes Only defence work.

- British nationality is essential, with eligibility for SC clearance, due to the nature of the projects supported.

Candidates who can combine experience of regulated defence-led environments with flow transformation experience  would be particularly well suited to this role.

As an Operations Manager, you will be trusted with real responsibility and expected to make a tangible difference. This is not a role for maintaining the status quo. It is a role for someone comfortable dealing with legacy issues, setting structure, and driving sustained operational improvement.

You will play a key role in strengthening performance within a growing defence assembly function, directly impacting delivery, customer confidence and long-term capability.

Location:

This role is based in Gloucester, within a well-established manufacturing site supporting critical programmes.

Interested?:

If you are an experienced operational leader looking for a role with genuine accountability, visible impact and long-term opportunity, we would like to hear from you.

Apply today to take the next step in your career as an Operations Manager.

Your CV will be forwarded to Jonathan Lee Recruitment, a leading engineering and manufacturing recruitment consultancy established in 1978. The services advertised by Jonathan Lee Recruitment are those of an Employment Agency.
In order for your CV to be processed effectively, please ensure your name, email address, phone number and location (post code OR town OR county, as a minimum) are included.

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