Operations Manager
Location: South Birmingham (On-site 5 days per week)
Salary: Competitive

Your new company
A well-established, family-run SME manufacturing business with a strong heritage and reputation is entering a key phase of growth. With ambitious plans to scale, the organisation is seeking an experienced Operations Manager to strengthen operational capability and support future expansion.
The business is looking for someone who can provide greater structure, consistency and accountability across its operation, while recognising the importance of bringing people with them.This is therefore an excellent opportunity for a practical, emotionally intelligent Operations Manager who enjoys identifying opportunities for improvement and turning these into sustainable changes to processes, procedures and operational performance.
Your new role
You will take overall responsibility for operational performance from the purchasing of raw materials, through manufacturing and, ultimately, customer delivery. A major focus will be ensuring procurement, production and transport work effectively together, with clear accountability and effective handovers between departments.
Key responsibilities will include:

• Leading and developing the managers responsible for Production, Transport and Procurement.
  * Improving operational processes, procedures and ways of working.
  * Establishing clear objectives and performance measures and ensuring actions are followed through.
  * Driving improvements across OTIF, productivity, quality, inventory accuracy, waste and material availability.
  * Improving planning between purchasing, production, sales and transport.
  * Reviewing operational capacity and identifying potential delivery issues before they impact customers.
  * Driving continuous improvement in productivity, material yield and manufacturing efficiency.
  * Strengthening inventory and stock controls, reducing shortages, discrepancies and slow-moving stock.
  * Managing operational budgets and improving visibility around labour, overtime, transport, maintenance and purchasing expenditure.
  * Ensuring appropriate health & safety standards and controls are maintained.
  * Using operational data and ERP systems to improve decision-making and performance.

What you'll need to succeed
We are looking for an experienced operational leader who combines strong manufacturing and supply chain knowledge with a pragmatic, people-focused leadership style.You should be able to demonstrate:

• Operational leadership experience within a manufacturing environment.
• Experience leading managers rather than solely managing frontline teams.
• Broad exposure across production, inventory/materials, procurement and logistics.
• Tangible examples of improving operational KPIs such as OTIF, productivity, quality or inventory accuracy.
• Experience introducing or improving processes, procedures and operational controls.
• Strong commercial awareness and experience managing operational budgets.
• Confidence using ERP/production planning systems and Excel.
• The ability to challenge established ways of working constructively.
• A calm, practical approach to problem-solving and implementing change.

Experience in machining or building materials would be advantageous but is not essential. An IOSH Managing Safely qualification or equivalent is required, with NEBOSH desirable.

What you'll get in return

• £55 - 60,000 DOE + 6% Pension
• Stable but growing SME
• Opportunity to shape and influence business-critical processes
• Direct exposure to senior leadership and decision-making
• What you need to do now

If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now.
If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career.

Hays EA is a trading division of Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited and acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at hays.co.uk