Head of Operations Location: Welham Green, Hertfordshire Reports To: Managing Director The Opportunity Davall Gears is a precision engineering and manufacturing business undergoing a significant operational transformation. We are seeking an ambitious, hands-on Head of Operations to lead the next phase of our growth and performance improvement journey. This is a leadership role for an individual with a strong background in engineering and machining who thrives on improving operational performance, developing high-performing teams, and implementing world-class manufacturing practices. The successful candidate will lead the site's manufacturing operations with responsibility for Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, Inventory and People (SQDCIP), whilst building a culture of ownership, accountability and continuous improvement. We are looking for a leader who creates results through action, accountability and execution. Someone who consistently delivers on commitments, drives ownership throughout the organisation, and has a proven track record of turning improvement plans into measurable business outcomes. This individual will lead from the front, build credibility through action rather than words, and establish a high-performance culture focused on delivering results for our customers, our people and the business. Key Responsibilities Operational Leadership: Lead all manufacturing operations to achieve safety, quality, delivery and profitability objectives. Drive daily operating rhythm through visual management and tiered accountability. Create a high-performance culture with clear ownership and accountability. Develop and mentor operational leaders and succession plans. SQDCIP Excellence: Own site SQDCIP performance. Drive KPI management and problem solving. Lead root cause and corrective action processes. Ensure performance is visible, measured and sustained. Continuous Improvement: Champion Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement. Lead value stream improvement activities. Reduce waste, improve productivity and increase capacity. Implement standard work, visual management and problem-solving disciplines. Delivery and Planning: Improve OTD / OTIF performance. Reduce arrears and past-due orders. Improve production flow and schedule adherence. Drive capacity planning and execution. Cost and Inventory: Reduce operational costs. Improve labour productivity and machine utilisation. Drive inventory reduction and WIP control. Improve working capital performance. Engineering and Manufacturing Leadership: Provide strong technical leadership across machining and manufacturing processes. Challenge current methods and introduce best practice. Work closely with Engineering, Quality, Maintenance and Supply Chain functions. Ideal Candidate Essential: Proven manufacturing leadership experience. Strong precision engineering and machining background. Experience leading multi-disciplinary teams. Demonstrable SQDCIP leadership. Strong say-do culture. Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement expertise. Strong understanding of production planning, capacity management and operational KPIs. Track record of improving OTD, productivity, quality and cost. Strong people leadership and coaching capability. Highly Desirable: Aerospace, defence, industrial or complex manufacturing experience. Experience of turnaround, transformation or operational improvement programmes. Knowledge of value stream management. Experience introducing visual management and daily accountability processes