Operations Manager required for an established organisation based in Kettering, Northamptonshire. The organisation includes a manufacturing department producing a wide range of special purpose testing machinery exported worldwide to support quality and performance standards across a number of industry sectors.
The Operations Manager will be responsible for the end-to-end coordination of production, service, logistics and operational delivery, ensuring customer commitments are met on time, to quality and within margin expectations. This is a hands-on leadership role requiring a strong engineering background, sound production management experience and growing commercial awareness.
The Operations Manager acts as the link between engineering, production, sales and the customer ensuring orders can be delivered profitably and reliable. The role is partly customer facing and contributes to business development and strategic marketing by providing operational and technical input. The position may involve the potential for overseas travel.
Key Responsibilities:
Operational Delivery & Planning:
*Own and improve end-to-end delivery performance from order acceptance through to shipment, installation, commissioning and service
*Lead integrated planning across sales, engineering, production, service and buying, ensuring priorities, capacity and risks are visible
*Act as escalation point for delivery issues, ensuring early communication and mitigation
Production & Service Oversight:
*Manage and support team leaders responsible for: mechanical production and assembly; electrical build, calibration and commissioning; global service and technical support; logistics and order fulfilment
*Ensure production, calibration and service activities follow agreed processes and quality standards
*Ensure clear logging and escalation of design, production, supplier or parts defects
Commercial & Margin Awareness:
*Achieve financial objectives through operational decision-making
*Reduce avoidable cost leakage through improved planning, sourcing feedback, internal manufacture versus subcontract decisions and service charging clarity
*Work closely with Sales, Buyer and Engineering teams to ensure commercially sound decisions
*Report on financial performance against budget
Customer & Market Engagement:
*Act as a senior operational contact for key customers, supporting confidence in delivery and service
*Support development of service offerings, training, upgrades and aftermarket opportunities
*Contribute operational and technical input into marketing materials, product positioning and business development activity
Leadership & Team Development:
*Lead, coach and develop team leaders, improving planning discipline, accountability and confidence
*Encourage a commercially aware, customer-focused culture across production and service teams
*Support skills development, training records and succession planning
Continuous Improvement & Governance:
*Improve consistency of operational processes without introducing unnecessary bureaucracy
*Ensure feedback loops exist between production, service, engineering and service teams
*Support skills development, training records and succession planning
Applications are invited from candidates with the following experience and attributes:
Essential:
*Willingness to challenge constructively and improve ways of working
*Engineering background (mechanical and/or electrical)
*Proven experience in production or operations management
*Experience leading technical or production teams
*Strong planning, coordination and problem-solving skills
*Commercial awareness
*Confident communicator with internal teams and customers
*Comfortable working in a low-volume, high-value manufacturing environment
Desirable:
*Experience in test equipment, machinery or capital equipment
*Exposure to service, commissioning or calibration activities
*Previous customer facing or account support experience
*Involvement in business development or product marketing
*Knowledge of CE/UKCA or regulated machinery environments
*Experience managing subcontract manufacture
Benefits Include:
Staff benefits include 25 – 30 days (service related) annual leave; life assurance; a group personal pension plan; income protection; free parking; flexible working hours, potential for global travel.
A copy of the full job description and salary details available on application.