Operations and Commercial Director

OPERATIONS & COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR

Location: Leatherhead, Surrey
Contract Type: Permanent, Full Time (37 hours per week)
Salary: £75,000–£85,000 (dependent on experience)
Benefits: Company bonus (up to 8%), pension, company car (Tesla Model 3)
Holiday: 23 days annual leave plus birthday, plus statutory Bank Holidays

Overview

A growing organisation is looking to appoint a dynamic, ambitious, strategic and methodical Operations & Commercial Director to lead an established team of operations professionals.

The purpose of the role is to develop and implement operational strategy, building on existing processes to achieve business objectives by leading and mentoring teams across HR, Purchasing, SHEQ, Logistics and Finance.

The successful candidate will have a proven track record of leading multi-functional operational teams, combined with strong commercial awareness, excellent communication skills and the ability to motivate others while driving business performance.

This is a strategic leadership role, working closely with the senior management team to support ambitious growth plans, improve profitability and deliver operational excellence through systems integration, data-driven decision making and continuous improvement.

Reporting directly to the Managing Director, you will mentor a team of five managers and become an integral member of the leadership team, helping to shape the future direction of the business while promoting a culture built around commitment, teamwork, professionalism, care and enjoyment.

Key Responsibilities

Senior Leadership

Attend and actively contribute to management meetings.
Support the development and delivery of the company's strategic business plan.
Produce and present monthly operational reports.
Develop forecasting models and KPI reporting across multiple departments.
Work closely with Finance to maintain accurate sales forecasts.
Monitor and improve gross margins across the business.
Review and implement pricing strategies, including scheduled price increases.
Collaborate with senior management to ensure alignment across all departments.
Lead projects focused on systems integration to improve business efficiency and reporting.
Analyse operational data to identify trends, opportunities and areas for improvement.

Operational Leadership

Lead, mentor and develop managers across HR, Purchasing, SHEQ, Logistics and Finance.
Conduct annual appraisals and six-monthly performance reviews.
Set departmental objectives, KPIs and development plans.
Ensure appropriate training, coaching and succession planning.
Drive profitability through effective cost management and margin improvement.
Work closely with installation and aftersales teams to improve operational efficiency and cost control.
Ensure training programmes are delivered, monitored and evaluated for effectiveness.
Use business systems including HubSpot, Sage 200 and ERP platforms to produce reports and improve operational performance.

Oversee:

• • Financial projections and business analysis.
  • Quality, health & safety and environmental management systems.
  • HR policies, recruitment, training and employee development.
  • Purchasing performance, supplier management, stock control and inventory value.
  • Logistics performance, freight costs, warehouse accuracy and stock locations.

Commercial & Supplier Management

Work closely with suppliers to maintain accurate pricing structures and maximise margins.
Build and maintain strong supplier relationships through regular meetings and visits.
Review product profitability and identify commercial opportunities to improve performance.

E-commerce

Drive operational efficiency to maximise online sales performance.
Work alongside sales and customer service teams to improve website traffic and conversion.
Expand the online product offering.
Oversee the ongoing management and development of the e-commerce platform.

Essential Experience

Proven experience leading operational teams within an engineering or technical environment.
Strong commercial awareness with responsibility for profitability and operational performance.
Experience within the engineering, manufacturing or industrial sectors.
Demonstrable success implementing operational improvements that deliver measurable business results.
Strong organisational and planning skills with the ability to oversee multiple business functions.
Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
Experience creating KPIs, dashboards and management reporting.
Experience using ERP systems (Sage 200, HubSpot or similar)
A proactive, collaborative leadership style with a passion for continuous improvement and accountability.
Strong financial understanding, including forecasting, budgeting and margin management.
Experience managing cross-functional departments including HR, Purchasing, Logistics, SHEQ and Finance.

Personal Attributes

Strategic thinker with a hands-on leadership approach.
Commercially astute with excellent business acumen.
Strong decision-maker with excellent problem-solving skills.
Inspirational leader who develops and motivates high-performing teams.
Confident communicator with excellent presentation and interpersonal skills.
Highly organised with the ability to prioritise effectively.
Driven, ambitious and results focused.
Passionate about delivering operational excellence and business growth.

Refer a friend and earn £100! If you have a friend who is also searching for a new opportunity in the local area, recommend Optima and if we place them (providing they complete their 3-month probation period), you will receive a £100 retail voucher of your choice! Please note that if you have not been contacted within 5 working days, then unfortunately on this occasion your CV has not been shortlisted. By applying for this vacancy, you accept Optima Recruitment Limited’s Privacy and GDPR Policy which can be found on our website and therefore gives us consent to contact you. Optima Recruitment Limited are acting as a recruitment agency in relation to this vacancy and are an equal opportunities employer.