Operations Manager

ROLE PURPOSE

The Operations Manager is responsible for the safe, efficient and effective day-to-day operation of the manufacturing facility in Barrow-in-Furness.

The role will provide hands-on leadership across manufacturing, people, quality, delivery, cost, maintenance and continuous improvement, ensuring that customer requirements are achieved while developing the capability and capacity of the site to support future growth.

A key focus of the role will be establishing strong operational control through effective planning, clear performance measures, visible leadership and continuous improvement across the site's manufacturing processes.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Operations & Manufacturing

- Lead day-to-day manufacturing operations to meet safety, quality, delivery, and cost targets.

- Plan and manage production capacity, labour, and material availability in line with demand forecasts.

- Ensure robust manufacturing processes, work instructions, and standard operating procedures are in place and followed.

- Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on efficiency, yield, waste reduction, and throughput.

- Oversee maintenance planning and coordination to maximise equipment uptime and reliability.

- Develop and embed MS168 practices

- Deliver and Support CI Projects with measurable outcomes

- Use data to prioritise improvements (Pareto, SPC where appropriate)

- Support and coordination with Supply Chain/Procurement on supplier performance/availability/requirements for raw materials, consumables, and outsourced processes.

- Utilization of ERP system throughout processes

- Support to maintain accurate BOMs, routings, and ERP data.

- Facility responsibility, inspections and servicing schedules

Maintenance, Facilities & Equipment

- Ensure production equipment and facilities are maintained to an appropriate standard.

- Develop a preventative maintenance approach that minimises unplanned downtime.

- Ensure breakdowns and recurring equipment issues are investigated and addressed.

- Prioritise maintenance activities based on safety, customer and operational risk.

- Develop appropriate maintenance KPIs and review performance regularly.

- Identify future equipment and facility requirements and support preparation of capital expenditure proposals.

Health, Safety & Environment (HSE):

- Provide visible leadership for health, safety and environmental performance across the facility.

- Ensure operations are carried out safely and in accordance with company procedures, risk assessments and regulatory requirements.

- Promote a proactive safety culture and ensure actions arising from incidents, audits, observations and risk assessments are completed effectively.

- Ensure good standards of housekeeping, 5S and workplace organisation are implemented/maintained.

- Work closely with SHEQ colleagues to continually improve site standards and compliance.

Quality & Compliance:

- Ensure process adherence to work instructions, specifications and QA controls

- Drive right first time, reduce defects and rework through root cause analysis

- Partner with SHEQ to maintain and gain certifications (e.g. ISO 9001) and audit readiness

- Own product non-conformance containment and timely disposition

- Close co-ordination with central SHEQ/Compliance function for compliance and regulatory requirements

- Promote a culture where quality is owned at source rather than relying solely on final inspection.

People Leadership & Culture:

- Champion the values of MS168

- Lead, develop, and motivate production and operations teams.

- Set clear objectives, provide regular feedback, and support skills development.

- Encourage cross-functional collaboration

- Drive skills matrices, training plans and cross-skilling to build competence and flexibility

- Manage performance, attendance and conduct in line with company procedures.

- Support recruitment and workforce planning as required.

- Maintain a visible presence on the shop floor and encourage open communication with employees.

Development Integration & New Product/Capability

- Work closely with engineering, design, and technical teams to support new product development and product enhancements.

- Provide manufacturing and process input into product design to ensure designs are practical, repeatable, and cost-effective to produce, including cycle times and bill of materials.

- Support the specification, design, and commissioning of production tooling, moulds, jigs, and fixtures.

- Assess tooling capability, life expectancy, and investment requirements aligned to growth plans.

- Support trial builds, first-article production, and transition from prototype to full production

Strategy & Investment:

- Support operational strategy to ensure alignment with business growth and market demands.

- Support and build business cases for capital investments in plant, tooling, and process improvements.

- Contribute operational insight to new product, market, and capacity expansion decisions.

SKILLS

Essential

- Proven experience in a manufacturing or operational management role, ideally in composites, structural products or engineered materials.

- Strong understanding of production planning and manufacturing operations.

- Experience leading and developing shop-floor teams.

- Strong health and safety awareness with the ability to lead by example.

- Experience using KPIs and operational data to manage performance.

- Demonstrable experience delivering continuous improvement.

- Strong problem-solving and decision-making capability.

- Ability to manage competing operational priorities in a fast-moving environment.

- Strong communication and leadership skills.

- Competent with ERP systems and Microsoft Office applications.

Desirable

- Experience within composites, plastics, engineered products or a similar manufacturing environment.

- Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma knowledge.

- Experience with Infor LN or SAP.

- Experience managing automated or semi-automated manufacturing equipment.

- Experience with capital investment, equipment installation or capacity expansion.

- Formal qualification in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management or a related discipline.

WILLS

- Ability to organise and prioritise workload, maintain confidentiality, and produce/process documents accurately

- Excellent written and numerical, analytical, and problem-solving skills

- The employee must be able to demonstrate analytical skills to make strategic growth decisions in relation to their area

- Whilst always having the support of their manager, the role requires someone who is confident and able to make decisions to a mid-management level

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Production Team

Production Supervisors/Team leaders

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, bend, and lift and/or move up to 25 kg (may require assistance from another colleague). The employee is frequently required to use hands to fingers, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms. The employee is required to talk or listen. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS:

Occasional travel could be required for meetings, training, or sales support. Travel time is not expected to exceed 5% of assigned work schedule.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The working conditions are normal for a manufacturing environment. The employee will be exposed to shop elements such as noise, dust, odors, and weather. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet. Occasional visits to moderate noise may be required. Occasional exposure to fumes and dust is required, the candidate must be capable of tolerating these non-hazardous fumes and dust. PPE will be provided by the company as required.