Operations Director UK - Manufacturing (Bristol)

Job summary

OUR CLIENT Headquartered in Bristol, our client is a global manufacturing group, with a 2-site production powerhouse in the UK, producing quality, customised products, serving a global audience of clients utilising distribution centres in Europe and the US. Established as a family business and with more than five decades of manufacturing and technical expertise, our client combines in-house production with distribution and managed services to serve resellers, enterprise and government customers worldwide. Over 50 years of product and technical capability underpin its reputation for quality and reliability. RECENT GROWTH With strong family business roots, an exceptional culture, and a team of c.70 staff, our client has experienced high growth over the last 3-years and has excellent future prospects. We are looking for an inspirational and experienced leader to develop the company operationally to deliver consistent customer experience excellence. Recent site content and corporate listings highlight the company’s expansion of services beyond physical manufacture — notably into digital and turnkey services — signalling a deliberate move to broaden revenue streams and modernise customer offerings. These developments show momentum towards platform and services growth to meet changing market demands. This role will be critical to translate that strategic momentum into operational capability: the new Operations Director will be asked not only to run day-to-day operations at our clients Bristol hub but to up-skill the Operations team in modern manufacturing practices, service delivery, and leadership — enabling the business to scale its hybrid physical/digital offering while maintaining the high standards that have defined the business for 50 years. LANDSCAPE Our client has delivered c.40% top-line growth over the last 12 months, driven by strong demand across its core manufacturing base and the expansion of it's digital services. This growth is underpinned by the securing of several significant long-term contracts, providing revenue visibility and stability over the medium term. To support this expansion and a strategy to be sale ready by 2028, our client has secured additional funding and invested more than £1M in new manufacturing machinery over the past 18 months. This has expanded capacity, strengthened operational resilience, and enhanced capability across its UK production sites, enabling the business to accommodate increased volumes while maintaining consistently high quality and service standards. THE OPPORTUNITY - OPERATIONS DIRECTOR, UK The Operations Director is a passionate leader, who is commercially driven to maximise productivity whilst developing and maintaining lean methodology. The candidate will take full accountability for driving a culture of excellence in every area of the Operations team, covering Customer Service, Purchasing, Artwork and Production personnel. They will hold themselves personally accountable to the board for delivering the highest levels of OTIF, Quality and client NPS feedback. In addition, key quarterly company objectives, designed to move the company forward, are to be held accountable by this candidate with relentless enthusiasm to make the business continually more agile, lean and competitive. Key accountabilities include: Personally lead an end-to-end operational transformation Take direct ownership of diagnosing current-state performance across manufacturing, fulfilment and managed services, rapidly identifying constraints, inefficiencies and capability gaps. Design and execute a clear, phased transformation roadmap that delivers measurable improvements in cost, quality, delivery and scalability. Set and embed world-class operational standards Establish best-in-class operational disciplines across UK operations, drawing on proven methodologies (e.g. Lean, Six Sigma, structured continuous improvement). Be visibly present on the shop floor and in operational reviews, coaching leaders and teams to adopt rigorous performance management, root-cause problem solving and daily management routines. Build a stronger, more capable Operations leadership team Assess, develop and where necessary upgrade the Operations leadership and management capability. Introduce clear role ownership, succession plans and leadership behaviours, creating a culture of accountability, pace and continuous improvement. Allow for a self-sustaining leadership team capable of running at a higher level. Deliver rapid performance gains while building long-term capability Balance short-term impact with long-term sustainability: drive immediate improvements in OTIF, lead times, productivity, yield and working capital, while building the systems, processes and skills required to support future growth in both physical manufacturing and digital services. Make operations a strategic enabler of growth and innovation Work hands-on with Commercial, Product and Technology teams to ensure operational readiness for new offerings, service models and customer requirements. Translate growth plans into practical capacity, supply chain, people and systems solutions — ensuring the business can scale confidently without compromising quality, security or customer trust. The candidate sought must be a natural leader that embodies a hungry, humble and smart ethos, and aligns to the corporate values of the business as well as the senior leadership team ways of operating and communicating. This role is 100% office based in Bristol. **Please note that due to the high volume of applications received only those with the correct background / experience will be contacted to pursue this opportunity.