Head of Operations – Advanced Aerospace Manufacturing **
đź“ŤLocation: Blackburn, Lancashire
đź’° Salary: ÂŁ75k - ÂŁ85k DOE + package
đź“… Employment type: Permanent
⏲️ Working hours: Monday to Thursday (4 DAY WEEK) - 37hrs p/w
Are you a hands-on operational leader with a passion for precision, performance, and high-quality manufacturing? We are looking for a dynamic Head of Operations to take ownership of day-to-day operational performance across a complex aerospace manufacturing environment.
This is an exciting opportunity to lead operations within a business specialising in metallic and composite aerospace structures—including monolithic and sandwich composites (carbon fibre, glass, aramid), autoclave-cured components, sheet metal fabrications, machined parts, and fully integrated assemblies. Experience in aerospace manufacturing—particularly with metallics, composites, or both—is highly desirable.
The Role:
As Head of Operations, you will ensure operational excellence, production stability, and delivery performance across all manufacturing functions. You will champion operational discipline, standard work, and execution fundamentals to drive quality, efficiency, and team accountability.
Key operational focus areas include:
OTD/OTIF, utilisation, efficiency, non-conformance reduction, and data-driven KPIs.
Key Responsibilities:
Operational Leadership
* Own and lead the monthly SIOP process, aligning demand forecasting, capacity planning, materials, and resources.
* Develop and deliver processes that uphold quality, safety, and performance standards.
* Oversee manufacturing operations to meet production schedules, cost targets, and stringent aerospace quality requirements.
* Drive continuous improvement to boost productivity, utilisation, and throughput while reducing scrap.
* Partner with senior leadership to deliver operational initiatives aligned to customer needs.
* Introduce technologies and systems that enhance operational efficiency.
* Reinforce manufacturing fundamentals, process discipline, and adherence to standard work.
* Lead delivery performance with a specific focus on OTD/OTIF, utilisation, and efficiency.
Process Management & Optimisation
* Oversee load and capacity planning, ensuring accurate data analysis and effective resource allocation.
* Deploy skills and resources effectively across operations to meet production demands.
* Optimise planning, lead times, and responsiveness to demand fluctuations.
* Build and implement efficient workflows to reduce cost and increase throughput.
* Drive data-driven KPIs to maximise operational performance.
Compliance & Risk
* Ensure compliance with aerospace and manufacturing standards including NADCAP, ISO9001, and internal policies
* Lead risk management and develop contingency plans for operational resilience.
* Maintain and champion a safe working environment
* Drive non-conformance reduction and corrective action planning alongside quality assurance teams
Team Leadership
* Develop and lead high-performing operational teams across multiple departments and shifts (100+ employees)
* Foster a culture of continuous improvement and operational professionalism
* Build a long-term workforce plan supporting growth, agility, and scalability
* Set clear expectations, conduct reviews, and drive team accountability
The Candidate:
* A time-served industry professional with 10+ years in a similar operational leadership role
* Strong background in advanced manufacturing, ideally aerospace
* Highly desirable: experience in metallic and/or composite aerospace manufacturing
* Proven track record of driving operational excellence (C.I.) and delivering against KPIs - Target & data driven
* Skilled decision-maker with experience leading teams in a high-performance environment
Why Join Us?
* A growing and investing organisation & State of the art manufacturing facilities
* 4-day working week
* 28 days holiday per year including bank holidays (based on 4-day week)
* On-site Occupational Health / Life Insurance x4
If you’re ready to lead operations in a cutting-edge aerospace manufacturing environment and drive performance at every level, we’d love to hear from you.
đź“© Interested?
Send your CV to the G Force Recruitment team via CV Library. One of our specialist consultants will be in touch shortly.
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