We’re excited to be recruiting a Head of Operations – Retail Complex, a senior leadership role with responsibility for driving operational performance across a complex of 3–5 manufacturing sites in the UK & Ireland. Your focus will be to deliver best in class Health, Safety & Environment (HSE), Operational Excellence, Asset Management and Capital Investment strategies consistently across the sites. You will act as a role model for DS Smith values, driving standardisation, sharing best practice and continuously improving the way we operate. Reporting to the Retail Cluster Director UK&I, you will lead a group of General Managers across the Complex while working closely with central functions to ensure safe, efficient, sustainable and high performing operations. This is a high‑impact role for an experienced operations leader who thrives in multi‑site environments and is passionate about Health & Safety, Operational Excellence and people development. Key Responsibilities Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) Lead the consistent delivery of HSE commitments across the Complex, ensuring full compliance with company policies and UK H&S targets Partner with site General Managers, Cluster Director and central HSE Function to develop and deliver HSE roadmaps and improvement programmes Champion a safety first culture, ensuring the safest possible operation across all sites Operational Excellence Work with the UK Head of Operational Excellence to develop and implement robust programmes to drive improvements across key performance metrics including productivity, quality, waste, OTIF and PACE Lead the consistent rollout of the DS Smith operating system within the Complex, driving improvement opportunities and creating the culture for sustained success Introduce and strengthen Process Engineering discipline to remove variation and improve process control Asset Management & Engineering Work with the UK Head of Asset Management to lead the development and sustainability of the Complex Asset Management in Action (AMiA) programme Ensure that all maintenance work within the Complex on owned equipment is accurately recorded, maintained and inspected, ensuring the integrity of manufacturing and process equipment is maintained to agreed standards Develop strategic capital investment plans and support delivery on time and within budget Leadership & People Development Lead and develop 3–5 General Managers, setting clear expectations and driving accountability Support the recruitment, development and succession planning of key operational leaders Champion a culture of learning, continuous improvement and high performance. Lead by example, demonstrating DS Smith values in everything you do. About You You are an experienced, credible operations leader with a strong track record in a large scale manufacturing environment. You balance strategic thinking with hands on leadership and are confident operating in complex, fast moving settings. You will bring: Significant experience in manufacturing, ideally with exposure to packaging or similar industrial environments Proven success in leading change, improving performance and managing growth Strong knowledge of HSE, Operational Excellence, Asset Management and capital investment Experience leading and developing senior, multidisciplinary teams, ideally in a large / multi-site environment Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at all levels Strong analytical, commercial and strategic planning capability Outstanding communication skills and the ability to perform under pressure Degree level education is desirable but not essential; relevant industrial experience and technical training are highly valued. APPLICATIONS CLOSING DATE: 30TH APRIL 2026 To fulfil our purpose of redefining packaging for a changing world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated, and engaged workforce. Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued, and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed. Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria.