Job Description
We're looking for a bold, strategic, and hands-on Operations Director who sees challenge as opportunity. Based in Bedfordshire, this is your chance to be at the helm of a major operational and cultural transformation, and if done successfully it will position yourself for a future step up to a multi-site Managing Director position.
This is not a role for the faint-hearted. It's for someone who thrives on solving complex problems, breaking silos, and building high-performing teams. You'll be the driving force behind streamlining operations, embedding lean thinking, and creating a culture of accountability and continuous improvement. But just as importantly, you'll bring the commercial sharpness to steer the wider business toward growth, profitability, and long-term success.
What you will be taking on as the Operations Director:
* Leading operations across multiple manufacturing, servicing, or engineering-based sites.
* Designing and delivering a clear transformation strategy; from processes to people.
* Championing Lean, Six Sigma, or similar methodologies to eliminate waste and maximise performance.
* Working closely with commercial, finance, and technical teams to align operational goals with business objectives.
* Building a culture that's engaged, agile, and a high performance environment.
* Playing a central role in shaping the company's strategic direction, with the future of the MD role in sight.
What we are looking for:
* A seasoned operations leader with a strong engineering background, ideally from a manufacturing or engineering services and repairs background.
* Proven experience leading operational and cultural transformation in a demanding environment.
* Expertise in continuous improvement ; Lean, Six Sigma, or similar.
* Commercially minded, with a strong grasp of business performance levers and customer expectations.
* Strategic mindset, with the capability to spot and deliver new commercial opportunities.
* Comfortable leading at scale, across functions and locations.
* Motivated by results, ownership, and long-term impact.
* Financially astute, with previous experience managing budgets and P&L.
This is a great opportunity for an Operations Director to lead with real autonomy, drive meaningful and lasting change, and be recognised and rewarded for their impact. You'll be joining a business that not only welcomes fresh thinking and is ready for transformation but also offers a clear and supportive path for career progression. If you're looking for the chance to shape the future of a business while advancing your own personal goals, then this could be the role for you.
Desired Skills and Experience
Transformation, Commercial, operations, engineering, strategy, lean, 6sigma, leadership