Operations & Production Director
Location: Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 7BS
Job Type: Full-time
Working Hours: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, with a 30-minute break
Salary: £55,000 – £65,000 per annum
Our client is a leading design and build partner delivering high-quality exhibitions, interiors, and brand experiences through fully integrated, in-house production.
What’s In It For You
* Full ownership across production, planning, warehouse, logistics, and facilities
* Opportunity to build a truly best-in-class operational function
* Auto-enrolment Workplace Pension – The People’s Pension: Automatic enrolment into a workplace pension to help you save for retirement. Envisage contributes 3% of qualifying earnings (£6,240–£50,270 per year before tax)
* Health Cash Plan – Healthshield: Cashback on everyday healthcare costs including dental, optical, physiotherapy, and more. Dependents covered for free; claims usually paid within 5 days
* Life Cover: Employee life insurance paying 1x your annual salary, with access to additional services such as GP24 (24/7 health experts), employee assistance programme, funeral planning, bereavement and probate support
* Birthday Holiday: Take your birthday as a paid day off (or the next working day if it falls on a weekend/public holiday)
* Paid annual leave and public holidays
Requirements
* Essential Proven experience in a senior operations or production leadership role within:
o Exhibition/event build
o Interior fit-out / commercial interiors
o Manufacturing / bespoke joinery
o Demonstrable experience managing project-based production environments with multiple concurrent projects
o Strong track record of delivering projects on time and on budget
o Experience managing production teams, workshop environments, and multi-disciplinary teams (joinery, graphics/scenic, logistics/installation)
o Strong experience in production planning, scheduling, and resource management across multiple departments
o Ability to balance resource allocation, manage capacity, and resolve bottlenecks
o Strong commercial mindset with experience managing project budgets, cost control (materials, labour, subcontracting), and margin performance
o Experience tracking estimated vs actual costs, labour efficiency, and cost-to-complete
o Strong understanding of production workflows, technical drawings, manufacturing processes, and materials
o Experience overseeing workshop operations, warehouse/logistics, and site delivery
o Experience managing operational facilities, including machinery, plant, equipment, and site layout
o Strong understanding of health & safety, compliance, and statutory obligations
o Strong leadership skills with the ability to build high-performing, accountable teams
o Highly organised, methodical, proactive, and solutions-focused
o Excellent communicator across all levels
o Hands-on, commercially aware, and aligned to a “get it done properly” culture
Desirable
* Experience within a full in-house production environment
* Familiarity with SolidWorks or similar CAD systems
* Experience working within ISO-certified environments (9001 / 14001)
* IOSH / NEBOSH qualification
The Role
* Lead the end-to-end delivery of all project-based production from design handover to installation
* Own the full operational lifecycle, including manufacturing, warehouse coordination, logistics, and final delivery
* Own production planning, scheduling, and resource allocation across all live and upcoming projects
* Ensure projects are delivered on time, on budget, and to the highest quality standards
* Lead all workshop operations, including CNC, joinery, scenic, paint, graphics, and finishing
* Oversee warehouse operations, including goods in/out, picking, packing, storage, and asset tracking
* Ensure accurate stock control, inventory management, and efficient dispatch
* Oversee logistics, load planning, and installation readiness
* Ensure all projects leave the warehouse complete, checked, and ready for installation
* Drive quality control, snagging, and final sign-off processes
* Take full ownership of production-related project costs (materials, labour, subcontracting, logistics)
* Monitor labour utilisation, material usage, cost-to-complete, and margin performance
* Work closely with Commercial and Project teams to validate budgets and manage performance
* Own and improve operational workflows, production processes, and SOPs
* Lead structured production planning and coordination
* Implement lean processes to improve efficiency and reduce waste
* Manage site and facilities, including workshop, warehouse, yard, and office environments
* Oversee maintenance of machinery, plant, and equipment
* Lead site improvements, layout optimisation, and operational flow
* Lead health & safety standards, RAMS, and compliance (including ISO 9001 / 14001)
* Build and lead high-performing teams across production, warehouse, and logistics
* Drive accountability, performance, and consistent delivery standards
What’s next? It’s easy! Click “APPLY” now! We can’t wait to hear from you!
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