Location: Kettering, UK Salary: Up to £50,000 per annum (DOE) Hours: 37.5 per week Reference: 07/26 Echo Personnel are recruiting on behalf of a long-established and highly respected engineering and manufacturing organisation based in Kettering, this is a Permanent role working 37.5 hrs per week. This is an excellent opportunity to join a technically focused business operating within a low-volume, high-value manufacturing environment. The Role The Operations Manager will take full responsibility for the end-to-end coordination of production, service, logistics and operational delivery, ensuring customer commitments are achieved on time, to quality standards and within margin expectations. This is a hands-on leadership position requiring a strong engineering background and solid production management experience. The role acts as the operational link between engineering, production, sales and the customer, ensuring that what is sold can be delivered efficiently, reliably and profitably. The position is partly customer-facing and contributes to business development through operational and technical input. Key Responsibilities Operational Delivery & Planning Own and improve delivery performance from order acceptance through to shipment, installation, commissioning and service Lead integrated planning across sales, engineering, production, service and buying functions Act as the escalation point for delivery challenges, ensuring early communication and mitigation Production & Service Oversight Manage and support team leaders across mechanical production, electrical build, calibration, commissioning, global service and logistics Ensure all activities follow agreed processes and quality standards Oversee effective logging and resolution of design, production or supplier issues Commercial & Financial Performance Achieve financial objectives through sound operational decision-making Reduce cost leakage through improved planning and sourcing decisions Work closely with Sales, Buying and Engineering to ensure commercially robust outcomes Report on operational performance against budget Customer & Market Engagement Act as a senior operational contact for key customers Support the development of service offerings, training and aftermarket opportunities Contribute operational insight to product positioning and business development activity Leadership & Continuous Improvement Lead, coach and develop team leaders Promote a commercially aware, customer-focused culture Improve operational consistency without unnecessary bureaucracy Ensure strong communication and feedback loops across departments About You Essentia l Engineering background (mechanical and/or electrical) Proven experience in production or operations management Experience leading technical or production teams Strong planning, coordination and problem-solving ability Commercial awareness and financial understanding Confident communicator, internally and externally Comfortable within a low-volume, high-value manufacturing environment Desirable Experience within test equipment, machinery or capital equipment manufacturing Exposure to service, commissioning or calibration activities Customer-facing or account support experience Involvement in business development or product marketing Knowledge of CE/UKCA or regulated machinery environments Experience managing subcontract manufacture Benefits 2530 days annual leave (service related) Life assurance Group personal pension plan Income protection Free parking Flexible working hours Potential for global travel Closing date for applications: Friday 13th March First stage Teams interviews: 25th and 26th March