CONFIDENTIAL JOB DESCRIPTION Operations Director. Interim Spooner Industry Day Rate: £650 to £800 per day. outside IR35 The Opportunity Our client seeking an experienced Interim Operations Director to provide hands on leadership within a project led, engineered to order environment. This role will take full responsibility for operational performance, ensuring seamless commercial flow from sales handover through programme delivery, production and final delivery. This is a critical appointment requiring a commercially aware operational leader who can bring structure, pace and accountability across the full project lifecycle, while inspiring confidence across engineering and manufacturing teams. Role Purpose To lead and align Sales, Engineering, Programme Management, Supply Chain and Production to ensure projects are delivered on time, on budget and to specification, while maintaining strong commercial control and operational discipline. The successful individual will operate at both strategic and tactical levels, driving performance improvements while remaining close to the detail and visible on the shop floor. Key Responsibilities Own the operational delivery model from sales order intake through engineering, production and customer delivery. Ensure robust programme management and project scheduling disciplines are embedded and adhered to. Strengthen the interface between Sales, Engineering and Operations to ensure accurate scoping, costing, capacity planning and risk mitigation at order stage. Drive effective supply chain management to support project timelines and margin performance. Lead production planning and execution to improve OTIF, cost control, productivity and throughput. Champion engineering excellence and manufacturing best practice across departments. Implement clear governance, reporting structures and KPI management across all operational functions. Identify bottlenecks and implement corrective actions to protect delivery commitments. Support margin protection through strong commercial awareness and cost visibility. Provide visible, hands on leadership on the shop floor, motivating teams and building accountability across departments. Candidate Profile Proven experience as an Operations Director or Senior Operations Leader within a project based, engineered to order manufacturing environment. Engineering or manufacturing qualifications preferred. Degree, HNC, HND or time served apprenticeship background highly desirable. Shop floor trained or operationally developed leader with credibility across engineering and production teams. Strong understanding of commercial flow from sales handover into structured programme delivery. Demonstrable expertise in programme management and project scheduling methodologies. Solid grasp of supply chain strategy and operational procurement within complex projects. Track record of improving delivery performance, operational discipline and cross functional alignment. Hands on leadership style with the ability to operate at pace in an interim capacity. Comfortable working within structured governance environments and reporting at board level. Personal Attributes Commercially astute with strong financial awareness. Structured, process driven and detail oriented. Natural leader who can motivate, inspire and develop shop floor and departmental teams. Credible and confident communicator capable of influencing senior stakeholders. Delivery focused with a pragmatic, solutions based approach. Contract Details Interim appointment. £650 to £800 per day. outside IR35. Immediate or short notice availability preferred.