What does the job involve?
Accountable for world class manufacturing operations, the Head of Operations will work collaboratively and strategically with other members of the senior leadership team to demonstrate our passion for the business, put the customer at the heart of everything we do and to achieve overall business success through operational excellence. As a strong leader, coach and mentor, the Head of Operations is responsible for all production and planning activities, along with machine maintenance and for maintaining an effective and engaged operations workforce.
Hours of work: 37.5 hours per week.
Dayshift - Monday to Thursday 8.15am to 5.00pm and Friday 8.30am to 1.00pm with 30-minute unpaid break for lunch
Head of Operations - What will my responsibilities include?’
Driving world class manufacturing, including:
1. Delivering excellence in operational performance, harnessing the support of a committed workforce to maximise profitability and improve efficiencies.
2. Establishing a culture of continuous business improvement to support the roll out and sustainment of the Senior Operating System.
3. Translating the Senior/LPE vision and strategic plans into defined, cost-effective, operational plans and challenging and meaningful goals for managers and teams.
4. Ensuring adherence to production schedules and delivery of products to the correct specification, quality and cost to meet customer requirements.
Shaping and realising LPE Strategy, including:
5. Work with the senior leadership team to drive the business strategy for continued growth and deliver on new business opportunities, balancing the overall picture with attention to detail.
6. Deliver strategic plans in operations and through change management, establish processes and disciplines that will enable significant increases in site operational performance and throughput.
7. Work with the Senior Leadership Team to generate CAPEX business cases and overall strategic direction of the company.
8. Maintain strong links and relationships with key customers and stakeholders.
Leading and motivating people, including:
9. Provide outstanding leadership to direct reports, including effective communications, coaching, development and appraisal to maximise engagement, work output and quality.
10. Develop the manufacturing organisation into an effective team with a common vision to put the customer at the heart of everything they do.
11. Oversee the deployment of a highly utilised and skilled workforce, continuously reinforcing the links between manufacturing excellence, focusing on the customer, achieving sales and delivering success. Ensuring we deliver what we say we will, to the agreed specifications, standards & deadlines.
12. Lead managers at all levels to ensure the workforce is clear, capable, flexible, accountable and motivated and can deliver their best for LPE and our customers.
13. Manage change effectively, bringing people with you.
14. Proactively working to enhance collaboration across the different departments of LPE, identifying patterns and hot spots, acting quickly to intervene and engage others in changing things for the better.
Setting and achieving high standards, including:
15. Undertake an active role within the H&S committee whilst ensuring all operations are executed safely, in accordance with Senior’s standards and that a safe working environment is maintained for all staff.
16. Manage operational costs within agreed budgetary constraints and work collaboratively with supply chain, quality and engineering to develop and implement improved manufacturing processes that deliver cost reductions.
17. Ensure regular reporting of operational KPIs and action plans to drive improvements
18. Effective project management - including driving for project completion timelines, monitoring project costs, and ensuring customer needs are met.
Head of Operations - What key skills and experience do I need?
19. Must have the right to live and work in the UK (Essential)
20. Proven track record of leading operations in a manufacturing environment, inspiring others and serving as an example of the values, attitudes, and behaviours associated with a very senior role.
21. A hands-on approach with the team using knowledge and experience to support problem solving.
22. Excellent team leadership & delegation skills combined with a positive coaching style, supporting managers to think independently.
23. Ability to view information and make decisions based on broader business context.
24. An excellent communicator and influencer who has become skilful at getting people to stretch for goals that go beyond what they originally thought possible.
25. Experience of enabling effective collaboration and developing mutually supportive relationships to increase co-operation across departments.
26. Formal Lean and Continuous Improvement training. Track record of lean implementation and development of a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.
27. Working in a low volume, batch machine shop environment.
28. Commercially and financially astute.
29. Strong understanding of business KPIs and performance improvement with the ability to provide a durable sense of direction with clear objectives.
30. Engineering experience including a knowledge of milling, turning, grinding and EDM machining operations
31. Experience in machine toll TPM planning
32. Ability to demonstrate extensive use of ERP systems
33. Displays high integrity and honesty: Is a role model and sets a good example for their work group
34. Emotional intelligence: Ability to manage own emotions and those of others.
35. Seeks and provides feedback: Actively looks for opportunities to seek and provide feedback to enable personal growth
36. Takes initiative: Willingly goes above and beyond what needs to be done.
37. Develops strategic perspective: Can recognise the impact of actions on the bigger picture.
38. Champions change: Quickly recognises situations where change is needed.
39. Connects the Group to the outside world: Helps people understand how meeting customers’ needs is central to LPE’s success.
40. Resilience: Ability to work under pressure and to tight timescales
41. Computer literate: Proficient in Microsoft suite of Products
Head of Operations - What qualifications should I have?
42. HNC in either Mechanical or Production Engineering
43. Full UK Driving Licence
44. Educated to degree standard in a relevant engineering discipline or able to demonstrate equivalent knowledge through experience (Desirable)
45. Level 5 Certificate in Management and Leadership (Desirable)
46. IOSH Managing Safely at Work – (Desirable)
47. Security Clearance (Desirable)