Commercial Operations Manager

A well-established and growing packaging manufacturer is looking to appoint an experienced Commercial Operations Manager to take ownership of its commercial, customer service, administrative and back-office functions.

This is a key leadership position within the business, working closely with the Manufacturing Operations Manager to ensure the smooth running of the operation from customer enquiry through to delivery. While the Manufacturing Operations Manager leads the shop floor, you will take responsibility for everything around it — sales, customer relationships, order management, planning, administration, compliance and commercial performance.

The role would suit a commercially minded individual who enjoys bringing structure to a business, improving processes and developing people, while also having the drive to identify opportunities for growth.

The Role

You will lead and develop the sales and commercial function, driving growth across existing customer accounts while identifying new business opportunities. Working alongside the MD, you will help shape and implement commercial plans designed to increase turnover, profitability and overall business performance.

You will oversee pricing, quotations, sales forecasting and pipeline activity, ensuring commercial decisions are both competitive and profitable. You will also be responsible for developing the sales team through effective recruitment, training, mentoring and performance management.

Customer service will be another important part of the position. You will ensure enquiries and orders are handled efficiently and professionally, with strong communication throughout the customer journey. As a senior point of contact for key customers, you will take ownership of any issues and ensure they are resolved quickly and effectively.

The role also encompasses the wider administrative and back-office operation, including order processing, invoicing, scheduling, reporting and internal coordination. A key focus will be on improving processes, strengthening communication between departments and ensuring accurate and effective use of business data.

Working closely with manufacturing, you will help align customer demand with production capacity, ensuring accurate forecasting, effective order prioritisation and smooth end-to-end delivery. You will also play an active role in continuous improvement initiatives across the business.

Compliance will form an important part of the role. You will ensure relevant commercial processes, documentation and data are maintained to the required standards and support audits, customer requirements and regulatory submissions where required.

You will lead and develop the sales, administration and back-office teams, setting clear objectives and performance standards while creating a positive, accountable and customer-focused working culture.

About You

We are looking for an experienced commercial or operations professional with a background in manufacturing, packaging, plastics, FMCG or a similar operational environment.

You will have a strong understanding of sales processes, customer service and order management, together with the commercial awareness to identify opportunities for growth and improve margins. You should be highly organised, confident managing multiple priorities and comfortable working closely with both senior management and production teams.

Experience of managing teams across sales, administration or commercial operations is important, as is a genuine interest in improving processes and creating a more structured and efficient operation.

This is an excellent opportunity for a commercially focused individual to take a broad leadership role within an established packaging manufacturer, with significant scope to influence the way the business operates and contribute directly to its future growth.

We also recruit for the following related roles:

Operations Director

Production Manager

Production Director

Managing Director