Operations Director

Our client is a long-established, highly reputable print and packaging business based in the North East of England. With a strong company heritage, the business has grown to serve a diverse and high-profile customer base. They are committed to quality, sustainability, and continuous innovation, and now seek a senior operational leader to steer their next phase of growth and performance excellence.

As Operations Director, you will join the senior leadership team and take full ownership for all operational functions including manufacturing, supply chain, quality and continuous improvement. You will be accountable for delivering improvements in efficiency, cost and service by embedding a culture of lean manufacturing, process optimisation and operational excellence throughout the business.

You will lead the development and execution of a strategic roadmap for performance improvement, driving initiatives such as waste reduction, capacity utilisation, flow-optimisation, throughput enhancement and overall productivity uplift. Working closely with the Managing Director (and the wider executive team), you will translate business strategy into operational targets, monitor progress through KPIs, and ensure that manufacturing operations are aligned with commercial goals.

The successful candidate will be a hands-on, commercially astute operations executive. You will have a proven track-record of leading significant operational transformations in a manufacturing environment, delivering measurable results via people leadership, process redesign, and the introduction of best-in-class systems and technologies. You will foster a high-performance culture, build capable teams, and ensure strong management disciplines and operational governance are in place.

Day-to-day you will balance the demands of running efficient, stable operations with the opportunity to drive innovation and continuous improvement. You will champion best practice in health & safety, quality assurance and environmental compliance, while leading the business to achieve excellent performance levels and customer satisfaction.

Applicants must have proven experience within the print and packaging industry. You’ll also bring strong expertise in lean manufacturing principles, continuous improvement methodologies (such as Six Sigma or Kaizen), and the ability to influence at senior levels while driving operational change.

This is a unique opportunity to join a respected, growing business where your leadership will directly impact the future success of the company. If you are an experienced Operations Director ready to take on a challenging and rewarding role in a fast-paced, performance-driven organisation, we would be delighted to hear from you.