Operations Manager

A leading carton board and folding carton manufacturer is looking for an Operations Manager to oversee all activities within the company’s site, with a view of safely and efficiently achieving a high level of productivity and customer satisfaction, and ensuring operation excellence. To hit the ground running in this pivotal role within the organisation, candidates must have an in-depth knowledge of carton manufacturing, origination, and product development. You must also have a passion for providing excellent customer service, and proven expertise in customer relationship management.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Ensuring the Health, Safety and Welfare of all site staff.
• Ensuring Quality standards are adhered to and continuously managed to improve in order to service customers.
• Leading the manufacturing function within budget and output targets to achieve and surpass plan and budgeted assumptions.
• Developing an enthusiastic, motivated, and flexible team by building strong collaborative working relationships across the business.
• Managing the team on best practice and establish standard policies and procedures by highlighting deficiencies and recommending changes in training, working practices and processes.
• Supporting and enhancing the culture of continuous improvement and modern manufacturing principals.
• Leading by example, identifying and nurturing talent through PDR and succession planning.
• Working under pressure and meeting tight deadlines

Typical Accountablities:

Strategy and Development

• Ensure that the Site operates in accordance with any health, safety and environmental policies and procedures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all staff, visitors, and contractors, including COVID protocols
• Contribute to the creation and implementation of best practice manufacturing vision, strategy, policies, processes, and procedures to aid and improve operational performance
• Identify business improvement opportunities within the organisation (General and Task Management)
• Fully management and responsibility for the planning/managing/installation and labour resources for new assets and retired assets
• Reorganisation/restructure opportunities based on business/customer key drivers
• Effectively and efficiently manage the production of the required daily/weekly/monthly targets in line with customer specifications, meeting quality and delivery expectations, minimising costs where possible and ensure the required best working practices are maintained at all times
• Responsible for plant production and productive operation of planned activities through internal Asset Care and external OEM interventions / programs
• Identify and deploy the technical skill sets, resource levels and systems to deliver projects, including the engagement of external resources as required
• Drive process improvements on Overall Equipment Effectiveness by appropriate data analysis
• Communicate and liaise with other site resources to effectively communicate and agree targets
  • Safety – Quality – CI – HR – Finance
• Attend and Chair various meetings and action/communicate instructions as required
• Produce written reports and make presentations for the senior leadership team
• Undertake continuous training and personal development plans as agreed
• Participate and lead root cause analysis and resolve problems with wider team to identify and mitigate Safety – Quality concerns
• In Conjunction with the Safety Lead conduct risk assessments of processes and tasks in all departments

People Management

• Manage, coach, and develop a high performing team that meets agreed objectives, and which delivers best practice results, added value and continuous improvements
• Record display and report on achievement of agreed objectives/KPIs and review/assess ongoing performance of direct reports
• Identify and target areas of improvement identifying any actions required
• Manage and lead the team, ensuring adequate staffing levels, managing holiday allowances, recruitment, training, development, appraisal, attendance, disciplinary issues, and daily supervision to maximise efficient productivity
• Motivate and coach the team to operational success
• Provide technical expertise to the team using internal and external resource to support as required
• Monitor the completion of tasks and ensure good performance and record on appropriate systems
• Consistently promote high standards through personal example and roll out through the team so that each member of the team understands the standards and behaviours expected of them
• Communicate KPIs from the strategic annual plan so that each employee is aware of their respective responsibility in achieving the Regional / Divisional strategy.
• Develop, expand upon, and implement any additional performance metrics for each area of responsibility
• Ensure KPIs are met by working to the overall plan, including management of, and reporting to. Include metrics into individual PDRs as appropriate
• Manage contractors on site to ensure they meet legal and company requirements. Utilise the expertise of the Safety Lead ensuring RAMS are submitted, validated, and followed for all work undertaken

Financial and Budget Control

• Input and hold responsibility for manufacturing budgets
• Prepare the annual Manufacturing budget and forecasts and all Capital Expenditure proposals as well as ensuring compliance with legal standards. Manage the budget from identification to completion of projects
• Responsible for achieving budget and forecast OP

Relationship Management

• Work as part of the Senior Leadership Team to share ideas and improve operations, recommending, supporting, and implementing continuous improvement activities and process and procedure improvements to optimise results and improve quality of delivery, in line with quality standards requirements delivery in line with Company and Customer requirements
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders to ensure optimal performance
• Ensure an effective interface with other team members is maintained and any conflict is managed effectively at a local level
• Work collaboratively, negotiate and engage with key stakeholders to facilitate delivery and compliance with the purchasing strategy
• Communicate with stakeholders the impact of market change and potential effects on engineering design and development. Recommend solutions without compromising quality or service while optimising cost
• Stay current and up to date on any changes that may affect the supply and demand of needed products and materials and advise others of any impact
• Contribute to new business initiatives and projects and review and communicate the impact on Manufacturing activities

Self-Management

• Support, comply and ensure complicity with Health & Safety regulations, the Company Handbook, Quality and Environmental standards, and all other Company policies and procedures. Ensure all compliance training needs are actioned in a timely manner
• Proactively contribute to creating a good team atmosphere
• Make useful links to arrive at insightful plans and solutions
• Embrace personal challenge
• Confident, rounded thinking
• Take ownership for team cohesion and team development
• Be self-aware resilient, optimistic, and open to change
• Have a collaborative approach to others
• Openly challenge and prepared to be challenged to improve 

If you think you have what it takes to fulfil the above, then we would love to hear from you.