Business Operations Manager

Brush Transformers; Blackwood; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working options

Life insurance 4x annual salary

Enhanced Pension scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Long Service Awards

Development and training

Job summary

BRUSH Group in the United Kingdom seeks an experienced Business Operations Manager to oversee Production, Planning, and Supply Chain while maintaining SHE and quality standards. You will drive margins, optimise layouts, and lead cross-functional teams to deliver orders profitably.

The role requires a strategic yet hands-on leader with Lean/CI experience and a strong commercial focus. Hybrid/ flexible working and ongoing development are offered as part of a broad benefits package.

Qualifications

• Senior operational leadership in engineering/manufacturing.
• Experience improving gross margin and operational efficiency.
• Engineered-to-order manufacturing experience preferred.
• Strong production planning and capacity modelling knowledge.
• Experience with Lean methodologies and CI programmes.
• Engineering qualification desirable or significant relevant experience.
• Strategic yet hands-on leadership.
• Commercially minded and margin focused.
• High level of accountability and ownership.
• Confident decision-maker.

Responsibilities

• Lead Production, Testing, Planning, Stores, Supply Chain and Manufacturing Engineering teams to deliver the production plan safely, efficiently and profitably.
• Accountable for manufacturing gross margin performance.
• Assess workforce requirements and develop recruitment and skills development plans.
• Optimise production layout and workflow to support growth without disproportionate cost increases.
• Lead the monthly S&OP process in collaboration with Sales and Finance.
• Align forecast demand with operational capacity and realistic delivery commitments.
• Provide operational input into bid reviews and contract feasibility.
• Strengthen supplier performance, reliability and risk management.
• To reduce exposure to long-lead and single-source components.
• Lead Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement initiatives.

Skills

Operational leadership

Margin improvement

Lean manufacturing

Continuous Improvement

Production planning

Capacity modelling

Strategic leadership

Commercial mindset

Accountability

Decision making

Education

Engineering qualification desirable

Job description

About The Role

Why choose us?

BRUSH Group provides the energy solutions that help power our built world. From power transformers to switchgear and engineering solutions, for generations, the BRUSH brand has stood for engineering excellence.

We are committed to supporting the global effort for industrial decarbonisation and sustainable development and have set ambitious objectives to achieve our target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

What's the role?

The Business Operations Manager oversees day-to-day activities within the organisation to ensure efficient, effective operational performance. They will define, implement, and maintain an integrated operational process that will provide the necessary functional departmental collaboration, including production, quality, procurement, services, engineering, finance, and resource allocation.

The role leads Production, Planning, Operational Supply Chain, and Stores, while maintaining the highest SHE, Quality standards, to ensure efficient and margin-accretive delivery of all customer orders.

Key Responsibilities:

• To lead the Production, Testing, Planning, Stores, Supply Chain and Manufacturing Engineering teams, ensuring resources are organised and aligned to deliver the production plan safely, efficiently and profitably.
• To be accountable for manufacturing gross margin performance
• To assess workforce requirements and develop structured recruitment and skills development plans.
• To optimise production layout and workflow to support growth without disproportionate cost increases.
• To lead the monthly S&OP process in collaboration with Sales and Finance.
• To align forecast demand with operational capacity and realistic delivery commitments.
• To provide operational input into bid reviews and contract feasibility.
• To strengthen supplier performance, reliability and risk management.
• To reduce exposure to long-lead and single-source components.
• To lead Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement initiatives.
• To implement structured problem-solving tools (5S, 5 Whys, Root Cause Analysis, FMEA, Kanban).
• To ensure all manufactured products meet required industry standards and certifications (e.g., IEC, ATEX, ISO and others as applicable).
• To protect product testing integrity and certification compliance.
• To lead, coach and develop operational managers and supervisors.
• To identify skill and capability gaps and implement structured development plans.
• To ensure full compliance with Health & Safety regulations.
• To promote a zero-harm safety culture.

What we’re looking for:

• Proven track record in senior operational leadership within an engineering or manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated experience improving gross margin and operational efficiency.
• Experience in engineered-to-order manufacturing preferred.
• Strong understanding of production planning and capacity modelling.
• Experience implementing Lean methodologies and structured CI programmes.Financial literacy with understanding of cost drivers and margin management.
• Engineering qualification desirable or significant relevant experience.
• Strategic yet hands-on leadership style.
• Commercially minded and margin focused.
• High level of accountability and ownership.
• Confident decision-maker.

What's in it for you?

• Competitive salary
• Holiday allowance starting at 26 days per annum plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time roles)
• Flexible and Hybrid working options (role dependant)
• Life insurance – 4 x annual salary
• Enhanced Company Pension scheme
• 24/7 free and confidential Employee Assistance Programme
• GP24 Service – Access to remote, private GP services 24/7, 365 days a year plus Second Medical Opinions.
• BRUSHRewards – Discover plenty of ways to get more active and make great savings on everyday essentials as well as gifts for loved ones, holidays and special treats for yourself.
• Family friendly policies including Enhanced Maternity/Paternity
• Bike2work scheme
• Long Service Awards
• Developing our people is important to us - we support and encourage development by offering ongoing professional development and training.

About The Company

BRUSH Switchgear provide agile and adaptive engineering solutions and products, including consultancy services, design, and project management as well as award-winning product technology, to a wide range of projects.

A chosen partner for national and regional power generation and distribution network operators, through innovation and a commitment to delivering solutions that address grid-resilience and drive system change, we support the global drive to net-zero, helping create a future-proof Infrastructure.