Group Operations Director

Combined Selection Group Ltd; Essex; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Combined Selection Group Ltd is seeking an experienced Group Operations Director to drive the operational performance of the Group across locations. You will lead the manufacturing and operational strategy, establish KPIs, and ensure efficiency, quality and on-time delivery across the Group’s sites.

The role demands a senior, hands-on leader capable of implementing lean initiatives, coordinating across Engineering, Maintenance and Quality, and delivering sustained improvements in productivity

Qualifications

• Senior operations leader with track record of strategic and hands-on leadership.
• Experience running large, multi-site manufacturing operations.
• Proven ability to improve productivity, quality, and profitability.
• Experience leading organisational change and operational transformation.

Responsibilities

• Take overall responsibility for Group's operational performance across locations.
• Lead and develop the manufacturing and operational strategy for the Group.
• Establish operational KPIs and drive accountability across sites.
• Improve productivity, capacity utilisation, and profitability.
• Identify bottlenecks and eliminate inefficiencies.
• Ensure quality and delivery meet customer requirements.

Skills

Lean manufacturing

Operations leadership

Change management

Multi-site leadership

Production planning

Supply chain

Quality management

Team development

Job description

Our client is a leading building products manufacturer. The business currently employs approximately 120 people across the Group and generates around £40 million in annual turnover . We are looking for an experienced Group Operations Director to take overall responsibility for the operational performance of the Group, driving efficiency, integration, capacity, quality and continued growth across both businesses. The Role Reporting directly to the senior leadership team, the Group Operations Director will have overall responsibility for the Group's manufacturing and operational functions. This is a highly visible leadership position, combining strategic group-level responsibility with hands‑on operational leadership . The successful individual will be responsible for ensuring that both businesses operate efficiently while creating greater consistency, collaboration and operational leverage across the Group.

Key Responsibilities

• Group Operations Take overall responsibility for the operational performance of the Group across locations.
• Lead and develop the Group's manufacturing and operational strategy.
• Establish clear operational KPIs and drive accountability across both sites.
• Improve productivity, efficiency, capacity utilisation and profitability.
• Identify and remove production bottlenecks and operational inefficiencies.
• Ensure the business consistently meets customer requirements for quality and delivery.

Leadership & People

Lead the Group's operational management teams, with approximately 120 employees across the wider business . Develop and strengthen the existing management structure. Build a high-performance, accountable and collaborative operational culture. Coach and develop Production, Operations, Engineering, Quality and other operational leaders. Ensure effective workforce planning and succession planning across the Group. Promote a strong culture of health, safety, employee engagement and continuous improvement.

Manufacturing & Continuous Improvement

Drive Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives. Reduce waste, rework, downtime and unnecessary operational costs. Improve production planning and workflow. Maximise machinery utilisation and manufacturing capacity. Work closely with Engineering and Maintenance to improve equipment reliability. Identify opportunities for automation and technological investment.

The Ideal Candidate

We are looking for an experienced senior operations leader who has successfully managed a complex manufacturing environment and is capable of operating at both strategic and hands‑on levels.

Ideally, you will have:

• Proven experience at Operations Director, Group Operations Director, Head of Operations or equivalent level .
• Experience managing a sizeable manufacturing operation and multi-functional operational teams.
• A strong track record of improving productivity, efficiency, quality and profitability .
• Experience leading organisational change and operational transformation.
• Experience integrating or managing operations across multiple sites or businesses.
• Strong people leadership and team development skills.
• Strong understanding of production planning, supply chain, quality and maintenance.