Head of Operations

The Pilot Group; Manchester; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading operations firm in Manchester is seeking a Head of Operations to manage all manufacturing and field-work operations, oversee daily activities, and handle financial performance. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in operations management, strong budget skills, and the ability to foster an inclusive environment. This is a full-time role with a salary range of £60,000 – £75,000 based on experience.

Qualifications

• Two or more years of proven success in an operations management role.
• Strong skills in budget development and oversight.
• Practical knowledge of budgeting and cash-flow regulation.

Responsibilities

• Manage all manufacturing/field-work operations.
• Oversee daily activities and financial performance.
• Develop and maintain an environment of trust, diversity, and inclusion.

Skills

Budget development and oversight

Conflict management

Critical thinking

Excellent communication

Leadership qualities

Job description

Head of Operations – ArcSett

£60,000 – £75,000 DOE

At ArcSett, we owe our success to the efficiency of organisational processes. To help maintain and grow this standard, we’re seeking an operations manager to oversee daily activities —to manage all manufacturing/field‑work operations and financial performance including budget management, financial reporting and improving cost efficiency whilst focusing on quality and continuous improvement.

You will report directly to the Director and will help with strategic decision making and operational support as required. This person will be skilled in human resources, finance, and IT management, and be able to develop and maintain an environment of trust, diversity, and inclusion within the operations team.

Key Responsibilities

People Management

• Track staffing requirements, hiring new employees as needed, recruiting, selecting, scheduling, counselling and disciplining employees.
• Deliver success through empowerment and accountability by modelling, coaching, and caring.
• Oversee and coach a team on the operation of various systems in a safe and professional manner and advise junior colleagues on inspection and supervision.
• Establish and communicate performance expectations, identify and address paps, and monitor performance to ensure plans are met.
• Help employees identify growth opportunities, develop skills, and build development plans.
• Lead, motivate, and support the operations team within a time‑sensitive and demanding environment, including career development plans for direct reports and issue resolution.
• Help the company to promote high morale and communicate the company’s operating policies, customer issues and safety measures.

Operational Reporting

• Manage data collection for the updating of metrics to achieve productivity targets, reduce cost, eliminate errors, and deliver excellent customer service.
• Report cost plans to upper performing financial predictions/reviews by preparing the annual budgets, scheduling expenditures, analysing variance and initiating corrective actions.
• Manage budgets and support budget planning and forecasting demand costs, driving awareness among business leaders on implications of service management issues and negotiating to win resources of costs, risks, and team leads as required.
• Perform quality controls, review Service Level Agreements (SLAs), Key Performance Indicators (KPls), and Objectives & Key Results (OKRs) and provide input to improve or increase efficiency across all services.

Operational Excellence

• Partner with cross‑functional teams to improve proprietary tools and systems.
• Oversee materials, stock and inventory of equipment.
• Ensure all operations are performed in an appropriate, cost‑effective way.
• Improve operational management systems, processes and best practices.
• Purchase materials, plan inventory and oversee warehouse efficiency.
• Formulate strategic and operational objectives.
• Increase the quality of customer Service.
• Maintain constant communication with managers, staff, customers and suppliers to ensure proper operations of the company.
• Develop, implement, and maintain quality assurance protocols.
• Increase the efficiency of existing processes and procedures to enhance the company's internal capacity.
• Ensure that operational activities remain on time and within budget.

Compliance and Health & Safety

• Work closely with legal and safety departments to ensure that activities remain compliant.
• Help the organisation's processes remain legally compliant.
• Follow and adhere to policies provided by Environmental Health & Safety division, immediately reporting any safety or security issues or concerns and ensuring a culture of safety is upheld.
• Maintain ISO900I standard.
• Maintain SafeContractor standard.

Essential Experience

• Two or more years of proven success in an operations management role.
• Strong skills in budget development and oversight.
• Excellent ability to delegate responsibilities while maintaining organisational control of operations and customer service.
• Proficiency in conflict management and business negotiation processes.
• Knowledge of business productivity software and an aptitude for learning new applications.
• Practical knowledge of budgeting, cash‑flow regulation, maintaining balance sheets and monitoring the profit and loss statements.
• Ability to create a continuous improvement plan and determination to accomplish goals.
• Excellent critical thinking and problem‑solving skills.
• Excellent organisational skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Good leadership qualities with the ability to provide direction.