Head of Operations

Digital 51; Slough; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading operations recruitment agency is seeking a Head of Operations based in Slough, UK. This hands-on role focuses on managing day-to-day operations involving physical assets and teams on site. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in asset-heavy environments such as agriculture, manufacturing or site-based operations. The position offers a competitive salary of £80,000 – £100,000, emphasizing operational discipline and hands-on leadership.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in hands-on operations within physical asset-heavy environments.
• Ability to handle large volumes of physical assets and inventory.
• Experience leading teams on site under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day operations across site logistics and delivery.
• Ensure safety and reliability in all project deliveries.
• Implement processes to improve operational efficiency.

Skills

Hands-on operational leadership

Knowledge of physical asset/inventory management

Operational planning

Problem-solving

Staff management

Logistics

Job description

Head of Operations

£80,000 – £100,000

FIVE DAYS A WEEK On-site | South Buckinghamshire / East Berkshire Location

Digital 51 are exclusively partnered with a long-established, market-leading creative, events and entertainment business operating at the heart of the UK’s film, television and live-events ecosystem.

We are recruiting their first-ever Head of Operations.

This is a hands‑on operational leadership role in a business that delivers complex, physical, time‑critical work for live productions, environments and events.

• This role will not suit a desk‑based Ops leader.
• This role is not about supplier management and governance.
• This is not a service‑led or digital operations role.

This role is about running real operations, with real assets, real inventory, real people and real deadlines.

You must be able to demonstrate a passion, knowledge and understanding of working within a physical asset/inventory business for this role.

The Reality of the Role:

This business delivers physical environments for film sets, television productions, live events and experiential builds.

That means you will be responsible for, and must demonstrate knowledge of:

• Large volumes of physical assets and inventory
• Live projects with non‑negotiable delivery deadlines
• Stock that must be maintained, deployed and recovered
• Teams working on site, in yards, warehouses, glasshouses and on location
• Daily changes, pressure and moving parts

The business has grown through reputation, craft and delivery. It now needs a senior operator to bring operational grip.

Your first priority is not transformation. It is to hands on ensure the day‑to‑day operation runs properly, every day.

What You’ll Actually Be Doing:

You will be taking a hands on approach to:

• Taking ownership of day‑to‑day operations across site, logistics, inventory and delivery
• Being present on site, visible and trusted by teams
• Leading operational planning, prioritisation and problem‑solving
• Bringing discipline to stock, assets, scheduling and people deployment
• Managing permanent staff, contractors and flexible labour
• Ensuring work is delivered safely, reliably and on time
• Creating stability first, then improving how things work

There is scope to introduce better systems and processes over time, but only once the operation is running smoothly.

We are specifically looking for hands‑on operational leaders who have run physical, asset‑heavy operations.

Strong backgrounds include:

• Agriculture, estates or land management
• Modern mid‑size manufacturing or factory environments
• Asset‑heavy, site‑based operations
• Construction‑adjacent or project‑led physical businesses
• Operations involving stock, plant, equipment or live assets

Important context before you apply:

This role is not suited to candidates whose operational experience has been primarily within service‑based, digital or desk‑led environments.

This includes operations roles where:

• The primary “asset” is people, IP or workflows rather than physical stock or equipment
• Delivery is largely remote or screen‑based
• Operations are managed through reporting layers rather than direct, on‑site leadership

This role requires hands‑on responsibility for physical assets, inventory, sites and live delivery.

You Might Currently Be Known As

• Head of Operations
• Operations Manager
• Site Operations Lead
• Factory Manager
• Estates or Land Operations Lead

This role is being recruited exclusively by Digital 51.

Apply now.