Operations Analyst

Recreo Global; Ossett; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

Hartwell Manufacturing seeks an Operations & Business Analyst to boost operational visibility, develop dashboards and provide data-driven insights across production and logistics. The role reports to the Supply Chain Manager, requires manufacturing experience, strong Excel and Power BI skills, and a collaborative approach to drive efficiency and profitability.

You will work with managers to translate data into actionable recommendations and help embed continuous improvement through reporting

Qualifications

• Degree-qualified or equivalent experience in analytics, engineering, operations or related discipline is advantageous.
• Strong Excel skills and data manipulation abilities.
• Experience creating KPI reports and dashboards in manufacturing contexts.

Responsibilities

• Develop reporting dashboards and tools
• Track and report KPIs
• Analyse performance vs plan and investigate variances
• Provide insight on trends, risks and opportunities
• Work with operational managers to support decision making
• Improve reporting processes and automation
• Use AI-assisted tools responsibly to improve reporting efficiency and communication

Skills

Analytical mindset

Manufacturing environment experience

KPIs understanding

Excel skills

Power BI experience

Reporting dashboards

Data storytelling

Stakeholder communication

Continuous improvement

AI reporting awareness

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

Power BI

Job description

Operations & Business Analyst

About Hartwell Manufacturing

Hartwell Manufacturing is a family-run engineering business with nearly 50 years of experience delivering high-quality acoustic enclosures and heavy steel fabrication projects. From our Ossett headquarters, we support clients in the power, data centre and industrial sectors with engineered solutions built on precision, collaboration and reliability. The culture is hand-on, team-focused and proud of the work we produce.

As our business continues to grow, we are looking to appoint an Operations & Business Analyst to help improve operational visibility, strengthen reporting and provide valuable insight that supports better decision-making across the business.

The Role

Reporting to the Supply Chain Manager, the Operations & Business Analyst will play a key role in developing meaningful operational reporting and analysing business performance across multiple departments.

This role is firmly rooted within a manufacturing environment. We are looking for someone who understands the realities of production, operational performance and the challenges faced by manufacturing businesses. You will work closely with managers across the organisation, helping them understand performance through data and providing insights that support productivity, efficiency, quality and profitability.

The successful candidate will be naturally curious, commercially aware and confident working with both data and stakeholders. Whilst strong analytical skills are essential, we are particularly interested in candidates who have gained their experience within manufacturing, engineering, production, supply chain or other operationally focused businesses.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop reporting dashboards and tools
• Track and report KPIs
• Analyse performance vs plan and investigate variances
• Provide insight on trends, risks and opportunities
• Work with operational managers to support decision making
• Improve reporting processes and automation
• Use AI-assisted tools responsibly where appropriate to improve reporting efficiency, insight generation and communication quality

What We're Looking For

• Previous experience in an analytical, reporting, operations or business analyst role
• Experience within a manufacturing environment is essential
• Strong understanding of operational KPIs, including productivity, utilisation, quality, delivery performance, cost and margin
• Strong Excel skills with the ability to manipulate, analyse and present data effectively
• Experience using Power BI or similar reporting and dashboard tools is highly desirable
• Experience producing KPI reports, dashboards, trend analysis and performance reporting
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to investigate root causes rather than simply report data
• Comfortable working with large data sets and turning information into meaningful business insight
• Confident communicating findings to both operational and non-technical stakeholders
• Experience supporting managers and influencing decision-making through data
• A collaborative approach and ability to build strong working relationships across the business
• An interest in continuous improvement, reporting automation and process efficiency
• Practical awareness of AI-assisted tools and how they can be used responsibly to improve reporting and analysis
• Degree-qualified or equivalent experience in business, analytics, engineering, operations or a related discipline would be advantageous
• Excel experience

If you have experience analysing operational performance within a manufacturing environment and enjoy using data to drive improvements, we'd like to hear from you.