Operations Director

Solutions Driven; Leicester; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Solutions Driven in Leicester seeks an Operations Director to lead performance across a multi-site network, ensuring safe, high-quality customer service with sustainable revenue and profit growth. You will provide leadership to General Managers and translate strategy into effective operational plans, with regular UK travel.

The role offers succession to Managing Director with increasing leadership responsibilities as capability grows.

Qualifications

• Strong operational leadership and commercial capability within a multi-site environment.
• Proven ability to lead and develop managers and create clear accountability for performance.
• Strong financial understanding, including P&L, budgeting, forecasting, cost control and working capital.
• Demonstrable experience of delivering operational improvement and profitable growth.
• Strong people and change leadership skills, with experience of building capable teams and retaining key talent.
• Ability to balance commercial performance with customer service, safety and technical quality.
• Strong analytical, communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Practical, visible and accountable leadership style with the potential to progress into a Managing Director role.

Responsibilities

• Lead operational performance across the organization's network, ensuring effective management of capacity, productivity, service delivery and customer commitments.
• Lead, coach and hold General Managers accountable for operational, financial and people performance.
• Deliver agreed revenue, EBITDA, cost and cash targets, working with Finance and General Managers on budgets, forecasts and recovery plans.
• Develop and deliver growth plans for each operational business area, identifying opportunities to increase revenue, capacity, market share and profitability.
• Drive continuous improvement, introducing consistent processes, performance measures and operational disciplines across the business.
• Ensure appropriate workforce and competence plans are in place, including recruitment, development, succession and retention of critical skills and key talent.
• Maintain high standards of safety, quality, technical integrity and customer service, ensuring applicable accreditation and compliance requirements are maintained.
• Identify and manage key operational and commercial risks, including customer concentration, key-person dependencies, capacity constraints and supplier risks.
• Work with Sales and Commercial to support customer retention, new business opportunities, pricing and margin protection.
• Lead the operational integration of acquisitions, new services and significant business change while maintaining business continuity.
• Build strong management capability and succession across the business.
• Act as the Managing Director's operational deputy, progressively developing broader responsibility for strategy, financial performance, customer relationships and organisational development.

Skills

Operational leadership

P&L management

Budgeting

Change leadership

Stakeholder management

People leadership

Strategic thinking

Education

Degree or professional qualification

Job description

Location: Leicester, England, with regular travel across the organisation's network

Scope of Role

The Operations Director is responsible for leading operational performance across the organisation, ensuring the business delivers safe, high-quality customer service alongside sustainable revenue and profit growth. The role provides leadership to General Managers, driving consistent standards, strong financial performance, operational improvement, and capable, engaged teams.

Working closely with the Managing Director and functional leaders, the Operations Director will translate business strategy into effective operational plans and support the continued growth and development of the business.

The role is also intended to provide succession to the Managing Director, with broader leadership responsibilities introduced as capability and experience develop.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead operational performance across the organization's network, ensuring effective management of capacity, productivity, service delivery and customer commitments.
• Lead, coach and hold General Managers accountable for operational, financial and people performance.
• Deliver agreed revenue, EBITDA, cost and cash targets, working with Finance and General Managers on budgets, forecasts and recovery plans.
• Develop and deliver growth plans for each operational business area, identifying opportunities to increase revenue, capacity, market share and profitability.
• Drive continuous improvement, introducing consistent processes, performance measures and operational disciplines across the business.
• Ensure appropriate workforce and competence plans are in place, including recruitment, development, succession and retention of critical skills and key talent.
• Maintain high standards of safety, quality, technical integrity and customer service, ensuring applicable accreditation and compliance requirements are maintained.
• Identify and manage key operational and commercial risks, including customer concentration, key-person dependencies, capacity constraints and supplier risks.
• Work with Sales and Commercial to support customer retention, new business opportunities, pricing and margin protection.
• Lead the operational integration of acquisitions, new services and significant business change while maintaining business continuity.
• Build strong management capability and succession across the business.
• Act as the Managing Director's operational deputy, progressively developing broader responsibility for strategy, financial performance, customer relationships and organisational development.

Experience and Skills

• Strong operational leadership and commercial capability within a multi-site environment.
• Proven ability to lead and develop managers and create clear accountability for performance.
• Strong financial understanding, including P&L, budgeting, forecasting, cost control and working capital.
• Demonstrable experience of delivering operational improvement and profitable growth.
• Strong people and change leadership skills, with experience of building capable teams and retaining key talent.
• Ability to balance commercial performance with customer service, safety and technical quality.
• Strong analytical, communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Practical, visible and accountable leadership style with the potential to progress into a Managing Director role.

Qualifications and Experience

• Significant senior operational leadership experience within a multi-site service, technical, engineering or similarly complex operational business.
• Experience of leading managers with responsibility for multiple teams, locations or business units.
• Responsibility for revenue, budgets, profitability and operational performance.
• Demonstrable track record of delivering business growth, operational improvement and successful change.
• Strong people leadership, including performance management, talent development and succession planning.
• Experience of implementing effective operational structures, processes and performance measures.
• Strong understanding of safety, quality and operational risk.
• Willingness to travel regularly across the UK.
• Experience within testing, inspection, certification, construction materials testing, laboratories or calibration.
• Experience within a decentralised or multi-business organisation.
• Experience of acquisitions, integration or significant organisational change.
• Experience of developing new services or markets and delivering organic growth.
• Experience working within a UKAS-accredited or similarly regulated environment.
• Relevant degree or professional/business qualification, although equivalent practical experience will be equally considered.