Operations Manager

Saab UK; Bedford; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Saab UK, Bedfordshire-based, seeks an experienced Operational Excellence Lead to drive process standardisation and compliance across the organisation. The role focuses on export control, health & safety, security, and risk management within Saab’s BlueBear programme.

The candidate will develop KPIs, capture customer feedback, and coordinate audits and training to sustain continuous improvement and information management across the site.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership and change-management experience.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Self-motivated with minimal supervision.
• Experience implementing change within an organisation.
• Experience managing risks and business continuity.
• Experience with Quality Management Systems and ISO 9001.
• ISO 27001 familiarity desirable.
• Awareness of UK export control, health & safety and environmental management.
• Defence industry and UK MOD experience desirable.
• Must hold or be able to obtain National Security Vetting at SC level.

Responsibilities

• Drive continuous improvement to high standards.
• Lead process standardisation and compliance with QMS.
• Own compliance areas including export control, health & safety, and security.
• Develop and track KPIs to support strategic plan.
• Capture customer feedback and report changes.
• Communicate Operational Excellence across the organisation.
• Coordinate internal and external audits.
• Act as Risk and Opportunity Coordinator and lead business continuity.
• Coordinate compliance and resources for export control.
• Implement new compliance standards and tools.
• Capture feedback to drive improvements.
• Deliver internal training on continuous improvement.
• Champion information management within BlueBear.
• Support project activity and manage Facility Coordinator activities.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Change management

Self-motivation

Risk management

Quality Management Systems

ISO 27001

Export control awareness

Defence industry experience

Security clearance

Job description

Introduction

Saab UK is part of Scandinavia's largest defence company, bringing together the best of Swedish and British innovation. Saab offers world-leading solutions and services in defence, aviation, space, and civil security to keep people and society safe. Our UK presence has been growing at pace, meaning we can offer a wide range of opportunities for personal fulfilment and career growth. We currently employ over 600 people across eight sites in the UK, and our specialisations include software engineering, underwater robotics, radars, AI, and armed forces training.

What you will be part of

Saab is a leading defence and security company with an enduring purpose, to help nations keep their people and society safe.

Empowered by its 28,000 talented people, Saab constantly pushes the boundaries of technology to create a safer and more sustainable world.

Saab designs, manufactures and maintains advanced systems in aeronautics, weapons, command and control, sensors and underwater systems.

Saab is headquartered in Sweden. It has major operations all over the world and is part of the domestic defence capability of several nations.

The Role

This role is part of our BlueBear Business in Bedfordshire.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive continuous improvement across the organisation to achieve high standards.
• Be the focal point for process standardisation and compliance with the organisations quality management system.
• Be the focal point to Saab UK functions for critical compliance areas including export control, health & safety and security.
• Develop and track KPIs to support the delivery of the organisation's Strategic Business Plan.
• Implement processes for capturing customer feedback, communicate success and track change where required.
• Communicate Operational Excellence throughout the organisation.
• Co-ordinate all internal and external audit activity.
• Act as Risk and Opportunity Co-ordinator and lead all business continuity management activities.
• Co-ordinate compliance activity such as export control ensuring sufficient resources and processes are in place.
• Co-ordinate the implementation of new compliance standards and business support tools.
• Capture and track internal feedback on processes to drive continuous improvements.
• Delivery internal training on continuous improvement / operational excellence where required.
• Champion information management within BlueBear.
• Support internal project activity where required and manage the activities of the Facility Coordinator.

Qualifications and Skills

• Proven leadership skills, ability to drive change in the organisation.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Highly motivated self starter who requires minimal supervision.
• Demonstratable experience of implementing effective change in an organisation.
• Proven experience managing risks and implementing risk management policies inc. business continuity plans.
• Experience with implementation Quality Management Systems and compliance with ISO 9001.
• Experience with ISO 27001 desirable.
• Awareness of critical compliance areas including UK export control, health & safety and environmental management desirable.
• Experience with defence industry and UK MOD desirable.
• As a National Security Vetting clearance is required for this role, applicants will be required to hold National Security Vetting clearance to SC level or have the ability to gain it.

By submitting an application to Saab UK you consent to undertaking workforce screening activities that may include but are not limited to: Baseline Personnel Security checks, National Security Vetting, reference checks, verification of working rights and in all circumstances preferred candidates will be placed through a security interview