Operations Manager

Bennett and Game Recruitment LTD; Haywards Heath; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A family-owned engineering business is seeking an Operations Manager to manage projects from order through delivery. The role involves leading project meetings, coordinating across departments, and monitoring performance indicators. Candidates should have a strong engineering background and experience in project management. The position offers a competitive salary, flexible hours, and benefits including an annual bonus and career progression opportunities.

Benefits

8% employer pension contribution

Annual performance-related bonus

Optional private medical healthcare

Strong opportunities for career progression

Qualifications

• Strong engineering/technical background with experience in a similar role.
• Proven experience in project management and team coordination.
• Ability to diagnose technical issues and resolve faults.
• Highly organised with strong planning skills.

Responsibilities

• Manage and oversee projects from order through to delivery.
• Deliver projects to agreed deadlines and budgets.
• Lead project initiation meetings.
• Coordinate activities across Engineering, Purchasing, and Production.
• Chair regular project and operations meetings.

Skills

Strong engineering/technical background

Experience in project management

Ability to diagnose technical issues

Highly organised with planning skills

Professional communication skills

Full clean UK driving licence

Job description

Overview

A long-established, family-owned business, our group consists of several specialist engineering companies that design and manufacture a wide range of laboratory, process, and packaging equipment. With a global customer base spanning small independents through to multinational corporations, we employ over 100 staff across modern, purpose-built facilities in the South East of England.

Operations Manager – Key Responsibilities

• Manage and oversee projects from order through to delivery, liaising with all relevant departments.
• Deliver projects to agreed deadlines and budgets.
• Lead project initiation meetings to establish realistic schedules and expectations.
• Coordinate activities across Engineering, Purchasing, and Production to align with agreed timelines.
• Develop and maintain production plans and charts, ensuring visibility of key stages to all stakeholders, including customers.
• Plan and organise machine build stages and production floor layouts to optimise capacity and output.
• Chair regular project and operations meetings to track progress and resolve issues promptly.
• Promote continuous communication across departments to drive ongoing improvements.
• Support production planning to increase on-time, right-first-time delivery.
• Act as a liaison with senior management and directors, providing updates on engineering and production performance.
• Monitor key performance indicators to ensure production targets are achieved.
• Communicate with customers and sales staff regarding project progress, deadlines, and meetings.
• Coordinate with the service team on machinery completion and dispatch, ensuring installations are scheduled effectively.

Operations Manager – Requirements

• Strong engineering/technical background with experience in a similar role.
• Proven experience in project management and team coordination.
• Ability to diagnose technical issues and resolve faults.
• Highly organised with strong planning skills.
• Professional communication skills, both face-to-face and over the phone.
• Full clean UK driving licence.
• Experience in the packaging sector is desirable but not essential.

Operations Manager – Salary & Benefits

• Based in modern offices and workshop facilities in West Sussex
• 35 hours per week, with some flexibility in working hours when required
• 8% employer pension contribution.
• Annual performance-related bonus.
• Annual pay review.
• Company mobile phone and laptop.
• Optional private medical healthcare.
• Death-in-service benefit.
• Strong opportunities for career progression.

Bennett & Game Recruitment are acting as a Recruitment Agency in relation to this vacancy.

Bennett and Game Recruitment are a multi-disciplined technical recruitment agency based in Chichester, West Sussex operating across the UK with specialist teams covering a range of industries.

We are acting as a Recruitment Agency in relation to this vacancy, and in accordance with GDPR by applying you are granting us consent to process your data, contact you about the services we offer, and submit your CV for the role you have applied for