Operations Manager

Saab; Oakley; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Saab UK, part of Scandinavia’s defence leader, is recruiting an Operations Manager for its BlueBear Business in Bedfordshire. You will provide governance, compliance, trials and business coordination support to improve operations and integration with Saab UK.

You will drive continuous improvement, manage export control, health and safety, risk & continuity, and deliver KPI tracking while coordinating internal and external audits and training.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership skills with demonstrated change delivery.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities.
• Highly motivated self-starter requiring minimal supervision.
• Experience implementing effective change initiatives.
• Proven track record in risk management and business continuity.
• Experience implementing Quality Management Systems and ISO 9001 compliance.
• ISO 27001 experience is desirable.
• Awareness of export control, health & safety and environmental management.

Responsibilities

• Drive continuous improvement to achieve high standards across the organisation.
• Lead process standardisation and compliance with the quality management system.
• Own critical compliance areas including UK export control, health & safety, and security.
• Develop and track KPIs to support the Strategic Business Plan.
• Capture and act on customer feedback; communicate success and track changes.
• Coordinate internal and external audit activity and training deliveries.
• Act as Risk and Opportunity Co-ordinator and lead business continuity activities.
• Coordinate compliance activity and resources for export controls and standards.
• Support implementation of new compliance standards and business tools.
• Capture internal feedback to drive process improvements and operational excellence.
• Provide internal training on continuous improvement and operational excellence.

Skills

Leadership

Change management

Communication

Autonomy

Risk management

ISO 9001

ISO 27001

Export control

Defence sector

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.

The Operations Manager will work across the organisation providing governance, compliance, trials and business coordination support. Process improvement and performance tracking coupled with customer feedback capture to continuously improve BlueBear operations and integration with Saab UK.

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.