Operations Manager / Business Unit Manager

Smartsearch Recruitment; Dudley; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Smartsearch Recruitment in Dudley, West Midlands, is seeking an experienced Operations Manager / Business Unit Manager to take hands-on ownership of a growing industrial operation, covering delivery, people, safety, quality, stock, logistics and customer fulfilment.

You will report to regional leadership, drive profitability, manage contracts, build client and supplier relationships, lead the team, and ensure compliance and ISO readiness while using Excel and systems to monitor performance.

Qualifications

• Experience leading a site, business unit or broad operational function within an industrial, engineering, manufacturing, logistics, service or similarly operational environment.
• Broad, hands-on leadership experience with direct responsibility for Health & Safety, quality/compliance and people management.
• Strong commercial experience with responsibility for profitability, margins, budgets and cost control.
• Experience managing customer and/or supplier contracts, commercial negotiations, pricing, costing or service agreements.
• Strong customer and supplier relationship management skills and the ability to own key relationships.
• Strong people management skills including performance management and employee relations.

Responsibilities

• Take overall ownership of the business unit, ensuring strong operational and commercial performance.
• Lead the day-to-day operation, ensuring activities are safe, efficient, compliant and effectively managed.
• Take responsibility for the commercial performance of the unit including profitability, margins, budgets and costs.
• Manage and negotiate customer and supplier contracts and service agreements.
• Act as a key contact for customers, building relationships and resolving issues.
• Lead and develop the operational team, including recruitment and performance management.

Skills

Operations management

Leadership

Health & Safety

Commercial awareness

Excel

Contract negotiation

People management

ISO accreditation

Tools

Excel

ERP systems

Job description

Operations Manager / Business Unit Manager, Location: Dudley, West Midlands | Salary c£50-60k + Benefits

We are recruiting an experienced Operations Manager / Business Unit Manager to take hands-on ownership of a growing industrial operation encompassing operational delivery, people, Health & Safety, quality, compliance, stock, logistics and customer fulfilment.

Working closely with the wider group and reporting into regional senior leadership, you’ll take ownership of the business unit and its day-to-day performance. You’ll be comfortable dealing personally with Health & Safety, quality, people and process issues, using systems and Excel-based data to monitor performance, whilst also taking commercial responsibility for profitability, margins, contracts and key customer and supplier relationships.

This is an excellent opportunity for an operational leader who enjoys genuine ownership and autonomy, combining a practical, hands-on approach with strong commercial awareness and the ability to develop the business unit both operationally and commercially.

The role:

• Take overall ownership of the business unit, ensuring strong operational and commercial performance.
• Lead the day-to-day operation, ensuring activities are safe, efficient, compliant and effectively managed.
• Take responsibility for the commercial performance of the unit, including profitability, margins, budgets, costs and resource planning, working with wider group finance functions where appropriate.
• Manage and negotiate customer and supplier contracts, commercial terms and service agreements, ensuring operational commitments remain commercially viable.
• Act as a key point of contact for customers, building strong relationships, resolving issues and developing closer operational and commercial integration.
• Manage key supplier relationships, negotiating effectively and ensuring appropriate cost, quality and service performance.
• Lead and develop the operational team, with responsibility for recruitment, performance management, development and employee relations.
• Take hands-on responsibility for Health & Safety, including policies, risk assessments, procedures and safe systems of work.
• Maintain and develop quality and compliance standards, supporting the continued development of robust systems and future ISO accreditation.
• Manage operational planning, stock and inventory levels, logistics, shipping and customer fulfilment.
• Use operational systems, Excel, KPIs and management information to understand performance, identify trends and support commercial and operational decision-making.
• Identify and implement opportunities to improve efficiency, service, profitability and the future growth and development of the business unit.
• Contribute to business planning, investment decisions and the continued commercial and operational development of the unit.

Candidate requirements:

• Experience leading a site, business unit or broad operational function within an industrial, engineering, manufacturing, logistics, service or similarly operational environment.
• Broad, hands-on leadership experience with direct responsibility for areas including Health & Safety, quality/compliance and people management.
• Strong commercial experience with responsibility for business performance, profitability, margins, budgets and cost control.
• Experience managing customer and/or supplier contracts, commercial negotiations, pricing, costing or service agreements.
• Strong customer and supplier relationship management skills, with the confidence to represent the business and take ownership of key relationships.
• Strong people management skills, including performance management, employee relations and team development.
• Practical Health & Safety knowledge including risk assessments, policies and operational compliance. IOSH, NEBOSH or similar would be advantageous.
• Experience working with structured quality and compliance systems; ISO experience or involvement in achieving accreditation would be advantageous.
• Confident using Excel, operational systems, KPIs and performance data to support decision-making and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Experience across areas such as stock, planning, logistics, shipping and/or customer fulfilment.
• A practical, hands-on leadership style combined with the commercial judgement and broader perspective required to take ownership of a business unit.

The role would suit an experienced Operations Manager, Business Unit Manager, General Manager, Site Manager, Head of Operations or similar who has progressed beyond purely operational management and has experience taking broader commercial responsibility for the performance of a site or business unit.