Senior Operations Leader - Aerospace & Defence

TXM Recruit; Llangeinor; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

TXM Recruit is seeking an experienced Senior Operations Manager to lead manufacturing operations within a highly regulated aerospace and defence environment in Llangeinor, Bridgend. Reporting to the VP of Operations, you will provide visible, hands-on leadership across the operation and take responsibility for delivering against safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity and people objectives.

This is a senior operational role demanding strategic translation into practical priorities and

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading manufacturing or production operations.
• At least two years experience managing a manufacturing or production-line environment.
• Experience leading managers, supervisors and multidisciplinary operational teams.
• Strong understanding of production planning, manufacturing flow, supply chain interaction and quality systems.
• Demonstrable record of improving delivery, productivity, cost control and operational capability.
• Confidence using KPIs, performance data and structured problem-solving methods.
• Experience delivering continuous improvement and operational change.
• Strong communication, influencing and stakeholder-management skills.
• Commercial awareness including understanding of how operational decisions affect margin, working capital and customer satisfaction.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and make sound decisions in a demanding operational environment.
• A positive, resilient and improvement-focused leadership style.

Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day delivery of manufacturing operations across safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity and people.
• Translate the wider operations strategy into clear departmental priorities, improvement plans and measurable objectives.
• Provide visible and consistent leadership across manufacturing and production teams.
• Lead daily, weekly and monthly performance reviews, ensuring issues are identified early and corrective actions are completed.
• Improve on-time delivery, schedule adherence and the recovery of past-due customer orders.
• Coordinate cross-functional activity to remove production constraints and improve operational flow.
• Lead continuous improvement and productivity initiatives covering labour efficiency, throughput, waste reduction, automation and process standardisation.
• Support operational planning, forecasting, capacity reviews, headcount planning and capital expenditure proposals.
• Identify and manage operational risks and opportunities, escalating issues when appropriate.
• Promote a safe working environment and ensure compliance with health, safety, environmental, security and quality requirements.
• Develop managers, supervisors and operational teams through coaching, objective setting, performance management, succession planning and skills development.
• Build effective relationships with internal stakeholders, customers, suppliers and regulatory bodies.
• Support customer visits, regulatory reviews and internal or external audits.
• Use operational data and structured problem‑solving techniques to drive informed decisions and sustainable improvements.

Skills

KPIs

Problem-solving

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Communication

Education

Degree or equivalent in operations management/engineering

Job description

TXM Recruit is seeking an experienced Senior Operations Manager to lead manufacturing operations within a highly regulated aerospace and defence environment in Llangeinor, Bridgend. Reporting to the VP of Operations, you will provide visible, hands-on leadership across the operation and take responsibility for delivering against safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity and people objectives.

This is a senior operational role demanding strategic translation into practical priorities and