Senior Operations Leader - Manufacturing & Lean

BRUSH Group; Blackwood; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Holiday allowance 26 days + bank hols

Hybrid working options

Life insurance 4x annual salary

Enhanced Company Pension scheme

Employee Assistance Programme 24/7

GP24 remote medical services

BRUSHRewards discounts and perks

Family friendly policies (maternity/pP

Bike2work scheme

Long Service Awards

Professional development and training

Job summary

BRUSH Group in the UK is seeking a Business Operations Manager to oversee day-to-day manufacturing activities, lead Production, Planning, Operational Supply Chain and Stores, and ensure safe, efficient, margin‑accretive delivery of all customer orders.

You will define, implement and maintain integrated operational processes that enable collaboration across production, quality, procurement, services, engineering and finance, while driving Lean improvements and structured problem solving.

Qualifications

• Proven track record in senior operational leadership within an engineering or manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated experience improving gross margin and operational efficiency.
• Experience in engineered-to-order manufacturing preferred.
• Strong understanding of production planning and capacity modelling.
• Experience implementing Lean methodologies and structured CI programmes.
• Financial literacy with understanding of cost drivers and margin management.
• Engineering qualification desirable or significant relevant experience.
• Strategic yet hands-on leadership style.
• Commercially minded and margin focused.
• High level of accountability and ownership.
• Confident decision-maker.

Responsibilities

• Lead Production, Testing, Planning, Stores, Supply Chain and Manufacturing Engineering teams, ensuring resources are organised and aligned to deliver the production plan safely, efficiently and profitably.
• Be accountable for manufacturing gross margin performance.
• Assess workforce requirements and develop structured recruitment and skills development plans.
• Optimise production layout and workflow to support growth without disproportionate cost increases.
• Lead the monthly S&OP process in collaboration with Sales and Finance.
• Align forecast demand with operational capacity and realistic delivery commitments.
• Provide operational input into bid reviews and contract feasibility.
• Strengthen supplier performance, reliability and risk management.
• Reduce exposure to long-lead and single-source components.
• Lead Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement initiatives.
• Implement structured problem-solving tools (5S, 5 Whys, Root Cause Analysis, FMEA, Kanban).
• Ensure all manufactured products meet required industry standards and certifications (e.g., IEC, ATEX, ISO and others as applicable).
• To protect product testing integrity and certification compliance.
• To lead, coach and develop operational managers and supervisors.
• To identify skill and capability gaps and implement structured development plans.
• To ensure full compliance with Health & Safety regulations.
• To promote a zero-harm safety culture.

Skills

Senior leadership

Margin improvement

Engineered-to-order

Production planning

Lean methodologies

Financial literacy

Engineering qualification

Strategic leadership

Commercial mindset

Accountability

Decision-making

Education

Engineering qualification

Job description

BRUSH Group in the UK is seeking a Business Operations Manager to oversee day-to-day manufacturing activities, lead Production, Planning, Operational Supply Chain and Stores, and ensure safe, efficient, margin‑accretive delivery of all customer orders.

You will define, implement and maintain integrated operational processes that enable collaboration across production, quality, procurement, services, engineering and finance, while driving Lean improvements and structured problem solving.