Senior Operations Manager

Elevation Recruitment Group; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Howco is seeking an Operations Manager to drive performance across machining, heat treatment, testing and quality control. Reporting to the Regional Director, you will own end-to-end operations, optimise capacity, and lead from the front in a multi-discipline environment.

You will implement lean improvements, manage weekly performance reporting, ensure QHSE compliance, and mentor a high-potential operations team as the business scales.

Qualifications

• Senior operations management experience in an engineering environment.
• Track record of leading multi-disciplined teams across end-to-end order-to-despatch.
• Proven delivery of operational KPIs including SQDC metrics.
• Competency in Lean, Six Sigma or CI frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Lead operational excellence and continuous improvement programmes to drive efficiency and profitability.
• Implement visual management and data-driven capacity planning and daily operations meetings.
• Drive collaboration across departments to create a one business mindset.
• Identify and deliver process improvement and capital expenditure projects for future needs.
• Ensure compliance with QHSE legislation and promote safe working culture.
• Mentor and develop the operational team, focusing on high-potential individuals.
• Produce weekly/monthly performance reports for Directors to enable data-led decisions.

Skills

Operational leadership

Multi-disciplinary teams

Lean / Six Sigma

Data-driven decision making

Education

HNC/HND level or equivalent

Tools

ERP/MRP systems

Job description

Elevation Recruitment Group are pleased to be working with Howco to appoint an Operations Manager at a key stage of the business's growth. Howco operates across multiple disciplines including machining, heat treatment, testing and quality control, and has a strong track record of delivering complex products to demanding customer specifications. This is a business with genuine ambition, and the incoming Operations Manager will play a central role in shaping how that ambition is realised.

Reporting to the Regional Director, you will take full accountability for operational performance across the site, spanning goods in, despatch, sawing, machining, heat treatment, testing and quality control. This is a broad, senior appointment and you will be expected to lead from the front.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Leading and delivering Operational Excellence and continuous improvement programmes to drive efficiency, reduce waste and improve profitability
• Implementing visual management systems and standardising data-driven approaches to capacity planning, scheduling and daily operational meetings
• Driving a culture of collaboration across all departments, creating a genuine "one business" mindset
• Identifying and delivering process improvement and capital expenditure projects to support future strategic needs
• Ensuring full compliance with QHSE legislation and promoting a culture of safe working across all operations
• Mentoring and developing your operational team, with a focus on high-potential individuals
• Producing weekly and monthly performance reports for the Directors, enabling data-led decision making

To be considered for this role, you will need:

• Demonstrable experience in a senior Operations Management role within an engineering environment, ideally with some technical knowledge/expertise around multi-stage manufacturing processes
• A track record of leading multi-disciplined teams across the full order-to-despatch process
• Proven delivery against and improvement of operational KPIs, including SQDC metrics
• Ideally hold qualifications around HNC/HND level or equivalent vocational accreditation
• Competency in Operational Excellence methodologies such as Lean, Six Sigma or similar CI frameworks
• Strong working knowledge of Health, Safety and Environmental legislation
• Proficiency in ERP/MRP systems
• Excellent leadership and communication skills, with the composure to perform in a high-pressure environment

Elevation Recruitment Group is managing this vacancy exclusively on behalf of Howco. Any direct applications or agency CVs received in relation to this role will be forwarded to Elevation Recruitment Group, and no agency fees will be applicable.

About Elevation Recruitment Group

Elevation Recruitment Group is a specialist recruitment consultancy that helps people build long-term, successful careers. We work across a wide range of industries and disciplines with a focus on making recruitment feel more human, more honest and more effective. We are specialists in every function and experts in every hire. Check out our website to find out more.