Site Operations Manager

Candidate Source; Preston; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company car

Bonus

Relocation package

Job summary

Candidate Source is seeking a Site Operations Manager to lead the service operation at a major CNC machinery site. You will oversee engineers, maintenance activity and resources to maximize uptime and service quality.

As the pivotal link between the customer, the site engineering team and the wider service organisation, you will own priorities, drive performance and deliver measurable improvements in machine availability in a technically demanding environment.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading service, maintenance or engineering teams in CNC machine tools or high-value manufacturing.
• Strong technical engineering credibility to discuss complex CNC machinery.
• Experience planning and managing preventive maintenance and breakdowns.
• Excellent customer-management skills with stakeholders at senior level.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day service and maintenance activity to high standards.
• Develop and support the engineering team, driving accountability and performance.
• Plan resources across preventive maintenance, breakdowns and production requirements.
• Improve machine uptime, availability, response times and overall service quality.
• Coordinate complex breakdowns with fault finding and corrective actions.
• Interface with customers, lead service reviews and report KPIs.

Skills

Leadership

Operations management

CNC knowledge

Stakeholder management

Problem-solving

Job description

Keeping sophisticated CNC machinery running at its best takes more than technical knowledge - it takes strong leadership, clear priorities and someone who can take ownership when the pressure is on. As Site Operations Manager, you'll lead the service operation at a major blue-chip manufacturing site, ensuring engineers, maintenance activity and resources are focused where they can make the biggest difference.

You’ll be the crucial link between the customer, an experienced site-based engineering team and the wider service organisation. From coordinating complex breakdowns to improving machine availability, you’ll have genuine responsibility for the performance and quality of the service delivered.

What's in it for you

• Salary of £60,000 - £70,000 per annum, plus a company car and bonus
• Relocation package available, giving you additional support if you're moving for the opportunity.
• Take ownership of a highly visible service operation supporting sophisticated, high-value CNC machinery.
• Lead and develop an experienced engineering team while remaining closely involved in technical problem-solving.
• Have genuine autonomy over engineering priorities, resources, maintenance activity and machine availability.
• Work directly with a major blue-chip manufacturing customer in a technically demanding environment.
• Join an established specialist working with premium, high-precision machine tool technology.

Your responsibilities as Site Operations Manager

• Lead day-to-day service and maintenance activity, maintaining consistently high standards across the site.
• Manage, develop and support the engineering team, driving accountability, performance and technical standards.
• Plan and prioritise resources across preventative maintenance, breakdowns and customer production requirements.
• Improve machine uptime, availability, response times, maintenance completion and overall service quality.
• Coordinate complex breakdowns, supporting fault finding, root-cause analysis and effective corrective actions.
• Act as the primary operational customer interface, leading service reviews, resolving escalations and reporting KPIs and outstanding actions.

What we're looking for in a Site Operations Manager

• Proven experience managing service, maintenance or engineering teams within CNC machine tools, capital equipment or advanced manufacturing.
• Strong technical engineering knowledge, with the credibility to support experienced engineers and contribute to complex CNC machinery discussions.
• Experience managing planned preventative maintenance and reactive breakdown activity on complex production equipment.
• Strong customer-management experience, including engagement with engineering, maintenance, operations and senior stakeholders.
• Background within machine tools, aerospace, automotive, defence, precision engineering or other high-value manufacturing environments.