Senior Operations Manager

Walker Cole International; Cork; On-site; EUR 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Walker Cole International, in Cork, is partnering with a leading global medical device manufacturer to recruit a Senior Operations Manager. You will oversee manufacturing operations, deliver safe, efficient production, and drive continuous improvement across the site.

The role requires extensive experience leading large teams in regulated environments (FDA, ISO 13485, GMP). You will champion Lean, Six Sigma and operational excellence while shaping site strategy as a senior leader.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, Business or related field.
• Significant leadership experience in regulated manufacturing (Medical Devices, Pharmaceuticals, etc.).
• Experience leading large manufacturing teams in fast-paced production.
• Strong knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, Operational Excellence, and CI methodologies.
• Proven track record delivering improvements in safety, quality, productivity and cost.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management.
• Experience managing operational budgets and resources.
• Data-driven approach to operational decision making.
• Experience in FDA, ISO 13485 and GMP environments desirable.
• Experience leading multinational medical device operations.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.
• Experience supporting scale-up, automation or new product introductions.
• Site-wide strategic planning and organizational development.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for manufacturing operations to meet safety, quality, delivery, and cost objectives.
• Lead and develop large cross-functional manufacturing teams with coaching and succession planning.
• Drive Lean and Continuous Improvement to boost efficiency and productivity.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance to support performance.
• Monitor KPIs across safety, quality, service, and financial metrics.
• Support new product introductions, process improvements, and capacity expansion.
• Manage departmental budgets, resource planning, and forecasting.
• Ensure compliance with QMS, regulatory, and EHS requirements.

Skills

Leadership

Lean Manufacturing

Six Sigma

Budget management

Cross-functional leadership

Data-driven decisions

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering/Manufacturing/Operations

Job description

Walker Cole International is partnering with a leading global medical device manufacturer in the search for a Senior Operations Manager to join their manufacturing leadership team in Cork. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced operations professional to lead a high-performing manufacturing function, drive operational excellence initiatives and contribute to the strategic growth of a world-class production site.

As the Senior Operations Manager you will provide leadership across manufacturing operations, ensuring the safe, efficient and compliant delivery of production objectives while developing a culture focused on continuous improvement, employee engagement and operational performance.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic leadership for manufacturing operations, ensuring the successful delivery of safety, quality, delivery and cost objectives.
• Lead and develop large cross-functional manufacturing teams, fostering a high-performance culture through coaching, mentoring and succession planning.
• Drive Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement initiatives to improve operational efficiency, productivity and overall business performance.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance and other key departments to support manufacturing performance and strategic business objectives.
• Monitor and improve operational KPIs, ensuring targets are consistently achieved across safety, quality, service and financial performance.
• Support new product introductions, process improvements and capacity expansion projects across the manufacturing site.
• Manage departmental budgets, resource planning and operational forecasting to support site objectives.
• Ensure compliance with all Quality Management System (QMS), regulatory and Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) requirements.
• Champion employee engagement initiatives while creating an inclusive and collaborative working environment.
• Contribute to site strategy as a member of the senior leadership team, supporting long-term operational growth and business success.

The Successful Candidate Will Have

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, Business or a related discipline.
• Significant leadership experience within a regulated manufacturing environment such as Medical Devices, Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology or other highly regulated industries.
• Proven experience managing large manufacturing teams within a fast-paced production environment.
• Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Operational Excellence and Continuous Improvement methodologies.
• Demonstrated success in delivering measurable improvements across safety, quality, productivity and cost.
• Excellent leadership, communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience managing operational budgets, resources and manufacturing performance metrics.
• Strong problem-solving abilities with a data-driven approach to operational decision making.
• Experience working within FDA, ISO 13485 and GMP regulated manufacturing environments is highly desirable.
• Previous experience leading operations within a multinational medical device manufacturing organisation.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.
• Experience supporting manufacturing scale-up, automation or new product introduction projects.
• Experience contributing to site-wide strategic planning and organisational development.

Keywords

Senior Manager Operations | Operations Manager | Manufacturing Manager | Production Manager | Medical Devices | Pharmaceuticals | Biotechnology | Manufacturing Leadership | Lean Manufacturing | Operational Excellence | Continuous Improvement | Six Sigma | GMP | FDA | ISO 13485 | Cork | Ireland | Supply Chain | Engineering | Quality | Production | Operations Leadership | Site Leadership | Manufacturing Operations | MedTech