An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Operations Manager to join a highly established and successful plastics manufacturing business based in Mansfield.
The business operates within a high-volume manufacturing environment, supplying plastic products and packaging into demanding markets including FMCG, personal care, home care, food and beverage, pharmaceutical and medical sectors.
This is a key position within the business, and we are looking for an established Operations Manager with significant experience in manufacturing and production, together with a strong track record of successfully managing and improving a high-volume operation.
To be considered for this role, you must have proven experience within FMCG, plastics manufacturing or injection moulding, alongside a strong background in manufacturing and production. Experience of working within a fast-paced, high-volume production environment is essential.
The successful candidate will also need strong operational knowledge across manufacturing, production, technical, maintenance, warehousing and distribution, with the ability to oversee and bring these functions together effectively.
You will take responsibility for the overall operational performance of the site, working closely with the senior management team to ensure production, people, quality, delivery, efficiency and commercial performance are consistently maintained and improved.
The Role
As Operations Manager, you will take overall ownership of the site's operational performance, ensuring people, machinery, materials, production capacity, warehousing and distribution are effectively managed to meet customer requirements.
You will be a visible and hands-on leader, working closely with production, engineering, maintenance, technical, quality, planning, warehousing and distribution teams to identify issues, improve performance and ensure customer commitments are achieved.
The role will have broad operational responsibility across manufacturing, production, technical, maintenance, warehousing and distribution. You will be expected to ensure these functions work effectively together, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, productivity, communication and overall site performance.
Key responsibilities will include taking overall responsibility for day-to-day operational performance, leading and developing operational teams, ensuring production schedules and customer delivery requirements are achieved, and managing workflow, capacity, productivity and resource requirements.
You will identify and resolve production and operational bottlenecks, monitor key operational KPIs and drive improvements in productivity, efficiency, machine utilisation, waste reduction and cost control.
You will work closely with technical and maintenance teams to maximise equipment availability, minimise downtime and ensure machinery and production assets are maintained effectively.
Responsibility will also extend across warehousing and distribution, ensuring stock, materials, finished goods and outbound deliveries are managed efficiently and customer requirements are met.
A key part of the role will be developing a culture of continuous improvement, accountability and operational excellence. You will be expected to challenge existing processes, identify opportunities for improvement and ensure agreed actions are implemented and sustained.
You will work closely with Quality to maintain high standards, address non-conformances and prevent recurring issues, while ensuring Health & Safety standards and company procedures are consistently maintained.
The role will also involve supporting recruitment, training, development and performance management, as well as working with the senior management team on future investment, capacity, equipment and operational strategy.
About You
The ideal candidate will already be working as an Operations Manager, or in a comparable senior operational position, within a manufacturing and production environment.
You must have significant experience in manufacturing and production, ideally within a high-volume environment.
Experience within at least one of the following sectors is essential:
FMCG manufacturing.
Plastics manufacturing.
Injection moulding.
In addition to the sector experience above, you will need strong knowledge and practical understanding of operations, manufacturing, production, maintenance and warehousing.
You should understand how these functions interact and how effective management across each area contributes to overall operational performance.
You must also have a strong operational background encompassing technical operations, maintenance, warehousing and distribution.
You will have a strong understanding of the demands of high-volume production and be comfortable managing multiple operational functions within a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
You should have a proven track record of successfully managing a manufacturing operation and delivering measurable improvements in operational performance.
Experience managing production, technical, engineering and maintenance teams is essential, together with a strong understanding of warehousing, stock management, logistics and distribution.
You will have experience with production planning, capacity management, resource allocation and operational KPI management, together with a strong understanding of quality, Health & Safety, compliance and continuous improvement.
Commercial awareness is essential, including an understanding of costs, productivity, waste, efficiency and overall operational performance.
The successful candidate will be a confident and credible leader who is comfortable taking ownership, making decisions and being accountable for results.
A hands-on, visible and approachable management style will be important, together with the ability to engage and motivate people at all levels of the organisation.
Most importantly, you will be able to demonstrate what you have achieved in previous roles and provide clear examples of how you have improved manufacturing and production performance, productivity, efficiency and profitability, rather than simply describing what you have been responsible for.
Skills and Experience
The successful candidate will ideally bring a combination of strong operational leadership and practical manufacturing experience, together with knowledge and experience across operations, production, technical, maintenance and warehousing.
You should have proven experience of managing manufacturing and production teams, strong knowledge of production planning and capacity management, experience using KPIs to drive performance, and a good understanding of maintenance requirements and equipment availability.
Knowledge of warehousing, stock control, logistics and distribution is also important, alongside experience of managing resources effectively across a busy manufacturing operation.
You will also need strong problem-solving and decision-making skills, commercial awareness, excellent people-management abilities and the confidence to challenge existing processes and drive continuous improvement.
What's on Offer
£70,000 – £80,000 depending on experience.
Pension and benefits package.
The opportunity to join an established and successful international manufacturing business.
A senior operational position with significant responsibility and influence.
The opportunity to make a genuine impact across manufacturing, production, technical, maintenance, warehousing and distribution.
The opportunity to drive operational improvement, efficiency and continuous improvement across the site.
A challenging and rewarding role within a highly technical, high-volume manufacturing environment.
The Person
This role would suit an experienced Operations Manager who has a genuinely broad operational background and significant experience in manufacturing and production.
You will understand how manufacturing, production, technical, maintenance, warehousing and distribution functions need to work together to deliver a successful operation.
If you have a strong background in FMCG, plastics manufacturing or injection moulding, together with proven experience across manufacturing, production, operations, technical, maintenance, warehousing and distribution, and can demonstrate a track record of improving performance, productivity and operational efficiency, this could be an excellent opportunity
Salary description
£60000.00 - £80000.00 per year