Operations Director

Operations Director

North West | £70,000-£85,000 + Executive Benefits | Permanent

Lead operations. Build capacity. Drive performance.

An established and ambitious North West business operating within the recycling, materials recovery and circular economy sector is looking to appoint an experienced Operations Director to lead its next phase of operational development.

This is a senior leadership appointment for an accomplished operator who can combine strategic thinking with a genuine willingness to get close to the day-to-day operation.

You will take ownership of operational performance, people, processes, productivity and continuous improvement, creating the structure and capacity required to support continued growth.

The Opportunity

Reporting directly to the Managing Director and working alongside the senior leadership team, you will translate the wider commercial strategy into a clear and effective operational plan.

The business is growing, developing its capabilities and creating increasingly sophisticated ways of recovering, processing and adding value to materials.

You will assess current performance, identify opportunities for improvement and build a scalable operating model capable of delivering increased throughput, improved productivity, consistent quality and stronger financial performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operational performance across the business.

• Develop and deliver the operational strategy.

• Establish clear KPIs across productivity, throughput, quality, cost, service and safety.

• Improve accountability and visibility of operational performance.

• Lead, develop and challenge operational managers and their teams.

• Strengthen management structures and succession planning.

• Identify and remove operational bottlenecks, waste and unnecessary cost.

• Improve labour utilisation, planning and productivity.

• Introduce practical Lean and continuous improvement principles.

• Assess operational capacity against future growth plans.

• Support investment in equipment, technology, automation and infrastructure.

• Lead operational elements of CAPEX projects.

• Take ownership of operational budgets and cost performance.

• Work closely with finance and commercial teams to improve margins.

• Improve material recovery, processing quality and consistency.

• Champion strong health, safety, environmental and compliance standards.

Who We're Looking For

We are looking for an experienced senior operational leader who has successfully managed complex, high-volume operations.

Relevant backgrounds could include:

Recycling | Waste Management | Manufacturing | Materials Processing | Industrial Services | Logistics | Environmental Services | Engineering | FMCG | Automotive | Packaging

Direct sector experience would be advantageous but is not essential.

More important is your ability to lead people, improve performance, introduce operational discipline and scale an organisation effectively.

You are likely to bring:

• Significant senior operations leadership experience.

• Experience managing sizeable teams through managers.

• Strong operational P&L and cost control experience.

• A track record of improving productivity and efficiency.

• Experience introducing meaningful KPIs and performance disciplines.

• Strong continuous improvement credentials.

• Experience managing CAPEX and operational investment.

• Strong commercial awareness.

• The ability to use operational data to drive practical action.

• A visible, hands-on leadership style.

The Person

We are looking for somebody equally comfortable in the boardroom and on the operational floor.

You will be strategic enough to help shape the direction of the business, but practical enough to understand where performance is being lost and work with the team to improve it.

Most importantly, you will bring people with you.

This isn't about imposing unnecessary corporate processes on an entrepreneurial business. It is about introducing the right level of structure, leadership and operational discipline to help a successful organisation take its next significant step forward.

Why Join?

This is an opportunity to join an established organisation with significant growth potential and play a major role in shaping its future operational capability.

For the right individual, this is much more than simply running today's operation.

It's an opportunity to build the operational platform for the next stage of growth.

Salary: £70,000-£85,000 + Executive Benefits
Location: North West
Employment: Permanent | Full Time