Site Director (Ref: 196941)

Our client is an established international manufacturing business operating as part of a wider global group.

The organisation combines the resources, stability and international reach of a multinational business with the entrepreneurial culture and agility of a smaller manufacturing operation. Its products are supplied to customers across multiple international markets and the business is entering an important period of operational development and transformation.

The company is now seeking a hands-on Plant Director / Operations Director to take full operational responsibility for one of its UK manufacturing sites.

This is a confidential search.

This is a genuinely broad operational leadership role with end-to-end responsibility for a manufacturing site of approximately 50 employees.

Reporting directly into the Group leadership team, you will form part of the senior leadership structure responsible for the site and will have significant autonomy to improve the operation, develop its people and shape its future direction.

The role encompasses the full operational value chain, including:

• Planning

• Purchasing

• Production

• Engineering and Maintenance

• Logistics

• Warehousing

• Quality

• Health & Safety

The successful candidate will be expected to provide visible, hands-on leadership across the site.

This is not a role for a leader who prefers to manage from behind a desk. The successful candidate will be highly visible on the shop floor, build strong relationships with employees at all levels and develop credibility through their actions.

You will be expected to understand the manufacturing process in detail, challenge existing ways of working and lead meaningful operational change.

Site Leadership & Operations

• Take full operational responsibility for the manufacturing site and its overall performance.

• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary management team across Planning, Purchasing, Production, Engineering, Maintenance, Logistics and Warehousing.

• Manage the complete operational value chain from the procurement of raw materials through production, storage and outbound logistics.

• Ensure the site delivers against its objectives for safety, quality, service, productivity and cost.

• Develop and implement the site's operational strategy in alignment with wider Group objectives.

• Establish clear accountability, ownership and performance expectations throughout the organisation.

Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement

• Drive a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence.

• Identify and eliminate unnecessary complexity across processes, structures and ways of working.

• Challenge the status quo and introduce more efficient, lean and agile methods of working.

• Reduce scrap, waste, rework and non-conforming product.

• Improve production efficiency, productivity and overall equipment effectiveness.

• Embed a culture where employees are empowered to identify and solve problems.

• Introduce appropriate Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen and Continuous Improvement methodologies.

Engineering & Maintenance

• Lead the development of effective preventive and predictive maintenance strategies.

• Improve equipment reliability and reduce unplanned downtime.

• Ensure appropriate maintenance standards, processes and performance measures are in place.

• Work closely with engineering and production teams to identify and resolve technical and operational issues.

• Maintain a strong understanding of the manufacturing process and the equipment supporting it.

People Leadership & Organisational Development

• Build, coach and develop a high-performing operational leadership team.

• Develop capability and succession across the organisation.

• Create a culture of accountability, ownership and continuous improvement.

• Provide visible and accessible leadership across the site.

• Engage directly with employees at all levels and build strong relationships across the workforce.

• Review and optimise the organisational structure to ensure roles, responsibilities and decision-making processes are clear.

• Lead organisational change with clarity, consistency and pace.

• Ensure the right people are in the right roles and that individuals are empowered to perform at their best.

Quality, Health & Safety & Compliance

• Ensure a strong culture of health, safety and environmental responsibility across the site.

• Maintain compliance with all relevant legislation, standards and internal policies.

• Maintain and continuously improve the site's Quality Management System.

• Reduce quality issues, customer complaints, rework and non-conforming product.

• Ensure appropriate controls are in place around hazardous substances, manufacturing processes and operational risks.

• Promote a culture in which safety and quality are considered everyone's responsibility.

Financial & Commercial Performance

• Take ownership of operational cost performance.

• Manage and continuously improve production, labour, maintenance and operational costs.

• Work closely with the Finance function to understand performance and drive financial improvement.

• Contribute to budgeting, forecasting and longer-term operational planning.

• Ensure operational decisions are aligned with the commercial objectives of the wider business.

Stakeholder Management

• Work closely with the Group CEO and wider senior leadership team.

• Partner with Finance, HR, Commercial and other Group functions.

• Build effective relationships with suppliers, customers and external partners where appropriate.

• Provide clear, accurate and commercially relevant operational reporting to senior stakeholders.

You will be a hands-on manufacturing leader with a strong engineering foundation and a genuine passion for operational excellence.

The ideal candidate will bring:

• A degree, HNC/HND or equivalent qualification in Mechanical, Electrical, Electro-Mechanical, Manufacturing or a related engineering discipline.

• Significant experience within a manufacturing environment.

• Experience leading a manufacturing site, plant, production operation or broad engineering and operations function.

• A strong technical understanding of manufacturing equipment and processes.

• Experience managing or working closely with Engineering and Maintenance teams.

• A genuine hands-on approach and willingness to spend significant time on the shop floor.

• Experience leading and developing multidisciplinary teams.

• A track record of delivering operational improvement and organisational change.

• Experience with Lean Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement or Operational Excellence methodologies.

• Strong knowledge of production, maintenance, quality and operational performance management.

• Strong commercial and financial awareness.

• Excellent communication, influencing and stakeholder management skills.

Desirable Experience

Experience in one or more of the following environments would be advantageous:

• Coatings

• Films and laminates

• Converting

• Flexible packaging

• Adhesives

• Specialty materials

• Chemicals

• Labels

• Printing and graphics materials

• Other process or technically complex manufacturing environments

Experience working with solvents, hazardous substances or regulated manufacturing environments would also be beneficial.

Relevant qualifications or experience in areas such as Lean Six Sigma, NEBOSH, DSEAR, ATEX, COSHH or ISO management systems would be advantageous, although the most important consideration will be practical manufacturing leadership experience.

Leadership Style

The successful candidate will be:

• Visible and approachable.

• Comfortable working alongside employees on the shop floor.

• Technically credible.

• Decisive when difficult decisions are required.

• Comfortable challenging the status quo.

• Capable of balancing strategic thinking with practical execution.

• A strong coach and developer of people.

• Comfortable operating with autonomy.

• Commercially aware and data-driven.

• Passionate about safety, quality and continuous improvement.

You will be equally comfortable discussing operational strategy with senior Group leadership and working alongside engineers and operators to solve a production issue.

• A senior leadership position with end-to-end responsibility for a manufacturing operation.

• Significant autonomy and decision-making authority.

• Direct exposure to Group-level senior leadership.

• The opportunity to make a tangible impact on the performance and future direction of the site.

• The opportunity to lead meaningful organisational and operational change.

• A competitive salary package aligned with experience.

• Company car or car allowance.

• Bonus opportunity.

• Attractive wider benefits package.

• Opportunities for further personal and professional development within an international group.

• An entrepreneurial environment where initiative, ownership and leadership are valued.