Operations Manager

Job Title: Operations Manager
Location: Halifax
Salary: £50,000 - £70,000 DOE
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30am–5:00pm (flexible working hours)
Position: Permanent, Full-Time, Site-Based

We are recruiting for an Operations Manager to join an established chemical manufacturing business based in Halifax. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Manager with a chemical manufacturing background to take responsibility for a small production and engineering team within a specialist process manufacturing environment.

Reporting directly to the UK Managing Director, you will lead a team of approximately 10–12 employees across Production and Engineering. This is a hands-on production leadership position where you will be highly visible on the shop floor, supporting operators and engineers, resolving production issues and ensuring schedules are achieved safely and to the required quality standards.

The successful candidate must have previous experience working within a chemical manufacturing or chemical process environment.

The Role

You will take responsibility for the day-to-day performance of Production and Engineering, ensuring operations are safe, productive and cost-effective. You will also work closely with Planning, Warehouse, Quality, HSE, HR and Technical teams to support wider site performance.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading, managing and developing a team of approximately 10–12 Production and Engineering employees.
• Providing hands-on, day-to-day support to operators and engineers on the shop floor.
• Ensuring production schedules are achieved while maintaining high standards of safety, quality and operational performance.
• Identifying and resolving production, process and engineering issues to minimise disruption and downtime.
• Coaching and developing the supervisory structure, including supporting the development of senior operators and Production Supervisors.
• Taking responsibility for operational Health & Safety compliance alongside the site SHE/HSE function.
• Ensuring ISO quality standards and relevant regulatory requirements are consistently maintained.
• Monitoring product and production standards and implementing improvement activity where required.
• Leading production and engineering troubleshooting and coordinating non-standard operations.
• Managing budgets relating to repairs, renewals and external contractors.
• Driving continuous improvement across production processes, working practices, safety and operational performance.
• Working collaboratively with Planning, Warehouse, QC, QA, HSE, HR and Technical colleagues to resolve issues and deliver site objectives.

What We're Looking For

• Previous experience within chemical manufacturing or chemical process manufacturing is essential.
• A minimum of 3–5 years' experience in a Production Manager, Manufacturing Manager or comparable production leadership position.
• Strong knowledge of production plant, machinery and process manufacturing operations.
• Proven experience leading, coaching and developing production teams.
• A hands-on management style, with the willingness to spend significant time supporting teams on the shop floor.
• Strong Health & Safety knowledge and a mindset where safe working practices form part of everyday production management.
• Experience managing production schedules, resolving operational issues and maintaining output against plan.
• Good knowledge of ISO quality standards and manufacturing compliance.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills, with the ability to respond effectively to production issues.
• The ability to collaborate effectively with Planning, Engineering, Quality, Warehouse, HSE and other site functions.
• Experience with Sage 200 or similar manufacturing/ERP systems would be advantageous.

The Individual

You will be an experienced Operations Manager from a chemical manufacturing background who enjoys being close to the operation rather than managing solely through KPIs from an office. You will be comfortable working directly with operators and engineers, solving problems on the shop floor and providing clear leadership to a relatively small team.

The business is strengthening its production supervisory structure, so your ability to coach, mentor and develop people will be particularly important. You will bring a collaborative management style, strong Health & Safety awareness and the ability to work across departments to ensure production remains safe, on schedule and to the required quality standards.

This is a fully site-based position in Halifax, five days per week . Flexibility will be required on occasion to attend earlier production starts, with operational teams commencing between 6:00am and 8:30am.

Apply now for further information or to be considered for the Operations Manager position.

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