Operations Manager

OPERATIONS MANAGER

Location:

Kettering, Northamptonshire
Salary:
Up to £50,000 per annum DOE

Hours:

37.5 hrs per week

About the Company

Our client is a long-established company specialising in the design and manufacture of physical testing machinery. Trusted by leading global brands, their equipment is exported worldwide to support quality and performance standards across multiple industries. Their Kettering facility combines engineering expertise with advanced production processes to deliver high-value, low-volume machinery.

About the Role

The Operations Manager will oversee the end-to-end coordination of production, service, logistics, and operational delivery, ensuring customer commitments are met on time, to quality standards, and within budget.

This is a hands-on leadership position requiring a strong engineering background, proven production management experience, and commercial awareness. The role bridges engineering, production, sales, and customers, ensuring products are delivered profitably and reliably.

It includes customer-facing responsibilities and contributes to business development and strategic marketing through operational and technical input.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Delivery & Planning

Own and continuously improve delivery performance from order acceptance to shipment, installation, commissioning, and service.

Lead integrated planning across sales, engineering, production, service, and procurement, ensuring priorities, capacity, and risks are visible.

Serve as the escalation point for delivery issues, proactively communicating and mitigating risks.

Production & Service Oversight

Manage and support team leaders responsible for:

Mechanical production and assembly

Electrical build, calibration, and commissioning

Global service and technical support

Logistics and order fulfillment

Ensure all production, calibration, and service activities adhere to agreed processes and quality standards.

Oversee logging and escalation of design, production, supplier, or parts defects.

Commercial & Margin Awareness

Meet financial objectives through operational decision-making.

Minimize avoidable cost leakage via improved planning, sourcing, internal manufacturing vs. subcontracting decisions, and clear service charging.

Collaborate with Sales, Procurement, and Engineering to ensure commercially sound decisions.

Report financial performance against budget.

Customer & Market Engagement

Act as a senior operational contact for key customers, fostering confidence in delivery and service.

Support the development of service offerings, training, upgrades, and aftermarket opportunities.

Contribute operational and technical expertise to marketing materials, product positioning, and business development.

Leadership & Team Development

Lead, coach, and develop team leaders, enhancing planning discipline, accountability, and confidence.

Promote a commercially aware, customer-focused culture across production and service teams.

Support skills development, training records, and succession planning.

Continuous Improvement & Governance

Enhance consistency of operational processes without adding unnecessary bureaucracy.

Maintain feedback loops between production, service, and engineering teams.

Support skills development, training records, and succession planning.

About You

Essential

Willingness to challenge constructively and improve ways of working

Engineering background (mechanical and/or electrical)

Proven experience in production or operations management

Experience leading technical or production teams

Strong planning, coordination, and problem-solving skills

Commercial awareness

Confident communicator with internal teams and customers

Comfortable in a low-volume, high-value manufacturing environment

Desirable

Experience in test equipment, machinery, or capital equipment

Exposure to service, commissioning, or calibration activities

Previous customer-facing or account support experience

Involvement in business development or product marketing

Knowledge of CE/UKCA or regulated machinery environments

Experience managing subcontract manufacture

Benefits Include

25–30 days (service-related) annual leave

Life assurance

Group personal pension plan

Income protection

Free parking

Flexible working hours

Potential for global travel

Recruitment Contact:
This vacancy is being handled exclusively by Interaction Recruitment.
Closing date:
Friday 13th March
1st Stage Teams interviews: 25th & 26th March 2026

INDKTT