Operations Director

Operations Director Bristol 80,000 - 90,000

An established and growing UK-based organisation is seeking an experienced Operations Manager to join its Senior Management Team.

This is a pivotal leadership role responsible for ensuring the effective and efficient running of operational functions across the business. With direct oversight of Quality and Project Management, the successful candidate will ensure that systems, processes, governance and people capability support consistent, compliant and high-quality delivery.

This role is ideal for a commercially aware operational leader who enjoys building structure, driving continuous improvement and enabling sustainable growth.

You will oversee the effective day-to-day running of operational functions across the business, ensuring alignment between engineering, project management, quality and commercial teams.

• Lead operational delivery across the organisation
• Develop scalable systems, processes and documentation

• Lead and develop the Quality function
• Maintain compliance with recognised industry standards (e.g. ISO 9001, ISO 27001, ISO 26262, AS9100)

• Directly manage Project Managers
• Ensure consistent application of project delivery frameworks

• Develop KPIs, dashboards and operational reporting
• Monitor performance and implement corrective actions
• Support strategic planning and annual operating plans

We are looking for a confident, analytical and commercially aware operational leader who can operate at both strategic and hands‑on levels.

• Proven experience in an Operations Manager (or similar senior leadership) role within a software or technology environment
• Experience managing Project Management and/or Quality teams
• Experience supporting organisational growth or transformation
• Working knowledge of recognised quality and safety frameworks (e.g. ISO 9001, ISO 26262, DO-178C, ASPICE, AS9100 or CMMI)

• Professional membership (e.g. CMI, APM)
• Experience with in a scaling SME environment
• Strong understanding of embedded software development and associated SDLC frameworks