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Director of Operations
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Operations Director
Location: North UK (Hybrid – Yorkshire, Cumbria, Scotland)
Package: Circa £130k – £150k base + bonus + car + comprehensive benefits + LTIP
The Opportunity
Reporting directly to the CEO, the Operations Director will take full strategic and P&L accountability for a fast-growing, multi-site business undergoing significant transformation through organic growth and strategic acquisition. This is not a role for a caretaker. It is a pivotal leadership position designed for a commercially astute, operationally rigorous, and highly resilient leader who thrives on challenge and is comfortable making difficult decisions.
You will be the architect of operational excellence, driving performance, standardisation, and profitability across the logistics and production heart of the business. With a footprint spanning Scotland, Cumbria, and Yorkshire, this role demands a leader who can navigate complexity, integrate new operational facilities, plants, and fleets, and manage challenging personalities with authority and emotional intelligence.
Key Responsibilities
- Take full ownership of the P&L for the respective business divisions, driving financial performance through rigorous cost control, efficiency optimisation, and value creation.
- As a key member of the executive leadership team, input into the strategic due diligence of acquisition targets, ensuring seamless integration into the existing operating model.
- Establish a robust and standardised operating model across a multi-site, multi-national footprint, harmonising practices to ensure uniform quality, safety, and regulatory compliance across all locations.
- Lead the Heads of each division, fostering a culture of high performance, accountability, and cooperation.
- Navigate the complexity of integrating new facilities and vehicle fleets following recent acquisitions, building scalable operational architecture that absorbs future growth without compromising service levels.
- Deal decisively with challenging personalities and legacy mindsets, driving necessary cultural change while maintaining team cohesion and morale.
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The Candidate - Essential Experience & Competencies
- Extensive leadership experience in a Head of Operations, Operations Director, or Plant Manager capacity, ideally within food processing, agricultural, or heavy logistics sectors.
- A proven track record of managing complex, multi-site operations across the UK, with experience in mobile asset fleets or "hub and spoke" logistics models highly desirable.
- Demonstrated ability to manage large-scale P&Ls, drive lean manufacturing processes, and implement cost-reduction strategies while maintaining output quality.
- Experience leading teams through periods of rapid growth, transformation, or post-acquisition integration, including the ability to manage resistance and drive change with authority.
- A collaborative yet firm leader who can mentor divisional heads, empower teams, and maintain rigorous accountability.
- Strategic thinker, equally comfortable planning three years ahead as visiting a production facility to spot inefficiencies and resolve issues on the ground.
- High emotional intelligence, with the ability to integrate legacy teams from acquired businesses while enforcing necessary cultural and operational change.
- Resilient, practical, and data-driven, with a "sleeves rolled up" approach to solving the unique challenges of a complex, geographically dispersed supply chain.
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Location & Working Arrangements
This is a hybrid role requiring regular travel between operational hubs in Cumbria, Scotland, and Yorkshire. The successful candidate will be positioned to operate effectively across the North of England and Scotland.
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As a specialist boutique executive search firm, Executive Recruit partners with organisations to secure the calibre of leadership that drives meaningful change. Our bespoke methodology ensures clients access exceptional executives who combine strategic vision with proven execution, ultimately strengthening leadership depth and board performance.
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