Blue Arrow
Operations Manager
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Operations Manager
Location: South Wales – UK Wide Travel & Home Working
Salary: £60,000 - £80,000
Job Type: Permanent
About the Opportunity
We are seeking an experienced and ambitious Operations Manager to play a key leadership role in driving operational excellence and supporting the future growth of the business. This is an ideal opportunity for someone with a strong background in the mechanical engineering sector, particularly within welding, fabrication, pipework, mechanical installation or industrial maintenance environments, who is ready to step away from a hands-on role and transition into a strategic operational leadership position.
Working closely with senior leadership, you will oversee workforce management, operational performance, resource planning and business improvement initiatives across multiple sites nationwide. This hybrid role offers a blend of field-based responsibilities, travel to operational locations across the UK, and home-based working.
The Role
As Operations Manager, you will take ownership of the day-to-day operational delivery of the business while helping shape its long-term direction. You will be responsible for ensuring projects are adequately resourced, teams are supported and developed, and operational processes are aligned with the company's growth objectives.
This role requires a hands-on leader who understands the realities of mechanical engineering environments while possessing the commercial awareness and leadership capability to drive continuous improvement and organisational success.
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Key Responsibilities
- Lead and support operational teams across multiple UK locations.
- Manage workforce planning, resource allocation and labour utilisation.
- Develop and implement operational strategies to support business growth.
- Monitor project delivery, productivity and operational performance.
- Work closely with senior management to identify business improvement opportunities.
- Ensure compliance with health, safety, quality and industry standards.
- Support recruitment, training and development of engineering personnel.
- Build strong relationships with clients, suppliers and internal stakeholders.
- Drive operational efficiency and promote best practice across the business.
- Provide leadership and direction to site-based management and engineering teams.
- Contribute to future business planning, succession planning and organisational development.
- Analyse operational data and reporting to support informed decision-making.
About You
We are looking for an operational leader who has progressed through a mechanical engineering environment and understands the challenges of delivering engineering services in demanding industrial settings.
Essential Requirements
- Previous experience within a mechanical engineering, welding, fabrication or industrial services environment.
- Proven leadership experience managing operational teams, projects or multiple sites.
- Strong people management and workforce planning capabilities.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
- Commercial awareness with the ability to support business growth and profitability.
- Understanding of health, safety and quality requirements within engineering environments.
- Willingness to travel nationally as required.
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Desirable Experience
- Background as a Mechanical Supervisor, Site Manager, Project Manager, Operations Supervisor or similar leadership role.
- Experience within industrial maintenance, manufacturing, engineering services or construction-related engineering sectors.
- Knowledge of business improvement, operational transformation or change management initiatives.
- Relevant engineering qualifications or leadership/management certifications.
What's on Offer
- Competitive salary of £60,000 - £80,000 depending on experience.
- Hybrid working arrangement.
- Opportunity to influence the future direction of a growing business.
- Varied role combining operational leadership, strategic planning and workforce management.
- Career progression within a respected mechanical engineering organisation.
- Company benefits package.
Apply Now
If you have built your career within mechanical engineering and are looking to move beyond the tools into a strategic leadership position where you can shape operational success and business growth, we'd like to hear from you.
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