Operations & Production Director

Operations & Production Director

Do you have the right skills and experience for this role Read on to find out, and make your application.
Location: Stoke-on-Trent Job Type: Full-time Working Hours: 8:00 am 5:00 pm, with a 30-minute break Salary: £55,000 £65,000 per annum
Our client is a leading design and build partner delivering high-quality exhibitions, interiors, and brand experiences through fully integrated, in-house production.
Whats In It For You
Full ownership across production, planning, warehouse, logistics, and facilities
Opportunity to build a truly best-in-class operational function
Auto-enrolment Workplace Pension The Peoples Pension: Automatic enrolment into a workplace pension to help you save for retirement. Envisage contributes 3% of qualifying earnings (£6,240£50,270 per year before tax)
Health Cash Plan Healthshield: Cashback on everyday healthcare costs including dental, optical, physiotherapy, and more. Dependents covered for free; claims usually paid within 5 days
Life Cover: Employee life insurance paying 1x your annual salary, with access to additional services such as GP24 (24/7 health experts), employee assistance programme, funeral planning, bereavement and probate support
Birthday Holiday: Take your birthday as a paid day off (or the next working day if it falls on a weekend/public holiday)
Paid annual leave and public holidays
Requirements
Essential
Proven experience in a senior operations or production leadership role within: Exhibition/event build
Interior fit-out / commercial interiors
Manufacturing / bespoke joinery

Demonstrable experience managing project-based production environments with multiple concurrent projects
Strong track record of delivering projects on time and on budget
Experience managing production teams, workshop environments, and multi-disciplinary teams (joinery, graphics/scenic, logistics/installation)
Strong experience in production planning, scheduling, and resource management across multiple departments
Ability to balance resource allocation, manage capacity, and resolve bottlenecks
Strong commercial mindset with experience managing project budgets, cost control (materials, labour, subcontracting), and margin performance
Experience tracking estimated vs actual costs, labour efficiency, and cost-to-complete
Strong understanding of production workflows, technical drawings, manufacturing processes, and materials
Experience overseeing workshop operations, warehouse/logistics, and site delivery
Experience managing operational facilities, including machinery, plant, equipment, and site layout
Strong understanding of health & safety, compliance, and statutory obligations
Strong leadership skills with the ability to build high-performing, accountable teams
Highly organised, methodical, proactive, and solutions-focused
Excellent communicator across all levels
Hands-on, commercially aware, and aligned to a get it done properly culture
Desirable
Experience within a full in-house production environment
Familiarity with SolidWorks or similar CAD systems
Experience working within ISO-certified environments (9001 / 14001)
IOSH / NEBOSH qualification
The Role
Lead the end-to-end delivery of all project-based production from design handover to installation
Own the full operational lifecycle, including manufacturing, warehouse coordination, logistics, and final delivery
Own production planning, scheduling, and resource allocation across all live and upcoming projects
Ensure projects are delivered on time, on budget, and to the highest quality standards
Lead all workshop operations, including CNC, joinery, scenic, paint, graphics, and finishing
Oversee warehouse operations, including goods in/out, picking, packing, storage, and asset tracking
Ensure accurate stock control, inventory management, and efficient dispatch
Oversee logistics, load planning, and installation readiness
Ensure all projects leave the warehouse complete, checked, and ready for installation
Drive quality control, snagging, and final sign-off processes
Take full ownership of production-related project costs (materials, labour, subcontracting, logistics)
Monitor labour utilisation, material usage, cost-to-complete, and margin performance
Work closely with Commercial and Project teams to validate budgets and manage performance
Own and improve operational workflows, production processes, and SOPs
Lead structured production planning and coordination
Implement lean processes to improve efficiency and reduce waste
Manage site and facilities, including workshop, warehouse, yard, and office environments
Oversee maintenance of machinery, plant, and equipment
Lead site improvements, layout optimisation, and operational flow
Lead health & safety standards, RAMS, and compliance (including ISO 9001 / 14001)
Build and lead high-performing teams across production, warehouse, and logistics
Drive accountability, performance, and consistent delivery standards
Whats next? xwzovoh Its easy! Click APPLY now! We cant wait to hear from you!