Manufacturing Operations Manager

Manufacturing Operations Manager South Wales - Swansea Manufacturing / Heavy Industry £75,000 - 78,000 + Bonus + Benefits An established and globally backed manufacturing business is looking to appoint a high-calibre Manufacturing Operations Manager to lead a critical front-end manufacturing operation within a complex, high-volume industrial environment. This is not a traditional production management role. The successful candidate will operate as a General Manager for their business unit - owning performance across safety, quality, throughput, cost, people and continuous improvement while leading a sizeable manufacturing operation supplying long-term customer programmes. The role sits within a senior leadership structure and offers genuine influence across operations, engineering, quality, supply chain, and commercial performance. The Opportunity You will take responsibility for a major manufacturing value stream, overseeing the full front-end production process from raw material intake through primary processing before handover into finishing operations. Leading through a team of Production Managers, Shift Managers and Team Leaders, you will oversee an indirect workforce of approximately 70 employees within a unionised manufacturing environment. This is a highly visible leadership role requiring both strategic thinking and operational delivery. The business has strong order books and long-term customer demand, however success in this role will come from your ability to: - Drive operational performance daily - Improve productivity and throughput - Manage cost and labour performance - Build strong supplier relationships - Lead continuous improvement initiatives - Develop leadership capability within the operation - Create future-state operational improvements rather than simply managing day-to-day production The successful candidate will be empowered to make decisions, challenge traditional thinking, and help shape the future direction of the operation. Key Responsibilities - Lead all operational activity across the assigned business unit - Own daily Safety, Quality, Delivery and Cost performance - Manage and deliver operational KPIs and business unit P&L performance - Lead, coach, and develop Production Managers and wider leadership teams - Drive labour planning, resource allocation, and productivity improvements - Identify bottlenecks, constraints, and capacity challenges - Work cross-functionally with Engineering, Quality, Planning, Supply Chain and Customer teams - Lead operational continuous improvement activity using Lean and CI methodologies - Drive accountability, engagement, and performance culture across the shop floor - Manage operational risk, supplier challenges, and changing production demands - Support longer-term operational strategy and future growth planning About You We are looking for a proven manufacturing leader who combines strong operational control with commercial awareness and modern leadership capability. You will ideally come from a complex manufacturing, heavy engineering, metals, aerospace, automotive or industrial processing background. Most importantly, you will be someone who: - Has genuinely led large manufacturing operations - Understands how to drive performance through people - Can balance strategic thinking with hands-on operational leadership - Brings practical continuous improvement experience rather than textbook theory - Builds relationships across all levels of a business - Thrives in fast-paced production environments - Has the credibility and presence to influence across departments Experience Required - Significant leadership experience within a manufacturing environment - Experience leading large operational teams through subordinate managers - Strong understanding of production, quality, HSE and cost management - Experience within unionised environments is advantageous - Proven continuous improvement and operational transformation experience - Strong commercial and operational decision-making capability - Lean / Six Sigma exposure beneficial Why Apply? This is an opportunity to join a well-invested manufacturing business with: - Strong long-term order books - Significant operational scale - A collaborative leadership team - Real autonomy and ownership - Opportunities for progression within a larger international group - The chance to make a genuine operational impact The role would suit an ambitious manufacturing leader seeking a broader operational leadership position with significant visibility and influence