Head of Operations / Plant Manager

HEAD OF OPERATIONS / PLANT MANAGER Head of Operations | Plant Manager | Production Manager | Operations Manager | People Leadership An excellent People-Leadership Role Within a Stable, High-Performing Manufacturing Operation Location: South Yorkshire / North Midlands (Peak District border) - commutable from East Midlands / South Yorkshire / South Cheshire / Staffordshire, or Relocation Assistance Available £80,000 - £90,000 + 25% Bonus + Car Allowance + Executive Benefits About the Opportunity This is a planned succession appointment within a large-scale, energy-intensive manufacturing operation that is already stable, commercially successful, and well-invested. The current site leader is staying in the business in a Continuous Improvement capacity, and will support a structured handover. This is not a turnaround, and it is not primarily a technical role - the team already has strong technical depth. What the business needs is a visible, credible people leader who can build accountability, structure and confidence into a talented but currently under-developed leadership layer, and move the operation from a reactive, firefighting culture to a proactive, well-run one. The Opportunity Is Suited To Production Manager, Senior Production Manager, or Manufacturing Manager ready for a broader multi-site leadership role Operations Manager, Plant Manager or Deputy Plant Manager seeking a genuine next step Candidates from heavy process manufacturing, industrial minerals, cement, chemicals, or industrial manufacturing Candidates from heavy industrial processing, FMCG, consumer goods, brewing or other traditional manufacturing environments who have led shift managers and are ready to lead a leadership team Suited to a leader who is ambitious to progress further within a growing business, or one who is looking to bring proven leadership experience to a stable, rewarding senior role for the long term What Matters Most Genuine presence, energy and the ability to engage and inspire a close, family-style team - this is a nurturing, coaching leadership style, not a dictatorial one A track record of developing supervisors and managers into confident, accountable leaders - including real, specific examples of succession planning and building bench strength The ability to move a team from reactive problem-solving to proactive, structured performance management Experience managing managers (not just individual operators or tradespeople) across production, maintenance or engineering-adjacent teams Comfort operating in a unionised, highly visible, site-based environment Willingness to be the first point of contact for the (infrequent) out-of-hours issue What You Will Be Responsible For Leadership of a multi-site, high-volume manufacturing operation (circa £100m+ turnover) Building leadership capability, accountability and succession depth across the operational team Day-to-day operational, safety, quality and cost performance Working closely with a strong existing technical/engineering team - you do not need to be the technical expert Supporting continuous improvement and capital investment programmes already underway What Success Looks Like The operation is already fundamentally sound. Success here is about unlocking the capability that already exists in the team - building a leadership layer that no longer depends on one individual to hold it all together, and creating a visible, structured, proactive way of running the operation day to day. Location Candidates should be within a reasonable commute of the South Yorkshire / North Midlands (Peak District border) region, or willing to relocate. This is a genuinely attractive part of the country to live in, with more affordable housing than many candidates expect, and a relocation package is available to support the right candidate. Package £80,000-£90,000 basic salary 25% bonus (non-contractual, based on company performance) Pension: 5% employee / 10% employer Private medical insurance (family cover) Company car or car allowance (£625/month) Share save scheme, Reward Gateway benefits platform 26 days holiday + birthday + bank holidays, holiday purchase scheme SmartTech and Cycle to Work salary sacrifice schemes Application To explore this opportunity in complete confidence, please apply with a detailed CV. All applications will be handled with strict confidentiality. Ref: LX(phone number removed)