Operations Director

Operations Director / Head of Production

Northern Ireland | Confidential Appointment

The Opportunity

A well-funded, growing Northern Ireland business is seeking an experienced Operations Director / Head of Production to strengthen, develop and refine its production operations.

This is a key leadership appointment for someone who can bring structure, consistency and operational discipline to a complex, high-volume, regulated environment, while creating the foundations for continued growth and improvement.

The successful candidate will be an experienced operational leader who enjoys understanding how things work, identifying opportunities to improve and putting in place practical systems, processes and standards that deliver consistently strong and reliable performance.

Importantly, this is a people leadership role. Reporting to and working closely with the Group COO, the successful candidate will engage and develop the operational team, establish clear expectations and create a culture where accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement and operational excellence are embedded into the way the business operates.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership & Improvement

• Take overall responsibility for the performance and effectiveness of the Groups key production operations.
• Review existing processes, structures and ways of working to identify opportunities to improve consistency, efficiency and output.
• Develop a clear and practical production operating model, including appropriate processes, standards, KPIs and consistent management routines.
• Improve production planning, resource utilisation, workflow and performance visibility.
• Lead operational improvement and change initiatives, using structured problem solving and root-cause analysis to improve performance.
• Reduce unnecessary variability, inefficiency and reactive management across the operation.
• Work closely with maintenance, logistics, commercial and other key functions to improve overall business performance.
• Ensure improvements are effectively implemented and sustained across the operation.

People Leadership & Culture

• Provide visible, credible and engaging leadership across the production function.
• Build a strong performance culture where people understand what is expected of them and have the support and tools to deliver.
• Create clear ownership and accountability across the operational management structure.
• Develop and empower managers and supervisors, building their capability to lead teams, manage performance and solve problems effectively.
• Engage the wider team in operational improvement, encouraging people to identify opportunities and contribute to solutions.
• Establish high standards around safety, quality, productivity, housekeeping, discipline and customer service.
• Embed a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence, ensuring that high standards become part of everyday behaviour rather than isolated initiatives.
• Recognise and develop talent, creating stronger capability and succession within the operation.
• Build a collaborative environment where teams work together to deliver shared operational goals.

Experience & Background

The ideal candidate will have significant senior operations or production leadership experience within a high-volume, process-driven or operationally complex environment.

Experience with in waste management, recycling or environmental services would be advantageous, but is not essential.

Strong candidates could also come from sectors including:

• Food manufacturing / FMCG
• Materials or process manufacturing
• Agricultural or agri-food processing
• Packaging
• Building products
• Industrial manufacturing
• Other asset-intensive or high-volume environments

More important than sector background will be a proven ability to bring structure to complexity, lead people through change in a real-world environment and improve operational consistency and performance.

The successful candidate will ideally demonstrate:

• Strong senior production / operations leadership experience.
• A track record of implementing operational improvements and managing change.
• Experience developing and embedding effective processes, systems and KPIs.
• Strong problem-solving and continuous improvement capability.
• A genuine track record of developing people and improving team performance.
• Commercial awareness and understanding of operational cost drivers.
• The ability to operate at both strategic and hands-on levels.

The Person

This role will suit an operational leader who is practical, commercially aware, people-focused and solutions-driven.

You will be comfortable stepping into a complex environment, understanding the operation quickly and bringing clarity, structure and momentum.

You will be a leader who sets high standards but brings people with you; someone who can challenge constructively, develop capability and create genuine ownership throughout the organisation.

Ultimately, you will have the leadership capability to build a stronger operating model and the people leadership skills to embed…