Head of US Operations | Manufacturing, Fulfilment & Quality | Lakeland, FL

Display Champ makes the world’s finest sports display cases.

This October we open our first US manufacturing and fulfilment hub in the central Lakeland area. We’re hiring the person who will lead it.

You’ll lead our US production operation from day one — setting up the floor, hiring and growing the team, owning quality and standards, and turning a brand-new site into a high‑performing operation over the first 12 months. This is a build-from-zero role with real ownership and decision authority, in direct partnership with the CEO. It is not a maintain‑the‑status‑quo job.

This role requires a high standard of personal discipline and operational care — what we call a lab‑like standard. In practice that means a clean, organised, quality‑first production floor: tools put back properly, stock labelled, defects documented, machines cared for, and no order leaving without being checked.

Target start:
September 2026 (one month of pre‑launch ramp), full operation from October 2026.

Reports to the CEO.

• Own day‑to‑day production: scheduling, equipment, throughput and quality
• Hold the line on a right‑first‑time mindset, supported by a 100% pre‑dispatch quality check on every order — B2B or direct‑to‑consumer alike
• Build and lead a small, accountable, high‑standards production team — hiring, training and growing them as volume scales
• Own inbound supply, customs and freight coordination, and inventory management
• Coordinate the production side of B2B orders once closed by the sales team — specs, deadlines, QC, dispatch
• Run day‑to‑day facility management and U.S. employer compliance, with weekly reporting to UK leadership

We hire for character first. Must have:

• Hands‑on production, fulfilment, print, signage, custom or light‑manufacturing leadership
• Experience leading or supervising a small team
• Comfortable on the production floor, not managing from a desk
• Strong quality control and process discipline
• Inventory and supplier coordination experience
• Able to work with UK leadership across time zones
• Authorised to work in the U.S.
• Florida‑based or willing to relocate to the Lakeland area

Strong advantage: UV flatbed printing; laser engraving; international freight, customs or import coordination;
Shopify, Ship Station or e‑commerce fulfilment; launching a new site or department; premium products, awards, trophies, signage, sports memorabilia or personalised goods.

Monday to Friday, daytime hours; exact shift pattern confirmed before offer. Some overtime during launch, peak season or large B2B orders. As the senior leader on the ground, occasional availability for early calls with the UK team will be expected.

• Employee #1 in the U.S. — build‑from‑zero authority over the team, the production layout, the quality standards and the culture. The decisions you make in the first 90 days shape the operation for years.
• Direct partnership with the CEO — weekly 1:1s and daily async standups; a peer in operational decision‑making, not a name on an org chart.
• Paid time off: 15 days in Year 1, plus 9 federal holidays
  · further increases based on service
• Benefits package: discussed at offer stage

• Send a resume and a short note (2–3 paragraphs on your most relevant operations experience and what excites you about a build‑from‑zero role)

Process: phone screen → onsite visit at the Lakeland facility → references → offer.