Facilities and Operations Officer in Birmingham

Operations Manager Birmingham depot (on-site) Salary Range: £48,000 – £53,000 (guide, depending on experience) Contract: Full-time, permanent An established business in the industrial products / recycled materials sector is looking for a hands-on Operations Manager to take day-to-day ownership of its Birmingham depot – a busy outdoor yard and processing site serving local and group customers. This is not a desk-only planning role. You’ll be out in the yard as much as in the office, leading a mixed team of drivers, yard/production staff and administrators (around 25 people), and acting as the General Manager’s right hand on site. The company has a strong track record of developing people internally, and this post gives you a clear line of sight into wider depot or general management over time. As Operations Manager you will: Take the lead on the day-to-day running of the depot – material in, material processed, and material out. Coordinate collections, drivers and vehicle movements so that inbound and outbound flows hit plan. Work closely with the yard/production supervisor to keep the operation moving, especially when things don’t go to plan. Be a visible presence on site – walking the yard, checking loads, equipment and housekeeping, not just steering from behind a screen. Deputise for the General Manager during holidays or absence, including handling local commercial decisions within agreed parameters. Own the daily plan for the site: what’s being collected, what’s being tipped and processed, and what’s being loaded out. Work with the transport function to sequence collections and deliveries around processing capacity and customer requirements. React to delays, breakdowns or no-shows – re-prioritising drivers and loads to protect service and cost. Set clear expectations, provide regular feedback and deal promptly with performance or conduct issues. Build a culture where people are comfortable in a tough, industrial environment but also understand standards and procedures. Safety, compliance & standards Maintain a strong health & safety culture across the depot – traffic management, housekeeping, equipment use, PPE. Support environmental and waste-related compliance requirements applicable to the depot. Commercial awareness When deputising for the GM, handle day-to-day commercial conversations – for example, basic pricing discussions with local customers within agreed frameworks. Keep an eye on cost drivers on site (overtime, vehicle utilisation, waste, rework) and support initiatives to improve performance. Proven experience in operational leadership in a relevant environment – e.g. recycling, waste management, MRF/transfer station, or heavy industrial / manufacturing with yard-based operations. Strong health & safety mindset and experience maintaining standards in non-glamorous, industrial settings. Confidence to stand in for your manager, make sensible decisions, and represent the site to internal stakeholders and local customers. Solid organisational skills – comfortable juggling collections, processing and outbound loads without losing sight of the detail. Background in distribution/warehouse-only environments can be considered if you can clearly demonstrate success in tough, outdoor/yard-based operations rather than purely indoor DCs. Join a business with a strong internal progression track record across depots and wider group roles. Have the scope to shape culture and standards at a key site for the business. If you’re an operations leader who thrives in real-world industrial environments and wants the chance to run a busy depot end-to-end, we’d like to hear from you.