At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead Engineering and Operations, driving accountability and project ownership.
- Company: Growing regulated manufacturing business in Poole with ambitious growth plans.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, executive-level influence, and career progression towards Board responsibility.
- Other info: Opportunity to improve systems and processes in a dynamic environment.
- Why this job: Shape the future of Engineering and Operations while making a real impact.
- Qualifications: Senior leadership experience in Engineering and Operations within manufacturing.
The predicted salary is between 100000 - 125000 £ per year.
Location: Poole, England
Sector: Engineering
Salary: £100,000.00 to £125,000.00 per annum
Only applicants with the full-time, permanent right to work in the UK will be considered.
Overview
- Lead Engineering and Operations with a strong focus on people, structure and accountability.
- Bring whole-product engineering leadership across NPI, lifecycle support, quality and compliance.
- Improve prioritisation, delivery pace and project ownership across technical and operational teams.
- Strengthen manufacturing, supply chain, quality and operational performance through better governance.
- Join the senior leadership team with planned progression toward Board-level responsibility.
The Role
The Operations & Engineering Director reports directly to the Managing Director and is a strategically important senior leadership position within a growing, regulated manufacturing business in Poole. The role will lead the integration of Engineering and Operations, bringing stronger structure, clearer ownership and better execution across product development, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, compliance and technical support. It requires a capable leader in people, coaching and the ability to bring organisation, urgency and accountability to talented teams.
Day-to-day Responsibilities
- Lead and develop Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Quality, Compliance and Technical Support functions.
- Coach and support senior managers, improving leadership capability, team structure and day-to-day accountability.
- Bring stronger prioritisation and project control across multiple engineering and operational workstreams.
- Ensure key projects are tracked properly from start to finish, with clear owners, dates and escalation points.
- Strengthen whole-product engineering capability across NPI, product development, lifecycle support and design improvements.
- Improve integration between Engineering and Manufacturing so products are designed, transferred and built more effectively.
- Support technical decision-making around product design, manufacturability, compliance, quality and customer requirements.
- Improve operational performance across OTIF, quality, inventory, manufacturing efficiency, cost control and engineering responsiveness.
- Lead continuous improvement across systems, processes and ways of working, including ERP/SAP improvements where relevant.
- Ensure quality, compliance and regulatory requirements are embedded into engineering and operational decisions.
- Improve right-first-time delivery by strengthening attention to detail around BOMs, handovers, rework, redesign and technical documentation.
- Build stronger governance around KPIs, reporting, capacity, project status, actions and operational risk.
- Work closely with Sales, Service, Finance, HR and Business Systems to align technical delivery with wider business priorities.
- Support customer, supplier, auditor and partner discussions where senior technical or operational input is needed.
- Contribute to long-term business strategy as part of the senior leadership team, with progression toward Board level responsibility.
What They're Looking For
- Senior leadership experience across Engineering and Operations within an SME or mid-sized manufacturing business.
- Strong whole product engineering background, with credibility across design, development, manufacturing and lifecycle support.
- Proven people leadership skills, including coaching senior managers, improving accountability and handling underperformance.
- Experience bringing structure to technical and operational teams where prioritisation, planning or follow through needs improvement.
- Able to manage multiple projects and functions at once without losing sight of deadlines, risks and business priorities.
- Strong understanding of regulated manufacturing, quality systems, compliance and product governance.
- Commercial awareness and ability to balance innovation, quality, compliance, cost and customer delivery.
- Personable, approachable leadership style with the confidence to challenge constructively and build trust.
- Degree level background in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations or a related discipline, or equivalent senior level experience.
Desirable
- ERP/MRP improvement experience, ideally including SAP Business One or similar.
- Lean, Six Sigma or structured operational improvement qualifications.
- MBA or recognised business qualification.
- Experience working with Board members, investors or senior external stakeholders.
What's on Offer
Salary: £100,000 - £125,000. A senior leadership role with real scope to shape Engineering and Operations at executive level, not just maintain existing systems. Also the potential to influence at Board level as the business continues to develop. A business with strong technical products, ambitious growth plans and a clear need for the Operations & Engineering Director to bring structure, pace and leadership impact.
How to Apply
If you're interested in this Operations & Engineering Director role, get in touch to talk through the opportunity and leadership scope.
Engineering & Operations Director in Poole employer: Holt Engineering Ltd
Join a dynamic and growing manufacturing business in Poole as an Operations & Engineering Director, where you will have the opportunity to lead and shape engineering and operations at an executive level. With a strong focus on employee development, a collaborative work culture, and ambitious growth plans, this role offers significant career progression towards Board-level responsibilities. Enjoy a competitive salary and the chance to make a meaningful impact in a company that values innovation, quality, and accountability.
