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- Tasks: Lead and optimise the supply chain, ensuring efficient operations and inventory management.
- Company: Dynamic electrical products company with a focus on growth and innovation.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, performance bonuses, and executive benefits in a hybrid work environment.
- Other info: Join a culture of continuous improvement and make a real difference in business transformation.
- Why this job: Take charge of operations and drive impactful changes in a fast-paced industry.
- Qualifications: Proven leadership in supply chain, strong analytical skills, and health & safety experience.
The predicted salary is between 90000 - 110000 £ per year.
The UK Operations Director will assume full strategic and operational responsibility for the Company’s supply chain function, overseeing the end-to-end procurement and inventory management process across a complex, import-led product portfolio. The successful candidate must demonstrate extensive experience managing long lead time procurement cycles, typically spanning 12+ weeks, and the commercial discipline required to balance forward-buying commitments against demand variability and working capital constraints.
The role carries direct line management responsibility for a small team of direct reports and circa 100 indirect reports, comprising purchasing professionals and inventory control data specialists, with accountability for ensuring that stock availability targets, cover ratios, and replenishment schedules are consistently optimised. A strong analytical capability is essential, with the expectation that the UK Operations Director will drive data-led decision-making across inventory planning, reducing excess and obsolete stock, improving stock turn, and delivering measurable improvements in working capital efficiency.
Key Responsibilities:
- Operational Leadership & Strategy: Develop and execute the operational strategy aligned to business goals, growth plans, and customer service expectations. Lead warehouse, logistics, and operational teams to deliver excellent service, high accuracy, and efficient throughput. Use data, KPIs, and performance dashboards to drive improvements in productivity, inventory accuracy, fulfilment times, and cost-to-serve. Ensure operational scalability to support seasonal demand patterns, new product introductions, and business expansion.
- Warehouse & Distribution Management: Oversee daily warehouse operations, including goods in, storage, pick/pack, dispatch, and returns. Drive continuous improvement across layout, workflow design, material handling equipment, stock control, and WMS utilisation. Ensure robust inventory management, stock accuracy, and root cause analysis of discrepancies. Manage relationships with key logistics partners, hauliers, and courier networks to maintain service levels.
- Health & Safety Leadership: Act as the company’s senior Health & Safety lead and primary point of contact for compliance. Ensure full adherence to H&S legislation, regulations, and best practice across the warehouse, office, and field-based activities. Chair the Health & Safety Committee and maintain all risk assessments, method statements, and training plans. Promote a culture of continuous improvement in safety, ensuring proactive hazard identification, incident investigation, and corrective action. Lead emergency planning, first aid provision, fire safety processes, and safety audit programs.
- People Leadership: Provide strong leadership to operational teams, setting clear expectations, objectives, and development plans. Foster a culture of accountability, empowerment, and high performance. Work closely with HR to support workforce planning, recruitment, succession, apprentices/trainees, and employee engagement.
- Budgeting & Cost Control: Own the operations budget, including labour, logistics, MHE, facilities, consumables, and utilities. Identify and deliver cost-saving initiatives without compromising service quality or safety. Support capital investment decisions, including warehouse equipment, systems, and facilities maintenance.
- Systems, Processes & Continuous Improvement: Drive adoption and optimisation of operational systems (e.g., WMS, ERP, scanning solutions). Lead process improvement methodologies to increase throughput and reduce waste. Oversee operational compliance, including ISO standards, audits, and documentation.
Skills, Experience & Qualifications:
- Essential: Proven senior operations leadership experience within a distribution, warehousing, or supply chain environment. Strong understanding of warehouse processes, inventory management, logistics, and fulfilment operations. Demonstrated experience leading Health & Safety at an organisational level. Excellent analytical skills with the ability to interpret data, KPIs, and operational metrics. Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management capability. Experience implementing process improvements (Lean/Kaizen/5S or similar). IOSH Leading Safely.
- Desirable: Lighting, electrical wholesale, or related sector experience. NEBOSH General Certificate. Experience scaling operations in a fast growth environment. ERP/WMS transformation or optimisation experience.
Key Behaviours:
- Highly organised and operationally disciplined.
- Decisive, resilient, and comfortable in a fast-paced, high-change environment.
- Hands-on leadership style with strong visibility in the warehouse operation.
- Committed to safety, continuous improvement, and excellent customer service.
An excellent opportunity for a career-minded Operations professional looking to take ownership of a major operational function and play a key role in business growth and its transformation.
Operations Director in Luton employer: Maddison Consultants | Building Services Recruitment Specialists
Contact Detail:
Maddison Consultants | Building Services Recruitment Specialists Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Operations Director in Luton
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, attend relevant events, and don’t be shy about letting people know you’re on the hunt for an Operations Director role. You never know who might have the inside scoop on a great opportunity.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by diving deep into the company’s operations. Understand their supply chain challenges and think about how your experience can help them overcome these hurdles. Tailor your responses to show you’re the perfect fit for their specific needs.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your analytical skills during interviews. Bring examples of how you’ve used data to drive improvements in inventory management or operational efficiency. This will demonstrate your ability to make data-led decisions, which is crucial for the role.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive and engaged with our platform.
We think you need these skills to ace Operations Director in Luton
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV speaks directly to the role of Operations Director. Highlight your experience in supply chain management, procurement cycles, and team leadership. We want to see how your skills align with our needs!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to tell us why you're the perfect fit for this role. Share specific examples of how you've driven improvements in inventory management or led teams to success.
Showcase Your Analytical Skills: Since data-led decision-making is key for us, make sure to highlight your analytical capabilities. Mention any tools or methodologies you've used to improve stock accuracy or reduce waste in previous roles.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother process. It helps us keep track of applications and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates from us!
How to prepare for a job interview at Maddison Consultants | Building Services Recruitment Specialists
✨Know Your Numbers
As an Operations Director, you'll need to demonstrate your analytical skills. Brush up on key metrics related to supply chain management, such as inventory turnover rates and cost-to-serve. Be ready to discuss how you've used data to drive improvements in past roles.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
This role requires strong leadership capabilities. Prepare examples of how you've led teams through change or improved performance. Highlight your hands-on approach and how you foster a culture of accountability and high performance within your teams.
✨Understand the Industry Landscape
Familiarise yourself with the electrical products sector and the challenges it faces, especially regarding procurement from Asian manufacturers. Being able to discuss current trends and how they impact supply chain operations will show your depth of knowledge and strategic thinking.
✨Prepare for Scenario Questions
Expect scenario-based questions that assess your problem-solving abilities. Think about past challenges you've faced in warehouse management or logistics and how you overcame them. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your responses effectively.