Senior Director, Risk in England

Opta Search has partnered exclusively with a major international manufacturing business to appoint a Plant Director at one of its larger UK production sites in the North West of England . The site is a multi-shift operation of more than 150 people, running 24 hours a day, supplying blue-chip customers. It is one of the group's more significant UK plants and carries genuine strategic weight within the wider European business. To take full P&L and operational accountability for the site, delivering safety, quality, service and cost performance today, while building the leadership depth, succession pipeline and culture the site needs for its next phase of growth. This is a hands-on general management appointment. You will bring a strong operational mindset paired with solid commercial and financial acumen, and be comfortable leading an established, capable senior team through change. Site leadership and P&L: own full operational and financial performance, including budgeting, cost control, capital planning and margin improvement. Safety and compliance: lead EHS performance and maintain the quality and regulatory standards expected by blue-chip customers. Manufacturing performance: drive OEE, waste, yield and on-time delivery across a 24/6 operation. Leadership team management: lead and develop a senior team spanning continuous improvement, EHS, site operations, engineering, quality and supply chain, working alongside HR and commercial colleagues. Succession and talent: build a credible succession plan for the site and develop a successor for this role, without compromising performance. Group interface: represent the site with the European leadership team and contribute to wider business unit strategy and cross-site initiatives. Proven site leadership in a multi-shift manufacturing environment of comparable scale and complexity, whether as a Plant Director, Plant Manager, Plant General Manager or Site Director, or as a strong Operations or Production Manager ready to step up. Demonstrable financial acumen: full P&L ownership, budgeting, and cost or margin management. Track record of leading and developing an established senior leadership team, and of building bench strength beneath them. Evidence of driving cultural and performance change in an operational setting. Packaging: flexibles, paper, cartons, labels, rigid or closures Plastics and polymer processing: extrusion, injection or blow moulding, film and conversion Print and print-related manufacturing Food, drink and wider FMCG manufacturing Automotive, industrial and other B2B manufacturing operating to high-volume, regulated standards What matters most is scale, multi-shift complexity, full P&L ownership and a genuinely developmental leadership style. A genuinely developmental leader, not simply a performance manager. Commitment to being on site five days per week, and to relocating to the area if not already local. A range of profiles will be considered, from experienced plant directors with a settled track record to strong performers on an upward trajectory.