Operations Manager in Antrim

The Operations Manager will be responsible for leading and managing all operational activities within the manufacturing facility, ensuring that production, safety, quality, delivery, and performance targets are consistently achieved. The successful candidate will play a hands-on leadership role across all operational areas and shifts, driving a culture of safety, accountability, continuous improvement, and operational excellence. This role requires a visible and proactive leader who is willing to work closely with teams on the production floor, support a 24/7 operation, and lead by example in all aspects of operational performance and people management.

About The Role

• Lead all manufacturing operations to ensure customer orders are delivered on time, in full, efficiently, and within budget.
• Promote and ensure full compliance with the company’s Integrated Management System, placing safety, environmental, and quality standards at the forefront of all operational activities.
• Foster a “safety-first” culture throughout the business, ensuring safe systems of work are consistently followed across all departments and shifts.
• Maintain a strong presence on the factory floor and actively engage with all operational teams, supporting day shift, night shift, and weekend operations as required.
• Coach, mentor, and develop operational teams, encouraging accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Create, develop, and monitor departmental key performance indicators (KPIs), tactical plans, and operational projects aligned with strategic business goals.
• Drive operational excellence through TOC principles and lean manufacturing, waste reduction, process optimisation, continuous improvement initiatives across all operational areas.
• Lead daily, weekly, and monthly operational communication meetings, encouraging effective two-way communication across all levels of the business.
• Work closely with Production, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Sales, and other business functions to ensure customer, supplier, and employee expectations are achieved.
• Champion positive employee relations while demonstrating a flexible and adaptable leadership style appropriate to the operational environment.
• Support succession planning, employee development, and talent retention to build high-performing operational teams.
• Ensure effective resource planning across all operational areas to meet changing business demands.
• Lead operational projects and improvement initiatives, ensuring delivery is on time, within scope, and within budget.
• Occasional travel may be required to group sites and customer locations to support operational alignment, project implementation, business collaboration, and customer engagement activities.
• Liaise directly with customers regarding product quality concerns or operational issues when required, ensuring investigations are managed professionally and that swift, practical, and satisfactory resolutions are achieved to maintain strong customer relationships.
• Promote the company’s vision, mission, values, and behaviours through visible leadership and engagement.
• Carry out any other duties as required.

About the Ideal Candidate

• A highly experienced operations leader with a strong background in fast-paced manufacturing environments, including proven success managing large, multi-shift operational teams and delivering against production, safety, quality, and delivery targets.
• A visible, hands-on leader who actively engages on the shop floor, builds strong relationships across all levels, and leads by example in promoting company standards, behaviours, and a safety-first culture.
• A strong people manager with the ability to coach, mentor, and develop high-performing teams, driving accountability, collaboration, employee engagement, and succession planning within a demanding operational setting.
• A continuous improvement champion with solid expertise in lean manufacturing, operational excellence, and performance management, capable of leading KPI development, process optimisation, and cross-functional improvement initiatives.
• An effective communicator and decision-maker with strong organisational and planning skills, able to work cross-functionally, manage competing priorities, and ensure operational alignment with wider business goals and customer expectations.

Hours Of Work

45 hours per week. The successful candidate will be required to independently allocate these hours in line with operational business needs, ensuring appropriate presence, coverage, and engagement across all three shift patterns: day shift, night shift, and weekend shift.

Applications

To apply, please upload your CV together with a supporting cover letter outlining your relevant experience and why you are interested in the role by 9am on Monday 22nd June 2026.

Skills Needed

Required Criteria

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in an Operations Management role within a fast-paced manufacturing environment, with full responsibility for managing operational teams and site performance.
• Strong working knowledge of lean manufacturing, continuous improvement methodologies and operational performance management.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and delivering operational improvements.
• Strong leadership and people management skills with the ability to motivate and develop teams at all levels, while leading by example and consistently communicating company standards, expectations, and behaviours.
• Flexibility with working hours to support a 24/7 shift pattern including weekends and night shifts when required.
• Willingness to travel outside of Northern Ireland if required.
• Strong IT and reporting skills.

Desired Criteria

• 2:2 qualification in Business, Engineering, Operations Management, Manufacturing or equivalent discipline.
• Formal training in TOC (Theory of Constraints) certification or in Lean Manufacturing, Project Management or Operational Excellence methodologies.
• IOSH or NEBOSH Health & Safety qualification.
• Evidence of continued professional development within manufacturing, operations or leadership disciplines.

Contract Type

Full-time

Salary

Starting from £55,000.00 Yearly