Operations Manager Manufacturing

Some businesses make a product. Others make something the world remembers. Our client does the latter. A family-run Scottish manufacturer with over 40 years of heritage, their luxury crystal products sit behind bars, in boardrooms, and in the hands of whisky lovers across more than 60 countries. With over 50 skilled craftspeople, a King's Award for Innovation, and a client list that spans every major Scottish whisky producer, this is a business that has earned its reputation and is now ready to push further.

This is a senior hire with a clear pathway to the Operations Director role. If you are looking for a role where you can genuinely shape a business, this is it.

The Role

Reporting directly to a board-level member, you will take full ownership of production from confirmed design through to finished, quality-approved product. You will lead teams across Engraving, Print, Clean Room, Plating and Paint, work closely with warehousing to bookend the production process, and collaborate with Sales and Commercial to ensure what is promised to customers is delivered, every time. This is a role for someone who carries themselves with authority, can represent the business in front of high-calibre clients, and has the technical depth to understand a complex, multi-process production environment. You will be a safe pair of hands today and the Operations Director of tomorrow.

The culture here is genuinely something special. People stay, they care, and they take real pride in what they make. Your job is to add to that, bringing greater consistency, commercial edge and technical rigour while protecting everything that already makes this place great.

The Environment

This is a technically rich and varied production floor covering high-volume glass printing, engraving, liquid and electroplating, cork lasering, paint mixing and application, and custom container assembly. No two customer orders are alike, and the standard expected across all of it is luxury, not just good enough. Understanding print and its intricacies is important here. So is an appreciation for precision manufacturing, packaging, decoration, and how each process interacts with the next. Getting it right from the outset is everything, precision and accuracy upfront, not inspection at the end.

Looking Forward

Our client is investing seriously in the future of their manufacturing. You will lead the evaluation and introduction of new technologies, from machine improvements and site upgrades to automation, laser-led processes and smarter end-to-end workflows. You will work closely with research and development and bring the technical mindset and influence to turn ideas off the page and into production reality. Within two years, it is expected that the right person will be ready to step into the Operations Director role and take a seat on the board.

What You'll Be Doing

• Taking full ownership of production from confirmed design through to finished, quality-approved product
• Leading teams across Engraving, Print, Clean Room, Plating and Paint, managing circa 45 people
• Working closely with warehousing to bookend the production process
• Collaborating with Sales and Commercial to build realistic, well-managed production plans
• Overseeing high-volume glass printing, with a strong understanding of print quality, precision and the intricacies of decorating a premium branded product
• Managing plating processes, including liquid and electroplating, paint mixing, cork lasering and custom container assembly
• Driving machine improvements, site improvements and H&S standards
• Investigating and introducing automation and smarter production workflows
• Embedding a right-first-time culture with precision and accuracy at every stage
• Representing the business confidently in front of top-tier customers and external stakeholders
• Working alongside research and development to maintain and elevate quality standards
• Implementing pragmatic metrics and controls, focused on what matters, without over-engineering

What We're Looking For

• A senior operations or production professional with genuine technical depth across complex, multi-process manufacturing environments
• A strong understanding of print, packaging, precision manufacturing or decorative production, experience across plastics, paper, carton print or branded goods is highly relevant
• Hands-on knowledge of plating, paint processes or similar finishing techniques would be a significant advantage
• Glassware or crystal experience is desirable but not essential, we are more interested in the calibre of the person than the industry they come from
• A track record of developing teams and leaders and building stronger, more consistent operations
• Commercially minded, able to translate sales demand into deliverable production plans
• The gravitas and communication skills to hold their own in front of senior clients and at board level
• Genuine curiosity about new technologies, automation and process innovation
• A safe pair of hands who brings calm authority and long-term thinking

What's On Offer

• £50,000 to £60,000 depending on experience
• A clear and genuine pathway to a seat on the board within two years
• A high-impact role reporting directly to a board-level member
• A warm, people-first culture with outstanding loyalty and exceptionally low staff turnover
• The chance to help shape the future of a genuinely world-class luxury product business
• Based in East Kilbride with on-site parking, close to Glasgow

If this sounds like the role you have been waiting for, get in touch with the team at Talent Media today. All applications are treated in the strictest confidence.