Interim Operations Director

Interim Operations Director | (FTC – 6 months initially) | Christchurch (Near B ’mouth Airport) | £80,000 per annum

A well-established, engineering-led manufacturing business in a period of focused transformation is seeking an experienced Interim Operations Director to play a pivotal role in driving operational clarity, performance, and delivery.

This is a rare opportunity to step into a senior leadership position at a time when structure, pace, and accountability are critical. Working closely with the Managing Director, you will help translate strategic intent into disciplined execution across the organisation, ensuring priorities are delivered, teams are aligned, and performance improves in measurable, sustainable ways.

This is not a supervisory or advisory assignment in isolation; it is a hands-on leadership role for someone who thrives in complex operational environments and is comfortable getting into the detail to unlock results.

What You’ll Be Doing

You will act as a key partner to the Managing Director, helping to shape and deliver operational plans that drive the business forward. Your focus will be on embedding consistency, improving execution, and strengthening leadership capability across the organisation.

Key areas of impact include:

• Aligning and strengthening the senior leadership team around clear priorities and accountability
• Improving manufacturing performance, productivity, and operational flow
• Addressing inefficiencies across planning, scheduling, and production delivery
• Enhancing cross-functional processes spanning manufacturing, commercial, and support functions
• Embedding a culture of ownership, discipline, and continuous improvement
• Coaching and developing senior managers to ensure sustainable performance improvements

Current Focus Areas

You will take ownership of several high-impact improvement initiatives, including:

• Stabilising and improving production scheduling and MRP effectiveness
• Reducing operational bottlenecks, overruns, and downtime
• Increasing throughput, efficiency, and utilisation across manufacturing operations
• Standardising core processes to improve control and consistency
• Strengthening quality systems and overall operational performance
• Building leadership capability to ensure long-term delivery success

About You

You are an experienced interim operator who has delivered meaningful change across multiple organisations. You bring a proven track record of stepping into complex environments and quickly establishing clarity, structure, and momentum.

You will likely have:

• Held Interim Operations Director or senior operational leadership roles
• Experience in manufacturing, engineering, or similarly complex production environments (ideally precision-focused)
• A background in transformation, turnaround, or performance improvement assignments
• The ability to quickly diagnose issues and implement practical, effective solutions
• Strong credibility when working with and challenging senior leadership teams
• Commercial and financial awareness alongside operational expertise

Personal Attributes

• Confident, credible, and able to establish authority quickly
• Highly pragmatic and delivery-focused
• Comfortable operating in fast-paced, evolving environments
• Strong communicator with the ability to influence at all levels
• Structured, organised, and disciplined in approach
• Resilient and motivated by tangible results

The Opportunity

This is a high-impact interim assignment for someone who enjoys stepping into critical moments within a business and leaving it in a stronger, more structured position. You will have the autonomy to make a real difference and the platform to apply experience gained across multiple organisations to deliver lasting operational improvement.

If you’re interested in applying for this role or would like more information, please call Ellie at Rubicon.

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