Head of Operations
Location: Manchester, UK
Sector: Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
Type: Full-Time | Permanent
Salary: Competitive + Bonus + Benefits
Company Overview
Our client is a rapidly growing pharmaceutical manufacturing organisation based in Manchester, specialising in the development and commercial manufacture of complex oral solid dose and speciality pharmaceutical products. With a strong reputation for quality, innovation, and customer partnership, the business supports a diverse portfolio of branded and generic medicines supplied across the UK and international markets.
As part of continued investment and expansion, they are seeking an experienced Head of Operations to lead site-wide manufacturing and operational excellence initiatives, ensuring the highest standards of safety, quality, and productivity while supporting ambitious growth plans.
The Opportunity
Reporting directly to the Managing Director, the Head of Operations will hold overall responsibility for Manufacturing, Production Planning, Engineering, Warehousing, and Operational Excellence across the Manchester site.
This is a highly visible leadership position requiring a strategic yet hands-on operator capable of driving operational performance, developing high-performing teams, and ensuring GMP excellence across a fast-paced pharmaceutical manufacturing environment.
The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in scaling manufacturing capacity, embedding Lean principles, and shaping the long-term operational strategy of the business.
Key Responsibilities
Site Operations Leadership
- Provide strategic and operational leadership across Manufacturing, Packaging, Engineering, Supply Chain and Warehousing.
- Own day-to-day site operations, ensuring safe, compliant, and efficient manufacturing activities.
- Lead, mentor, and develop a multi-disciplinary operations team, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
- Act as a key member of the Site Leadership Team, contributing to wider business strategy and growth initiatives.
Manufacturing Excellence
- Drive improvements in Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), throughput, labour productivity and schedule adherence.
- Develop and implement operational strategies to increase manufacturing capacity whilst maintaining GMP compliance.
- Lead Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives to reduce waste, optimise workflows and improve right-first-time performance.
- Ensure robust production planning and resource allocation to meet customer demand and business objectives.
Quality & Compliance
- Partner closely with Quality and Regulatory teams to maintain full compliance with GMP, MHRA and international regulatory standards.
- Ensure manufacturing operations are inspection-ready at all times.
- Lead investigations into deviations, CAPAs and operational quality issues, implementing sustainable corrective actions.
- Promote a quality-first culture throughout all operational areas.
Engineering & Capital Projects
- Oversee engineering, maintenance and facility performance to maximise equipment uptime and reliability.
- Support capital investment projects, including equipment upgrades, facility expansion and automation initiatives.
- Develop long-term site capacity and operational improvement roadmaps.
Financial & Commercial Responsibility
- Manage operational budgets and identify opportunities for cost optimisation without compromising quality or compliance.
- Monitor and report key operational KPIs including:
- OEE
- Batch Right First Time
- On-Time In-Full (OTIF)
- Schedule Adherence
- Labour Productivity
- Cost per Batch
- Deviation Rates
Candidate Profile
Essential Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry or related discipline.
- 10+ years’ experience within pharmaceutical manufacturing environments.
- Proven leadership experience managing Manufacturing and Operations teams within GMP-regulated facilities.
- Strong understanding of oral solid dose, sterile, liquids or speciality pharmaceutical manufacturing.
- Demonstrated success driving operational improvements and Lean manufacturing initiatives.
- Experience leading cross-functional teams including Manufacturing, Engineering, Supply Chain and Quality.
- Strong knowledge of:
- GMP
- MHRA regulations
- CAPA systems
- Deviation management
- Root cause analysis
- Continuous improvement methodologies
Highly Desirable
- Experience within a Contract Development & Manufacturing Organisation (CDMO) or fast-growth pharmaceutical business.
- Lean Six Sigma qualification.
- Experience supporting site expansions, facility upgrades or new manufacturing line introductions.
- Exposure to automation and digital manufacturing systems.
- Track record of improving:
- OEE by 10–20%+
- Batch Right First Time by 15%+
- Manufacturing throughput by 20%+
- Operational costs by 5–10%+
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