Job Description

Job Requirements
Why work for us?

Alkegen brings together two of the world's leading specialty materials companies to create one new, innovation-driven leader focused on battery technologies, filtration media, and specialty insulation. Through global reach and breakthrough inventions, we're delivering products that enable the world to breathe easier, live greener, and go further than ever before.

With over 60 manufacturing facilities with a global workforce of over 9,000 of the industry's most experienced talent, including insulation and filtration experts, Alkegen is uniquely positioned to help customers impact the environment in meaningful ways.
Job Title: Operations Manager
Location: Holywell, North Wales
Reports To: Plant Manager
Department: Operations
Type: Full-Time
Position Summary:
We are seeking a high-performing Operations Manager to lead manufacturing operations as we advance toward Tier 1 automotive supplier status and achieve full OEM readiness. This role is pivotal in driving performance across Safety, Quality, Cost, Delivery, and People (SQCDP) metrics, ensuring operational excellence in a fast-paced, multi-shift environment. The ideal candidate will bring a strong background in engineering, chemical, or process industries, and have a proven track record in improving OEE through data-driven decision-making, root cause analysis, and structured project management--all essential to building the robust, high-quality operations expected by OEM customers.
Key Responsibilities:
Safety Leadership: Champion a proactive safety culture across the site, ensuring full compliance with UK health and safety legislation (including the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974), relevant HSE regulations, corporate safety policies, and applicable international standards, including adherence to OSHA requirements. Drive initiatives that support the site's progression toward ISO 14001 environmental management certification. Promote visible safety leadership and accountability at all levels and lead continuous improvement in workplace safety and environmental performance through robust risk assessments, incident investigations, targeted training, and active employee engagement.
Operational Performance: Lead all site operations to ensure daily, weekly, and monthly production targets are consistently met or exceeded, maintaining high standards of quality, efficiency, and compliance. In the event of deviation from targets, develop and execute clear, time-bound recovery plans, ensuring minimal disruption to customer commitments. Communicate concise, data-driven updates and performance summaries to plant leadership and senior stakeholders, providing transparency, confidence, and alignment on operational priorities.
OEE Improvement: Analyse performance data (OEE - downtime, scrap, cycle times) to identify trends and systemic issues. Lead structured Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and implement sustainable corrective actions.
Quality Assurance: Partner with Quality, Engineering, and Production teams to maintain compliance with IATF 16949 and customer-specific requirements, ensuring all products meet or exceed quality expectations. Foster a right-first-time mindset across all levels of the operation. Utilise structured problem-solving methodologies such as 8D (Eight Disciplines) to drive root cause identification, implement effective corrective actions, and achieve measurable reductions in customer complaints and internal defects
Cost Control & Budget Management: Manage operational budgets with full accountability for cost performance. Optimise resource allocation, reduce waste, and implement lean manufacturing techniques to drive efficiency and reduce overall manufacturing costs. Take ownership of continuous improvement (CI) and cost savings initiatives, including the identification, control, and successful delivery of projects that contribute to both short- and long-term financial targets. Ensure alignment with plant financial goals and corporate cost reduction strategies
Delivery & Customer Focus: Ensure on-time delivery to customer requirements through effective production planning, materials management, and operational execution. Collaborate closely with Supply Chain, Logistics, and Customer Service teams to maintain high levels of delivery performance and responsiveness. Utilise best practice problem-solving methodologies to analyse root causes of delivery issues and implement sustainable solutions, continually driving delivery reliability and customer satisfaction.
Team Leadership: Lead, develop, and inspire a multi-shift operations team, including Team Leaders, Supervisors, Setters, and Operators, ensuring clarity of expectations and consistency of performance. Foster a culture of accountability, cross-functional collaboration, and continuous improvement, working closely with Engineering, Quality, and Logistics to deliver operational goals. Drive team engagement through visible leadership and targeted actions based on quarterly pulse survey feedback. Develop and maintain a robust succession plan for all critical operational roles to ensure long-term organisational resilience and talent growth.
Project Management: Lead and support cross-functional projects focused on capacity expansion, new product launches, process optimization, and cost reduction.
Required Qualifications:
A bachelor's degree in engineering, Chemical Engineering, Process Engineering, or a related technical discipline is highly desirable. However, candidates with equivalent relevant experience in manufacturing operations, particularly within automotive or process-driven industries, will also be considered.
Minimum 5 years of experience leading operations in a manufacturing environment, preferably in the automotive or tier 1 supplier sector.
Demonstrated experience managing and developing teams in a multi-shift, high-volume production environment.
Proven expertise in OEE improvement through data analysis, RCA, and lean manufacturing principles (e.g., Kaizen, 5S, Six Sigma).
Strong understanding of IATF 16949, PPAP, FMEA, and other automotive quality systems.
Strong project management skills; PMP certification is a plus.
Preferred Attributes:
Experience with ERP/MES systems (e.g., SAP, Plex, Oracle).
Six Sigma Green or Black Belt certification.
Experience with automated or continuous process manufacturing.
Excellent communication, leadership, and change management skills.
Working Conditions:
This is a site-based position requiring daily presence on the shop floor across all operating shifts.
Occasional travel may be required for training, customer visits, or corporate meetings.
What We Offer:
Competitive salary and performance-based bonuses
Comprehensive benefits package
Career development opportunities within a global organization
A dynamic and results-oriented work environment
At Alkegen, we strive every day to help people breathe easier, live greener, and go further than ever before. We believe that diversity and inclusion is central to this mission and to our impact. Our diverse and inclusive culture drives our growth & innovation, and we nurture it by actively embracing our differences and using our varied perspectives to solve the complex challenges facing our changing and diverse world.
Employment selection and related decisions are made without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, nation of origin, religion, color, gender identity and expression, age, disability, education, opinions, culture, languages spoken, veteran's status, or any other protected class.