Job Role and Responsibilities

Job Title – Head of Operations

Location –  Internal role, based at DVS Cardiff

Reporting to Managing Director

Role Summary

A key role within the Executive Team, you will lead, mentor and motivate the Warehouse, Workshop and Purchasing & Logistics teams by developing and executing output-focused operational plans. This is a role that is focused on effective delivery and team leadership. You will create a high performing culture, inspire and oversee the achievement of excellent operational performance, achieve cost control in line with departmental KPIs, and deliver against clear customer and business targets. The productivity and performance of staff will be a key aspect of the role as you lead the team to deliver an efficient operation. You will role model safe working practices as well as embedding strong quality assurance standards in respect of products and service delivery. You will have a strong customer focus, understand the dynamics of working in B2B and B2C environment and a background in mapping and evaluating the utility of internal processes to deliver efficiencies and support growth.

Main Responsibilities

· You will be an integral member of the Exec Team, looking after the day-to-day operations of the business and reporting to Directors on a monthly basis.
· You will evaluate current practices, processes and systems; highlighting performance and improvement opportunities and implementing solutions for achieving these.
· You will review existing and create new functional performance data to deliver and measure operational productivity, performance and costs.
· You will oversee stock management in and out of the business – to include goods in bound, returns, despatches, stock taking, reporting of damages and losses and disposals as appropriate, and ensure stock and system accuracy is managed and maintained. Forecasting will be an important factor as you will need to ensure adequate capacity is available for incoming stock.
· You will play a key role in quality assurance; monitoring quality, identifying issues in a timely manner, and developing corrective and preventative actions. You will utilise and implement quality management systems to reduce the occurrence of future errors.
· Responsible for ongoing management of the purchasing & logistics strategy and activity and for ensuring optimal vendor performance, price and timely delivery of goods. Provide analysis of key data to identify potential issues or patterns to benefit the business.
· Adopting Lean (or similar) production principles to maintain and enhance business processes and systems and continually improve procedures to maximise operating efficiency, you will also identify opportunities for productivity improvement and effectively manage labour and materials costs to consistently deliver across peak periods
· You will ensure that all employees within Operations (across both Warehouse and Workshop teams) are set clear objectives which are effectively managed through performance reviews, development plans and other people processes to maximise performance and achieve consistency.
· You will ensure that direct reports, and their teams, understand and comply with all relevant Company rules, agreements, policies, procedures and with all relevant legislative requirements and code of practice.
· You will develop, implement and manage operational project plans in line with business needs.
· You will commit to developing a culture of team working and knowledge sharing to ensure smooth operations, consistency and process improvements.
· You will ensure that safe working practices are adhered to and strive to achieve “zero harm” in line with health and safety policy.
· An active contributor to wider management team projects and initiatives, you will ensure you team provides support to wider DVS business in resolving operational queries in a professional, efficient and timely manner.

Key Attributes

· A demonstrable ability to strive for continuous improvement in processes and the delivery of services.
· Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, and familiarity with delivering under pressure; experienced at prioritising effectively, and inspiring others to follow.
· Detail oriented and adept at working with multiple data sets, you will be skilled at identifying issues and proactive in developing solutions and measuring their effectiveness.
· An exceptionally strong communicator with ability to connect at all levels, you will know what it takes to engage with your teams and influence the wider leadership and management personnel of the business.
· An authentic and natural leader who leads from the front and by example, you will be committed to developing and motivating employees to help them achieve their potential and maximise their impact on the business.
· Skilled at developing high quality relationships, you will possess a proven ability to work highly effectively as part of a wider team in order to deliver organisational excellence.
· Change-oriented, with a strong focus on customer service, you will inspire others to embrace change by clearly articulating the objectives and intended outcomes.

Experience/Skills

· Industry knowledge in a fast-moving consumable/business goods environment is essential.
· Experience of driving operational efficiency and controlling costs to achieve wider business strategy and objectives.
· Experience of producing analytical reports and presenting on these.
· Experience of achieving commercial KPIs in a fast-paced environment.
· Experience of managing diverse teams, performance management and talent development.
· Sound knowledge and practical experience of Lean fundamentals (or similar).
· Demonstrable experience of managing Health and Safety in a busy environment.
· Excellent attention to detail.
· Excellent organisational & time management skills
· Excellent communication skills
· Energised/Enthusiastic with a ‘can do’ attitude
· Proven experience of working in a Warehouse environment including the understanding of SSoW’s
· Experience of developing and delivering short-medium term operational plans and measuring their effectiveness in practice
· Flexible approach to work patterns and able to work as and when required
· Digital Literacy (Excel skills are highly desirable but not essential)
· Six Sigma qualifications are highly desirable but not essential
· Experience with Material Requirements Planning is highly desirable but not essential

Salary & Benefits

· Generous and highly competitive financial package
· 25 Days Holiday per annum plus Statutory Bank Holidays
· Income Protection Insurance
· Buy/Sell Holiday Scheme
· Employee Assistance Program
· Private Medical Cover
· On-site Parking
· Company Pension
· Regular Company Social Events
· Employee Recognition Awards
· Company Paid Sickness Scheme