OPERATIONS MANAGER – PADSTOW BOATYARD
Location: Padstow, Cornwall
Salary: £45,000–£70,000 DOE
Reports To: Managing Director / Balaena Leadership
About the Role
Padstow Boatyard is looking for a driven, practical and highly organised Operations Manager to take ownership of the day-to-day running of the yard.
This is a hands-on leadership role suited to someone who enjoys being visible within the operation, solving problems, managing people and driving standards.
We are looking for a strong operator who can bring structure, discipline and follow-through to a busy marine environment.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Management
- Lead the day-to-day operation of the yard.
- Coordinate workloads, staffing, scheduling and project priorities.
- Ensure smooth delivery of projects, repairs, refits and maintenance work.
- Identify operational bottlenecks and implement improvements.
Team Leadership
- Manage and support supervisors, project leads and operational staff.
- Build accountability, communication and teamwork across the business.
- Ensure tasks are planned, monitored and completed effectively.
Project & Contract Delivery
- Support delivery of customer contracts and operational projects.
- Monitor project progress, resources, deadlines and operational risks.
- Work closely with technical teams to maintain programme performance.
QSHE & Standards
- Maintain high standards of safety, quality and operational compliance.
- Oversee day-to-day implementation of QSHE processes.
- Ensure systems, paperwork and procedures are followed.
Administration & Reporting
- Maintain operational reporting, planning and performance tracking.
- Work alongside finance, administration and group support functions.
- Support procurement, stores, scheduling and general business organisation.
Stakeholder & Customer Liaison
- Maintain strong communication with customers, suppliers and internal teams.
- Represent the business professionally on operational matters.
- Build strong working relationships internally and externally.
Candidate Requirements
Essential:
- Strong operations management or leadership experience.
- Excellent organisational and problem-solving capability.
- Experience managing teams in a practical operational environment.
- Ability to implement structure, systems and accountability.
- Strong communication and leadership skills.
Desirable:
- Marine, engineering, manufacturing, defence or military operations background.
- Experience in project delivery, contract management or production operations.
- Knowledge of health & safety, quality and operational systems.
- Experience within shipyards, boatyards or technical environments.
Ideal Profile
You will likely be:
- Hands-on and visible.
- Strong at organising people and workloads.
- Comfortable making decisions and taking ownership.
- Practical, commercially aware and delivery focused.
- Someone who wants to build and improve a business operation day-to-day.
Pay: £45,000.00-£70,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
