About Us
Contract Candles and Diffusers Ltd is a company built on traditional, hard-working, family values. We are committed to our customers, employees and future generations. We are passionate about service and quality, and our mission is to continue to use our knowledge and experience to produce the finest products for leading luxury brands.
Overview
As a key member of the Senior Leadership Team, the Operations Director is responsible for setting and delivering the operational strategy of the business in alignment with the overall company vision and growth plans.
The role provides strategic leadership across manufacturing, planning, warehousing, systems, and operational performance, ensuring the business operates efficiently, safely, and profitably while remaining agile, scalable, and capable of supporting future growth.
The Operations Director will lead and develop high-performing teams, champion continuous improvement, drive automation and systems evolution, and ensure operational excellence underpins outstanding customer outcomes.
The role will play a critical part in driving the digitisation of the operation, embedding Industry 4.0 principles, and transforming shopfloor data capture to enable real-time, data-led decision making across the business.
What you will do:
Operations Strategy & Leadership (Primary Focus)
- Work alongside the Managing Director and fellow Directors to shape and deliver the company’s medium- and long-term strategic plans.
- Translate business strategy into a clear, achievable operational roadmap, setting priorities and objectives across manufacturing, planning, warehousing, and operational support functions.
- Provide visible, inspirational leadership to the Operations team, setting clear expectations, accountability, and measures of success.
- Build a high-performing, engaged, and future-ready operations leadership team.
Operational Performance & Continuous Improvement
- Take full accountability for operational performance, driving improvements in efficiency, service levels, cost control, quality, and delivery.
- Define, monitor, and challenge operational KPIs, using data-led insight to inform decision-making and corrective action.
- Champion a culture of continuous improvement, operational excellence, and standardised best practice across all sites and teams.
- Identify and deliver initiatives to improve productivity, reduce waste, and enhance profitability.
- Establish clear performance reporting frameworks, ensuring accurate, timely reporting of operational performance, and holding the leadership team accountable for delivery against agreed KPIs and targets.
Manufacturing, Systems & Automation
- Provide strategic oversight of manufacturing operations, ensuring capacity, capability, and resilience align with current and future demand.
- Support the specification, implementation, and continuous evolution of manufacturing and operational systems, including Business Central and production software.
- Sponsor and guide manufacturing automation initiatives, ensuring they deliver measurable benefits in efficiency, quality, consistency, and scalability.
- Work closely with R&D, and external partners to ensure operational systems and processes are fit for purpose and future-proofed.
- Lead the digitisation of operations through the adoption of Industry 4.0 principles, including the overhaul of shopfloor data capture, ensuring accurate, real-time performance visibility and a robust foundation for continuous improvement and scalability.
Planning, Supply Chain & Warehousing
- Ensure effective production planning and resource allocation to meet customer demand while optimising labour, materials, and inventory.
- Provide strategic oversight of stock management, warehousing, and logistics, ensuring accuracy, availability, and cost control.
- Anticipate and manage operational risk, capacity constraints, and supply chain challenges, putting mitigation plans in place where required.
Financial & Commercial Accountability
- Hold responsibility for operational budgets, ensuring spend is controlled, monitored, and aligned with business objectives.
- Use forecasting, trend analysis, and performance reporting to support informed decision-making at Senior Leadership level.
- Partner closely with Commercial and Finance teams to support profitable growth and exceptional customer outcomes.
People, Culture & Capability
- Develop and coach operational leaders, building capability, succession, and resilience across the function.
- Work collaboratively with HR to ensure robust workforce planning, recruitment, performance management, and engagement.
- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, safety, and continuous learning.
- Ensure high standards of health, safety, and wellbeing are maintained across all operational environments.
Governance, Sustainability & Risk
- Ensure operations comply with all relevant legal, regulatory, and industry requirements.
- Maintain strong relationships with key external contractors and service providers.
- Champion sustainability within operations, continually assessing environmental impact and driving responsible, future-focused improvements.
- Ensure client confidentiality and data integrity are maintained at all times.
Experience
- Proven experience in a senior operations leadership role within a manufacturing or operationally complex environment.
- Demonstrated ability to develop and deliver operational strategy aligned to business growth.
- Strong commercial acumen with experience managing budgets, forecasts, and operational cost control.
- Experience leading change, transformation, automation, or systems implementation programmes.
- Excellent leadership, communication, and influencing skills at all levels of an organisation.
- Strong analytical capability with a data-driven approach to decision-making.
- Experience with Business Central and or manufacturing systems (Microsoft Dynamics desirable).
Qualities
- Strategic, calm, and decisive under pressure
- Highly emotionally intelligent and resilient
- Inspirational leader with a collaborative style
- Proactive, organised, and delivery-focused
- Commercially minded with strong judgement
- Passionate about operational excellence and people development
CC&D have the ambition to be the best luxury candle manufacturer in the world with a key focus on sustainability. Our mission is to integrate sustainability into every aspect of our business operations. We strive to lead by example, inspire positive change, and create a more sustainable future for generations to come.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £80,000.00-£100,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Cycle to work scheme
- Enhanced maternity leave
- Health & wellbeing programme
- On-site parking
- Private medical insurance
Work Location: In person
