Head of Operations
Ask a hundred companies what their head of operations does and you’ll get a hundred answers. And that’s a clue to what the role entails – it’s a job that’s focused on a specific area with the intention of making it run to the board’s aims, i.e. with maximum productivity, efficiency, compliance and performance.
Often, the operations head will have a slightly different title, such as head of HR operations or head of IT operations, as the generic title would not accurately describe the day to day tasks of the role. Essentially, though, you are overseeing the way a particular process, or a range of interconnected processes, work, and ensuring they operate smoothly within the context of the business.
The head of operations slots into the corporate infrastructure below board level, but there will be crucial managerial responsibilities, and the larger the company, the more vital and pressurised your decisions and management will be.
The skills required
Needless to say, there are a lot of skills that are transferable between head of operations jobs in different companies, such as the ability to manage large and complex teams, to interpret strategic aims and convert them into actionable plans, and to report back to the board accurately, candidly and clearly.
It’s likely that the core functions of the business will rest on your shoulders, so this isn’t a role for the indecisive or the weak-hearted, but nor is it a position that suits risk-takers, as everything you do should be planned and justified. Overseeing operations will naturally require excellent communication skills and an ability to delegate and trust subordinates appropriately.
Head of Operations Jobs in Scunthorpe
Scunthorpe is a town at the north of Lincolnshire roughly as far north as Grimsby on the east coast but 23 miles (37 km) inland. Its closest major neighbour is Hull, 16 miles (26 km) to the north east, and Leeds and Sheffield are both roughly 35 miles (57 km) to the west. The town originally comprised five villages, Ashby, Crosby, Brumby, Frodingham and Scunthorpe, but time merged them together and they officially collectively became Scunthorpe as we now know it, with a population of around 75,000.
The town has a rich industrial heritage, and played its part in the Industrial Revolution as a major centre for ironworks in the mid to late 1800s. These would eventually become steel works as the technology was honed. The usual story for most of these industrial boom towns is that that fell into decline in the twentieth century, but happily for Scunthorpe this is not the case. The largest single employer remains the steelworks, now owned by the Indian steel giant Tata. Thanks to the ongoing success of the steelworks, many engineering firms, large and small, are doing well in the area. Major local employers include BOC, Bell Waste Control, Nisa Today’s, 2 Sisters, Key Country Foods, The Sauce Company and Ericsson.
With such a vibrant industrial history and the whole spectrum of industry from heavy to light, Head of Operations jobs can appear in Scunthorpe from time to time. The town is also at the centre of a circle of major towns, cities, resorts and ports, which can potentially lead new logistics, warehousing and supply chain companies to set up there.
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Find heads of operations at Cast UK
Your business depends on finding the absolute best people to head up your operations, so you need to cast your net widely to ensure you’ve explored all options. That’s why partnering with Cast UK as your recruitment consultancy makes perfect sense. We deal with professional level level talent, delivering excellent interview-ready shortlists to businesses of all sizes and types. Call 0333 121 3345 to talk to a cons today.
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