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 Suffok
Sharing borders with Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex, Suffolk is a county in East Anglia that is situated on the coast of the North Sea.
Although Suffolk does not have any cities within its boundaries, anyone seeking Head of Operations roles in the area will have a number of options to choose from in the larger towns of Lowestoff, Felixstowe and Bury St Edmunds, as well as the county town of Ipswich.
Primarily an agricultural region, Suffolk grows a number of crops including rapeseed, wheat, barley, sugar beet, linseed, oats, rye and various vegetables.
The Port of Felixstowe processes around 35 per cent of the UK's container cargo, making it the largest port of its kind in the country, and one of the busiest in Europe. There's also a port at Ipswich; it is home to a number of shipbuilders and Fairline Yachts has a testing facility here.
Other major employers in Suffolk include Birds Eye, Greene King brewing, Bernard Matthews Farms and Huntley & Palmers. In addition, Premier Foods manufactures Branston Pickle in the region.
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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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