UK

United Kingdom · Operations · Director/VP (16-20 years)

Director of Operations

Here is the whole job, in plain words. What it is, what you decide, how you're judged, how people get here and where they go next. Then the part no course gives you: twelve AI tutors who learn your work.

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  • Experience bandDirector/VP (16-20 years)
  • Direct reports25-100 reports
  • Reports toChief Operating Officer (COO)
  • UK framework levelUsually a director, accountable for a division and its numbers

Also advertised as VP of Operations · Head of Manufacturing · Operations Director

Built on 43,079 real UK job descriptions we analysed · grounded in qualifications employers recognise

Two short quizzes about you

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

FDQ Level 4 Certificate for Proficiency in Food Manufacturing Excellence FDQ Limited · Level 4 · covers 1 of 70 standards
OTHM Level 4 Diploma in Airline, Airport and Aviation Management OTHM Qualifications · Level 4 · covers 1 of 70 standards
OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Data Science OTHM Qualifications · Level 7 · covers 2 of 70 standards

Matched from the standards this job is measured against: a suggestion, not an official ruling.

The units you would start with

Lead organisational change to sustain excellence in food operations FDQ Level 4 Certificate for Proficiency in Food Manufacturing Excellence
Airline Operations OTHM Level 4 Diploma in Airline, Airport and Aviation Management
Data Science Foundations OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Data Science
Customer Service in a Contact Centre NOCN Entry Level Extended Certificate in Preparing for Further Learning or Employment (Entry 3)
Managing and Improving Operations NOCN Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Leadership of Performance and Productivity

The future skills this job leans on

AI Fluency working with AI as a thinking partner
AI Governance Fluency using AI responsibly
Automation Fluency building AI into how work runs
Sustainability Fluency building care for people and planet into the work
Frontier Fluency the next wave, beyond mainstream AI
Start my Director of Operations plan, free
Your Plan Illustration

Built for Director of Operations

5 units that map to this job, from the qualifications that cover it.

  1. Lead organisational change to sustain excellence in food operations FDQ Limited · covers 1 of 70 standards Level 4
  2. Airline Operations OTHM Qualifications · covers 1 of 70 standards Level 4
  3. Data Science Foundations OTHM Qualifications · covers 2 of 70 standards Level 7
  4. Customer Service in a Contact Centre NOCN · covers 1 of 70 standards Entry Level
  5. Managing and Improving Operations NOCN · covers 1 of 70 standards Level 7
These are the real units behind this job, in the order they rank for it. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as a Director of Operations?

Nobody can say exactly how. Here is what this job is being asked for next, and where to start.

The new skills this role is being asked for

  • Supply Chain Resilience & Risk Orchestration
  • ESG & Circular Economy Operationalisation
Why each one is rising

The future skills this job leans on

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

What happens when you start

Next, a free account. We build your Director of Operations plan as you set up, starting with a Future Fluency module on using AI in your job. No card.

Your first Future Fluency module is free. After that, your AI tutor is £70 a month.

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3What this role really is

A Director of Operations plans and drives change across several manufacturing plants over several years. Decisions in this role affect output, costs and how well customers are served.

4What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

Plex MES / SAP ME (Strategic Integration) Expert

Leading the selection, integration, and enterprise-wide deployment of new MES modules. Defining global data standards and ensuring MES data feeds into strategic decision-making platforms.

SAP S/4HANA / Oracle NetSuite (ERP Architecture) Expert

Guiding the strategic use of ERP for capacity planning, S&OP processes, and approving major CapEx requests. Ensuring ERP data integrity and its integration with other operational systems.

ETQ Reliance / MasterControl (QMS Governance) Expert

Setting enterprise-level quality tolerance parameters, approving global CAPAs, and presenting quality metrics from the QMS to executive leadership and the board.

Power BI / Tableau / Anaplan (Executive Analytics) Expert

Defining KPIs for executive dashboards, championing a data-driven culture, and using advanced tools like Anaplan for strategic capacity modelling and scenario planning across the network.

MS Teams / Slack / SharePoint (Cross-functional Collaboration) Advanced

Leading cross-functional project management, facilitating strategic discussions, and ensuring seamless information flow across multiple departments and sites.

5What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choiceComing in Where you are nowThe step above
Strategic Direction & Vision N/A N/A Define the 3-5 year operational vision and strategy for multiple plants/business units. Consult with COO, present to board for approval.
Budget & P&L Management N/A N/A Full P&L accountability for £2M-£10M+ operational budget. Approve CapEx projects up to £5M, with larger projects requiring board sign-off.
Organisational Design & Talent N/A N/A Define the organisational structure for your operational units. Make all hiring, promotion, and termination decisions for your direct reports (Plant Managers). Influence broader talent strategy with HR.
Major Process & Technology Implementation N/A N/A Lead the selection, implementation, and integration of enterprise-wide MES, ERP, and QMS systems. Approve major technology investments and define their rollout strategy.
Crisis Management (Enterprise-level) N/A N/A Lead the response to major operational disruptions (e.g., multi-plant shutdowns, critical supplier failures), coordinating across functions and communicating with the C-suite and board.

6How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, and what is not on it. The hard targets, how often each is actually looked at, and the quiet signals that never reach a dashboard.

Business Unit P&L and EBITDA
Overall profitability and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation for your operational units.
Target · Achieve or exceed annual targets, typically £2M-£10M+ EBITDA contribution.

Delivering £8M EBITDA for the Northern European manufacturing cluster, exceeding the £7.5M target by 6.7%.

Capital Expenditure (CapEx) Project ROI
Return on investment for major capital projects, like new machinery or factory expansions.
Target · Maintain an average ROI of >15% across all approved CapEx projects.

A new automated assembly line costing £5M delivers £1.2M in annual savings, achieving a 24% ROI within the first year.

Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) Reduction
Lowering the cost to produce our goods through efficiency gains, material optimisation, and process improvements.
Target · Reduce COGS by 5% year-on-year across your managed operations.

Through a Lean transformation programme, reducing the average unit cost of Product X from £12.50 to £11.88, saving £750K annually on a 1.2M unit volume.

Total Recordable Incident Frequency Rate (TRIFR)
A key safety metric, tracking the number of workplace injuries per 100,000 hours worked.
Target · Improve TRIFR by 10% year-on-year across all operational sites.

Reducing TRIFR from 3.2 to 2.8 across all plants in 2024, demonstrating a safer working environment for our teams.

Strategic Influence & Board-Level Engagement
Your ability to shape the overall operational strategy and effectively communicate it to the executive team and board.
  • You'll be regularly invited to present operational updates and strategic proposals to the board. Your input will be sought on major business decisions, like market entry or M&A. People will listen when you speak, basically.
Organisational Development & Talent Pipeline
Building a strong, capable team beneath you, ensuring we have the right people in the right roles for the future.
  • We'll see clear succession plans for key roles, a noticeable improvement in the capabilities of your direct reports, and a strong culture of mentoring and development. Your teams should feel supported and challenged.
Lean Transformation & Continuous Improvement Culture
Driving a mindset of ongoing improvement and waste reduction across all operational sites.
  • Evidence includes a significant increase in employee-led improvement initiatives, measurable savings from Kaizen events across sites, and a visible shift towards data-driven problem-solving at all levels. It's about getting everyone on board with making things better, all the time.
Cross-Functional Collaboration & Alignment
How well you get different departments—like Supply Chain, Sales, and Engineering—working together towards common operational goals.
  • You'll be leading regular strategic meetings with other department heads, and we'll see fewer 'us vs. them' situations. Projects that span multiple functions will run smoother, and there'll be clear, agreed-upon objectives across the business.

7Would you like it

Both sides. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Shaping Enterprise Strategy

You'll spend a good chunk of your time thinking about where our operations need to be in 3-5 years, not just next quarter. This means developing long-term plans for capacity, technology, and talent, and then presenting those to the C-suite.

Leading the strategic review that results in a multi-million-pound investment in a new automated factory, fundamentally changing our production capabilities.

Driving Large-Scale Transformation

You'll get a real kick out of seeing big, complex projects come to fruition – like standardising processes across 5 different plants, or implementing a new ERP system that changes how everyone works. It's about moving the entire organisation forward.

Successfully rolling out a Lean Six Sigma programme across all sites, leading to a measurable 5% reduction in COGS and a significant cultural shift.

Building High-Performing Teams

You'll invest heavily in developing your leadership team, coaching your Plant Managers, and ensuring there's a strong talent pipeline. Seeing your people grow and succeed is a major win for you.

Mentoring a Plant Manager who then gets promoted to a regional role, demonstrating the strength of the talent you've developed.

What frustrates people
  • The sheer pace of change can be frustrating; you'll often feel like you're fighting fires at one plant while trying to plan for the next five years at another.
  • Getting different departments (like Sales and Production) to truly agree on priorities and resource allocation can feel like herding cats.
  • You'll sometimes have to make tough calls that impact people's jobs or close down parts of the business, which is never easy.
  • Board-level scrutiny can be intense, and you'll need to be prepared to defend your operational strategy and performance with solid data and clear explanations.
What this role does not give you
  • If you love getting your hands dirty on the shop floor every day, this role probably isn't for you. Your focus is strategic, not tactical.
  • You won't always see immediate results from your efforts; many of your initiatives will have a 1-3 year payoff, which can be tough if you need instant gratification.
  • If you prefer a predictable, stable environment, the constant flux of market demands, technological shifts, and internal changes might wear you down.

8Who you work with

When you get this right, we see significant improvements in profitability, a much smoother supply chain, and our ability to launch new products faster. Get it wrong, and we're looking at missed targets, unhappy customers, and potentially losing market share. Honestly, your decisions here can make or break a quarter, sometimes even a year.

Inside the business
  • Chief Operating Officer (COO)
  • CFO and Finance Leadership
  • Chief Commercial Officer (CCO)
  • Head of Supply Chain
  • Head of Engineering
  • HR Director
Outside the business
  • Key Strategic Suppliers
  • Major Customers (for strategic discussions)
  • Industry Bodies and Regulators
  • Potential M&A Targets (due diligence)

9What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

  • Proven experience managing multiple manufacturing sites or a significant business unit with full P&L responsibility (typically £2M+).
  • Demonstrated success in leading large-scale Lean or Six Sigma transformation programmes that delivered measurable financial results.
  • Extensive experience in developing and mentoring senior operational leaders (e.g., Plant Managers, Operations Managers).
  • A track record of successfully implementing major capital expenditure projects (e.g., new factory builds, significant automation projects).
  • Strong understanding of enterprise-level ERP, MES, and QMS systems, including their strategic deployment and integration.

10What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

Advanced Analytics & Data Governance for Operations

As we collect more data from the shop floor, the challenge shifts from data collection to making sense of it at an enterprise level. You'll need to govern how data is used to drive strategic insights, not just daily reports. This is critical within 6 months.

Data lake/warehouse architecture for operational data · Predictive modelling for operational forecasting · Data quality frameworks & master data management · AI/ML model deployment & MLOps in manufacturing · Data visualisation for executive decision-making

  • This week: Review our current operational data architecture. Where are the gaps? What's missing?
  • This month: Meet with our data science team (if we have one) to understand their capabilities and how they could support operations strategically.
  • Month 2: Sponsor a pilot project to use predictive analytics for a key operational metric (e.g., machine uptime, quality defects).
  • Month 3: Develop a proposal for improving data governance standards for critical operational data elements.

Quick win: Identify one key operational metric that's currently hard to track accurately. Work with your IT/data team to build a single, reliable source of truth for it.

Cybersecurity & OT/IT Convergence Leadership

As our factories become more connected (Industry 4.0), they also become more vulnerable to cyber threats. You'll need to understand the risks and lead the strategy to protect our operational technology (OT) systems. This is an important skill within 12 months.

OT vs. IT security differences · Industrial Control Systems (ICS) security · Network segmentation for operational resilience · Incident response planning for operational outages · Regulatory compliance for critical infrastructure

  • This quarter: Schedule a briefing with our CISO or IT security lead to understand our current OT security posture.
  • Next 6 months: Sponsor a risk assessment of our most critical operational systems and develop a mitigation plan.
  • Next 12 months: Lead a cross-functional team (Operations, IT, Security) to develop an incident response plan for a major cyberattack scenario.
  • Ongoing: Stay informed about emerging cyber threats relevant to manufacturing and industrial control systems.

Quick win: Ensure all your operational leaders understand the basics of phishing and ransomware. Human error is often the weakest link.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Regularly attend industry conferences and executive summits focused on manufacturing, supply chain, and digital transformation.
  • Participate in executive leadership programmes or peer groups to share insights and learn from other industry leaders.
  • Engage with academic institutions on research projects or guest lecturing to stay abreast of cutting-edge operational theory.
  • Mentor junior and mid-level managers within the organisation, giving back your experience and honing your leadership skills.

12The rising capability

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

Supply Chain Resilience & Risk Orchestration

Global events (pandemics, geopolitical shifts, climate change) mean supply chain disruptions are the new normal. We can't just react; we need to proactively build operations that can withstand and recover quickly from major shocks. This is critical within 12 months.

  • Multi-tier supply chain visibility
  • Scenario planning & stress testing
  • Dual-sourcing & regionalisation strategies
  • Digital twin for operations
  • AI-driven risk sensing

ESG & Circular Economy Operationalisation

Customers, investors, and regulators are demanding more sustainable and ethical operations. This isn't just PR; it's becoming a core part of how we design, produce, and manage our products. Expect this to be critical within 18 months.

  • Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for products
  • Waste-to-value streams
  • Renewable energy integration in manufacturing
  • Sustainable material sourcing
  • Carbon footprint reduction strategies

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Lean Manufacturing (Enterprise-level)
  • Six Sigma (Strategic Deployment)
  • Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) Optimisation
  • Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) Strategy
  • Value Stream Mapping (Network Optimisation)

14The pathway

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

  1. 1

    Plant Manager (Large/Complex Site)

    5-8 years as a Plant Manager before moving to Director level

    Skills to master

    • Full P&L management for a single site, leading significant Lean transformations, managing large teams (100+), and navigating complex stakeholder relationships within a single plant context.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Consistently exceeding plant-level financial and operational targets (e.g., OEE, FPY, budget adherence).
    • Successfully leading major CapEx projects or new product introductions at your site.
    • Developing and promoting multiple leaders from within your plant.
    • Demonstrating strong problem-solving skills for complex, multi-departmental issues.
  2. 2

    Head of Supply Chain / Logistics

    6-10 years in senior supply chain roles

    Skills to master

    • Strategic sourcing, global logistics management, demand planning, inventory optimisation across a network, and strong negotiation skills with external partners.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Proven ability to reduce supply chain costs while improving service levels.
    • Successfully implementing major supply chain technology (e.g., WMS, TMS).
    • Demonstrating strong risk management in a complex global supply chain.
    • Effective collaboration with manufacturing operations to ensure material flow.
  3. 3

    Senior Operations Consultant (Industry Focus)

    8-12 years in consulting, with significant client-side operational experience

    Skills to master

    • Strategic problem-solving across diverse operational contexts, change management, executive stakeholder management, and a deep understanding of industry best practices and emerging trends.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Leading successful operational transformation projects for multiple large clients.
    • Building strong relationships with C-suite executives and influencing strategic decisions.
    • Developing and mentoring high-performing consulting teams.
    • A comprehensive understanding of various operational models and their application.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This role can lead to Chief Operating Officer, Chief Executive Officer, or a board or non-executive director position.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how Director of Operations is actually changing.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

How you would learn this

One to one, on the work you already do

A tutor sets the task against your own job and marks the reasoning, at your pace. There is no cohort to fall behind.

A lesson from Lead organisational change to sustain excellence in food operations, worked against Director of Operations.

Lead organisational change to sustain excellence in food operations Level 4

Applied to your work in Director of Operations

1. To enable the learner to define and articulate clear, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) change objectives for organisational improvements in food operations. 2. To enable the learner to identify and assess the key drivers and barriers to organisational change within a food manufacturing technology context. 3. To enable the learner to apply change management methodologies to steer organisational change effectively towards sustained excellence in food operations.

How the thinking builds
  1. 1 Remember
  2. 2 Understand
  3. 3 Apply
  4. 4 Analyse
  5. 5 Evaluate
  6. 6 Create
An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

It is £70 a month, billed monthly. Your free first module is Future Fluency, and you can cancel any time.

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See Your Progress Grow Illustration
Director of Operations
  • Lean Manufacturing (Enterprise-level)
  • Six Sigma (Strategic Deployment)
  • Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) Optimisation
  • Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) Strategy
  • Value Stream Mapping (Network Optimisation)
This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

16The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

Director of Operations is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. Chief Operating Officer (COO)

    3-5 years as Director of Operations

    From leading a business unit's operations to setting enterprise-wide operational and supply chain strategy, accountable to the CEO and board for all operations.

    • Holistic supply chain and logistics network design for the entire enterprise.
    • Advanced financial modelling and forecasting for company-wide performance.
    • Deep understanding of market dynamics, competitive landscape, and regulatory environment at a global scale.
    • Strategic IT infrastructure and digital transformation leadership across all departments.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

As a Director of Operations, your time is precious. You're thinking about multi-year strategies, not chasing data. The good news? AI isn't just for the shop floor anymore; it's a powerful tool to free you up for higher-level thinking and decision-making.

Imagine having a strategic co-pilot that handles the grunt work of data analysis, report generation, and even helps you anticipate problems before they hit your desk. That's the reality with AI in operations leadership. You'll use these tools to gain deeper insights, communicate more effectively, and spend more time driving the big transformations.

Predictive Operational Insights

AI models can crunch vast amounts of data from your MES, ERP, and QMS to predict potential bottlenecks, quality issues, or supply chain disruptions across your entire network. Instead of reacting, you'll be proactively adjusting strategy, allocating resources, and mitigating risks before they become crises. This helps you stay ahead of the curve.

Automated Executive Reporting & Analysis

Forget spending hours consolidating data for board presentations. AI can pull performance metrics, financial data, and project updates from various systems, generating comprehensive, executive-ready reports and dashboards. It'll even highlight key trends and suggest areas for deeper investigation, giving you more time to interpret and strategise.

AI-Driven Scenario Planning

When you're considering a new factory layout, a major CapEx investment, or a shift in product mix, AI can run complex simulations. It'll model the impact of different decisions on capacity, cost, and lead times across your entire operational network, helping you make more informed, data-backed strategic choices. No more guessing games, just better data.

Strategic Document Drafting & Summarisation

From drafting initial strategic proposals and business cases to summarising lengthy market research or regulatory documents, AI can be a powerful assistant. It can help you articulate complex ideas clearly and concisely, saving you significant time on initial drafts and ensuring your communications are impactful. Think of it as your personal strategy ghostwriter.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Director of Operations?

Common routes in include Plant Manager (Large/Complex Site) (5-8 years as a Plant Manager before moving to Director level), Head of Supply Chain / Logistics (6-10 years in senior supply chain roles) and Senior Operations Consultant (Industry Focus) (8-12 years in consulting, with significant client-side operational experience). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Director of Operations progress to?

This role can lead on to Chief Operating Officer (COO) (3-5 years as Director of Operations), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Director of Operations?

Increasingly, Supply Chain Resilience & Risk Orchestration and ESG & Circular Economy Operationalisation. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

Free tools

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17Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 7

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.

 More jobs in operations

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.
If you leave this industry

Operational and strategic leadership experience carries across industries. This can lead to Director or VP roles in other manufacturing sectors such as automotive, aerospace or consumer goods. It can also lead into private equity, consulting or venture capital, advising on operations for portfolio companies.

This role profile is © 2026 Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Start my Director of Operations plan, free What happens next: a free account, then we build your plan as you set up. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.