Operations & Supply Chain Director

Reporting to: Managing Director / Board

Location: Based in Farnham or Luton with travel required between both, plus to our curtain workroom in Alresford, near Winchester

Direct reports: Factory Manager, Curtain Workroom Manager, Procurement Manager, Production office assistant, H&S manager (part time role to be filled)

Role Full-time, senior management position

Role Purpose

The role will combine responsibility for two manufacturing facilities: a factory in Luton producing blinds and curtain tracks and a curtain workroom near Winchester, with overall responsibility for procurement, inventory and the wider supply chain.

The two key objectives will be to;

• Strengthen a culture of continuous improvement, building on the Lean manufacturing principles that have already been implemented and to develop appropriate performance measures to improve quality, productivity, efficiency and operational resilience.
• Lead Waverley’s procurement and supply chain strategy, ensuring robust purchasing and stock-management systems are in place while developing supplier relationships, identifying alternative sources and negotiating competitive commercial terms.

Key Responsibilities

1. Manufacturing & Operational Leadership

• Take overall responsibility for Waverley’s manufacturing operations across the blinds factory and the curtain workroom.
• Ensure appropriate production planning, capacity and resource are in place to meet customer requirements and agreed lead times.
• Develop greater visibility of operational performance through appropriate KPIs and regular operational reviews.
• Identify operational constraints and implement sustainable improvements rather than relying on short-term firefighting.
• Ensure both manufacturing facilities operate to consistently high standards of quality, productivity, organisation and housekeeping.

2. Lean Manufacturing & Continuous Improvement

• Review existing manufacturing processes and identify opportunities to improve workflow, productivity, quality, lead time and capacity.
• Introduce practical Lean methodologies appropriate to a relatively low-volume, high-mix, made-to-order manufacturing environment.
• Develop and embed techniques including 5S, visual management, standard work, root-cause analysis, waste reduction and process improvement.
• Establish meaningful measures for manufacturing performance
• Build a culture where employees at all levels are encouraged to identify problems and suggest improvements.
• Ensure that operational improvements become embedded processes rather than relying on individual knowledge.

3. Quality

• Take overall operational responsibility for manufacturing quality.
• Develop effective systems for recording, analysing and reducing manufacturing defects, rework and waste.
• Ensure recurring quality problems are investigated using appropriate root-cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Work with the wider business to understand customer and project-related quality issues and ensure lessons are fed back into manufacturing processes.
• Develop a culture where quality is built into the manufacturing process rather than inspected at the end.

4. Procurement & Supply Chain

• Take overall responsibility for Waverley’s procurement and supply chain strategy.
• Review purchasing processes and implement appropriate systems for stock replenishment, purchasing approvals, supplier management and inventory control.
• Ensure appropriate stock levels are maintained to support customer service while avoiding unnecessary working capital being tied up in inventory.
• Develop greater visibility of stock usage, purchasing patterns and future requirements.
• Review Waverley’s supplier base and identify opportunities for alternative and secondary suppliers, improved commercial terms and cost reduction
• Develop strategic relationships with key suppliers while ensuring Waverley is not unnecessarily dependent upon individual suppliers.
• Establish appropriate supplier-performance measures covering areas such as quality, cost, delivery and service.

5. Inventory & Materials Management

• Ensure robust systems are in place for ordering, receiving, storing and controlling raw materials, components, fabrics and finished goods.
• Develop appropriate stock policies, including reorder levels and purchasing parameters for key materials.
• Work with manufacturing and procurement to reduce stock shortages, emergency purchasing and unnecessary inventory.
• Ensure goods-in processes across Waverley’s locations are clearly defined and appropriately owned within the operational structure.
• Improve the accuracy and visibility of inventory information across the business.

6. People Leadership

• Provide strong leadership to Waverley’s manufacturing and procurement teams.
• Build effective relationships with experienced, long-serving members of the team while positively challenging established ways of working.
• Develop the capabilities of the Factory Manager, Workshop Manager and Procurement Manager, setting clear objectives and holding them accountable for delivery.
• Create an environment of continuous improvement where change is introduced collaboratively but with clear expectations and momentum.
• Identify skills gaps, succession risks and training requirements within operations.
• Ensure that operational knowledge is documented and shared rather than being dependent upon individual employees.

7. Support to Sales & Projects

• Provide operational input into customer projects where manufacturing capability, capacity, lead times, materials or supply-chain considerations require senior operational expertise.
• Act as the senior escalation point for significant manufacturing, quality, procurement or supply-chain issues.
• Work closely with sales, project management and other areas of the business to ensure customer commitments are operationally achievable.
• Reduce the volume of day-to-day operational issues requiring senior management intervention by establishing clear processes, responsibilities and escalation routes.

8. Health & Safety

• Work closely with Waverley’s designated Health & Safety competent person/adviser to ensure manufacturing operations comply with the company’s H&S requirements.
• Ensure agreed H&S procedures, risk controls and corrective actions are implemented across the three Waverley premises (Farnham, Luton & Alresford).
• Promote a strong health and safety culture across operations.

Note: The role is not intended to act as Waverley’s principal Health & Safety competent person; specialist responsibility for this is expected to be separately resourced.