Operations Manager

SF Recruitment are working with an innovative, award winning start up manufacturing business in Birmingham to recruit an operations manager. This is a newly created role to define the supply chain & operations strategy, whilst managing sub-contract manufacturers to ensure part quality & specification meet standards needed. An exciting opportunity to join a high potential business at a key time in their journey, What You’ll Do Own the full supply chain: Manage purchasing and relationships across 30+ global suppliers, oversee POs, shipments, payments, and maintain strong supplier performance on cost, quality, and lead times. Optimise logistics & cost: Plan inbound freight (sea, air, courier), manage customs/import compliance, and ensure parts arrive on time at our UK contract manufacturer. Keep inventory tight & accurate: Run stock control systems (ERP/MRP), track consumption and rejects, and maintain clean, reliable inventory levels across suppliers and production. Lead quality across the board: Verify part quality, implement QC/QA checkpoints, manage NCRs, and ensure every unit meets safety and performance standards Control the BOM: Keep the Bill of Materials accurate, up to date, and aligned with engineering changes—ensuring production always builds from the latest revision. Drive production execution: Act as the main operations owner for our contract manufacturer. Improve processes, reduce bottlenecks, boost yields, and ensure we hit production targets. Run engineering changes: Own the lifecycle of ECRs, propagate updates through suppliers and production, and track impact on cost, lead time, and stock. Solve real problems, fast: Help diagnose issues across mechanical, electrical, PCBA, and assembly systems, working with engineering and suppliers to implement durable fixes. What You Bring 5–10+ years in supply chain, hardware operations, production engineering, or manufacturing (consumer electronics or startup experience ideal). Strong mechanical and electrical understanding—comfortable with machining, tolerances, PCBs, wiring, assemblies, and DFM/DFA. Experience working with Asian/Chinese supply chains and contract manufacturers. Skilled in MRP/ERP systems, BOM management, vendor negotiation, and scaling production from prototype to mass manufacturing. Highly organised, detail-obsessed, strong communicator, and calm under pressure. A true hands-on, ownership-driven, startup operator