Plant Operations Manager - Automotive Manufacturing (Greenfield Site) Location: Basildon, Essex (On-site)
Salary: Competitive + benefits
Overview We are supporting an established European manufacturing business as they launch a new UK production facility in Basildon. This is a greenfield site, replicating a successful operation in Italy, focused on plastic injection moulding and associated finishing processes (including painting) for the automotive sector.
This is a key hire who will play a pivotal role in setting up, stabilising, and scaling the plant from the ground up.
The Role As Plant Operations Manager, you will take ownership of the day-to-day operational setup and running of the facility, ensuring readiness for production and supporting long-term growth.
You will work closely with international stakeholders (Italy HQ) and be instrumental in building the UK team and operational capability.
Key Responsibilities Site Setup & Readiness - Support final stages of site preparation and operational readiness
- Coordinate installation of production machinery (target June-July)
- Ensure the plant is fully operational for production go-live (target September)
Operations Management - Oversee day-to-day plant operations, ensuring efficiency, quality, and safety
- Implement processes aligned with the existing Italian operation
- Drive continuous improvement across production, workflow, and output
Team Build & Leadership - Lead initial hiring of ~10 staff, scaling to ~30+ over time
- Build and develop a high-performing production team
- Establish a strong on-site culture and operational discipline
Stakeholder Coordination - Act as the key UK contact for the Italian HQ
- Ensure alignment on processes, standards, and timelines
- Support knowledge transfer between sites
Candidate Profile Essential - Proven experience in a Plant Manager / Operations Manager / Production Manager role
- Strong background in automotive manufacturing environments
- Experience in setting up or scaling manufacturing operations (greenfield or expansion highly desirable)
- Hands-on, operational mindset - comfortable being on the shop floor
- Experience with team building and hiring
Desirable - Experience with plastic injection moulding
- Exposure to painting or finishing processes
- Experience working with international teams or parent companies
Why Join? - Opportunity to build a manufacturing site from scratch
- High level of autonomy and ownership
- Long-term growth as the site scales over the coming years
- Work with an established international business entering the UK market
Timeline Context (for candidates) - Site currently under construction
- Machinery installation: Summer 2026 (June-July)
- Production go-live: ~September 2026
