Job Summary:
Our Client, an Interior Fit-Out Factory, is seeking to hire an Operations Manager to lead and optimize all factory and operational functions across the joinery, fit-out, and interiors divisions. The role focuses on ensuring efficient production processes, superior quality output, timely project delivery, and effective cost control, while upholding safety standards and maintaining strong coordination with the projects, design, and procurement teams.
Key Responsibilities:
- 1. Production & Operations Management
- Plan, direct and monitor all production activities in the factory: joinery, carpentry, furniture, panels, fit-out components.
- Develop production schedules aligned with project demands, design/engineering inputs, material availability and delivery deadlines.
- Ensure resources (labour, machines, materials) are used efficiently to meet productivity and quality targets.
- Supervise factory floor staff (supervisors, foremen, machine-operators) and ensure smooth workflow.
- Monitor machine/equipment usage, uptime, maintenance schedules, tool & asset management.
- Implement Lean / 5S / continuous improvement initiatives to reduce waste, improve throughput and lower cost.
- 2. Quality, Safety & Compliance
- Ensure all products and services meet the required specifications, finishes, tolerances, and client requirements (particularly for interiors/fit-out).
- Establish, maintain and enforce SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for all production processes.
- Monitor and enforce health, safety and environment (HSE) standards in the factory in compliance with UAE regulations and company policy.
- Coordinate with QA/QC team to review defects, non-conformities, rework and corrective actions.
- 3. Supply Chain & Materials Management
- Liaise with procurement and logistics teams to ensure timely availability of raw materials, components and consumables for production.
- Manage inventory of raw materials, work-in-progress and finished goods; ensure optimum stock levels and minimize holding costs.
- Coordinate inbound logistics (material receipt) and outbound logistics (finished goods dispatch to site/fit-out projects).
- 4. Project & Internal Coordination
- Work closely with the design, engineering, project and client-facing teams to understand project requirements, schedules and changes – ensure factory operations respond accordingly.
- Ensure timely hand-over of manufacturing components to installation teams on site, coordinate between factory and site logistics.
- Provide regular production updates, status reports and escalate potential risks (delays, quality issues, resource constraints).
- 5. Cost Control & Performance Monitoring
- Define, monitor and report key performance indicators (KPIs) such as production output, cost per unit, labour productivity, machine utilization, waste rate, on-time delivery percentage.
- Prepare operational budgets, control overheads, identify cost-savings opportunities and drive operational efficiency.
- Provide regular reports to senior management on performance, challenges, resource requirements and improvement plans.
- 6. Team Leadership & People Management
- Lead, motivate and develop the operations/factory team (supervisors, technicians, operators) to ensure high performance, engagement and safety culture.
- Conduct performance evaluations, identify training needs, ensure technical up-skilling of staff (especially in joinery, CNC machining, finishing processes).
- Foster a culture of continuous improvement, teamwork, accountability and professional working environment.
Requirements:
- 10 years or more of experience in factory operations / manufacturing within joinery, furniture, fit-out or interior manufacturing industry — preferably in the UAE / Gulf region.
- Demonstrable experience managing manufacturing of joinery or interior fit-out components (CNC, woodworking, finishing, furniture manufacturing) and factory workflows.
- Strong leadership skills with experience managing multi-shift operations, production teams, and coordinating across functions (procurement, design, project).
- Excellent knowledge of production planning systems, manufacturing KPIs, Lean / continuous improvement methods, ERP/MRP systems.
- Understanding of UAE labour law, HSE regulations and factory safety standards in UAE.
- Strong analytical, planning, problem-solving, communication and interpersonal skills.
- Proficiency in English; Arabic is a plus.
- Willingness to work in a factory environment (and sometimes visit project sites).
