Engineering Operations Manager

Zenovo
Job Title: Engineering Operations Manager
Location: Bristol (On-Site 3 Days Per Week)
Salary: £80,000 – £90,000 (depending on experience) + Bonus & Benefits

Job Overview:

This is a critical leadership position responsible for ensuring the effective and efficient delivery of operational activities across my client’s organisation.

Operating within a safety-critical environment governed by rigorous regulatory frameworks and standards such as ISO, the role carries significant accountability for maintaining the highest levels of compliance, quality and operational discipline.

With direct oversight of Quality and Project Management, this role ensures that systems, processes and resources support the timely delivery of software projects

A successful applicant will play a central role in strengthening operational maturity as my client continues to grow the business, ensuring adherence to safety-critical and regulatory requirements, and embedding consistent, repeatable and high-quality delivery practices across the business.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead daily operations, aligning engineering, project management, quality, and commercial teams.
• Streamline and scale processes to ensure efficiency, compliance, and growth readiness.
• Evolve systems, tools, and resourcing to support growth.
• Lead the Quality function, ensuring an effective Quality Management System for safety-critical software.
• Maintain compliance with key standards (e.g., ISO 9001, ISO 27001, ISO 26262, AS 9100).
• Oversee audits, corrective actions, and continuous improvement.
• Line-manage Project Managers, ensuring consistent use of delivery frameworks.
• Oversee planning, scheduling, risk, and reporting across projects.
• Ensure accurate resource, budget, and timeline forecasting.
• Drive adoption and scaling of effective delivery methodologies.
• Define and lead operational KPIs, dashboards, and reporting.
• Monitor performance, resolve issues, and drive corrective action.
• Support strategic planning, annual operating plans, and resource modelling.
• Lead continuous improvement to strengthen efficiency, consistency, and resilience.
• Assess and implement tools and systems to enhance delivery (e.g., PM, resource planning, and Quality Management System Platforms).
• Manage operational budgets and supplier contracts.
• Provide operational input to bids, proposals, and commercial discussions.
• Support cost modelling and capacity planning to enable growth.

Experience Required:

• Proven experience as an Operations Manager, Project Manager, Engineering Manager or similar, ideally in a software or technology environment
• Degree in a relevant field (Engineering, Computer Science, Operations Management or similar
• Recognised project or operations qualification (e.g. PRINCE2, Agile, Lean)
• Experience managing Project Management and/or Quality teams
• Solid understanding of embedded software development, SDLC processes, and project delivery frameworks
• Proven track record in supporting business growth or organisational transformation
• Skilled in leading cross-functional teams and optimising operational processes
• Knowledge of quality frameworks (e.g., ISO 9001, ISO 26262, DO178C, ASPICE, AS9100, CMMI)
• Strong analytical skills, translating complex data into actionable insights
• Effective leadership and people management, with ability to motivate and develop teams
• Excellent organisational, planning, and execution capabilities

Benefits:

• Performance Related Bonus (Typically 10% Annually)
• Enhanced Employer Pension Contribution
• Private Medical Insurance
• 25 Days Annual Leave (Increasing in line with length of service)
• Hybrid & Flexible Working