Operations Project Manager

Operations Project Manager for manufacturing company | 9 month contract | Start: December | Hybrid 1 day a week in Cheltenham

We are seeking a delivery-driven leader to own the integrated Finance plan, critical path, and dependencies into neighbouring streams (SCM, Manufacturing, Data, Integrations, Testing, PMO).

Manufacturing & SCM‐literate, understands BOMs, routes, resources, production scheduling, MRP/MPS, inventory, warehousing (WMS), quality, trade, and transportation.

Governance‐minded, operates through Design/Change Authority, keeps risks/issues visible, escalates early, and protects milestones.

Vendor smart, holds SI partners (e.g. KPMG) accountable for outcomes, quality, and cadence.

Behavioral Attributes:

• Decisive
• Structured communicator
• Factory-floor empathy
• Pragmatic and outcomes‐oriented
• Calm under pressure
• Challenges constructively

Key Responsibilities:

• Integrated Planning: Build the end‐to‐end Ops plan covering design finalisation, configuration, extensions, integrations, data loads, testing, & training integrated Finance plan, critical path, and dependencies into neighbouring streams (SCM, Manufacturing, Data, Integrations, Testing, PMO).

• Process Standardisation: Drive alignment on core processes: demand planning, MRP/MPS, procurement, inventory/WMS, production, quality, trade, and logistics; surface/justify exceptions.

• D365 Build Orchestration: Coordinate configuration of products, variants, BOMs, routes, resources, production flows, wave templates, work policies, location profiles, and quality/test plans.

• Data Readiness: Oversee operational data (items, BOMs, routes, resources, vendors/customers, on‐hand, WHS setups); plan mock conversions and reconciliations with plants.

• Testing & Readiness: Define Ops scenarios for SIT/UAT/Performance Testing, confirm site readiness (people, process, data, tech).

• Change & Adoption: Partner with GPL/GPOs and Training to ensure SOPs, work instructions, and role‐based training are in place.
• Vendor & Stakeholder Management: Lead cadence with SI/ISVs (e.g., WMS, barcoding, MES), manage deliverables, and escalate risks.

• Operational Controls: Ensure safety, compliance, and SoD controls embedded within warehouse/production roles and transactions.

Core Experience:

• ERP Delivery: 7+ years delivering SCM/Manufacturing streams with 2+ end‐to‐end deployments (D365 F&O/AX preferred).

• Operations Depth: Hands‐on knowledge of planning, procurement, production, WMS, quality, logistics, and shop‐floor processes.

• Multi‐site Rollout: Experience planning and executing plant/warehouse cutovers and hypercare.

• Integration Awareness: Familiar with scanners/labels, PLM, MES, TMS, 3PLs, and Finance impacts (inventory valuation, costing).

• Vendor Leadership: Proven track‐record holding SIs/ISVs to scope, quality, and dates.

Preferred Experience:

• APICS/CPIM/CSCP or similar.

• Experience with D365 Advanced Warehousing (WHS) and Production Control.

• Prior industrial/engineering sector experience and lean/continuous improvement exposure.

• Familiarity with Power Platform for operational digitisation (e.g., mobile apps).

• Big 4 consulting experience.