Area Manager of Operations

On-site in Sheffield·Added today (last checked 9 Nov)

Sherwin-Williams

27 open roles

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Our summary

Work mode: On-site, Sheffield
Experience: Senior level

Skills

Nice to have

Operations

The role

The Area Manager of Operations is accountable for providing strategic and operational leadership across multiple manufacturing sites, ensuring optimal performance in safety, quality, service, cost, and people development.

This role leads and develops Plant Managers, ensuring alignment with business objectives while maximising the utilisation of capital, assets, and human resources across the area. The position ensures that all sites consistently deliver against production plans, customer requirements, and financial targets while fostering a high-performance, continuous improvement culture.

The role acts as a key link between strategic direction (regional/global leadership) and execution at plant level.

What you'll do

Lead and develop site leadership teams, fostering a culture of accountability, engagement, and continuous improvement.
Drive operational performance across multiple manufacturing sites, ensuring achievement of production, quality, yield, and customer service targets.
Champion health, safety, and environmental excellence, promoting a zero-harm culture and ensuring compliance with all regulatory requirements.
Lead continuous improvement initiatives, implementing best practices and Lean methodologies to enhance efficiency, productivity, and operational consistency.
Own area-level financial performance, driving cost optimization, productivity improvements, asset utilization, and capital investment priorities.
Collaborate with Supply Chain and Commercial teams to optimize forecasting, production planning, inventory management, and on-time delivery performance.
Ensure compliance with quality, environmental, and operational standards while maintaining effective governance and reporting across all sites.
Translate business strategy into actionable operational plans and lead transformation initiatives that support long-term growth and business performance.

Responsibilities

Preferred location: Sheffield - UK

Qualifications

Degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Supply Chain, or a related discipline
Proven leadership experience within an FMCG, manufacturing, or batch-processing environment
Strong people management, team development, and stakeholder relationship-building skills
Knowledge of ISO 9001, ISO 14001, TQM, JIT, and continuous improvement methodologies
Ability to identify operational bottlenecks and drive process efficiency improvements
Experience working with plant operations and industrial equipment; chemical manufacturing experience preferred
Strong communication, reporting, and presentation skills with the ability to influence at all levels
Commercially and financially aware, with a results-driven approach to performance management
Strong analytical skills and the ability to use business systems to improve operational performance
Advanced PC skills, including excellent Microsoft Excel proficiency, with fluency in English required.

What we Offer

The established salary range for this position is
Work-Life Balance: We value your personal time and well-being.
Career Opportunities: Grow within a truly international business.
Ongoing Training and Support: Continuous learning and development opportunities.

About Sherwin-Williams

The Sherwin-Williams Company is a global leader in paints and coatings, delivering paint and coatings products to customers worldwide. The company reports more than 64,000 employees, operations in over 120 countries, more than 5,400 company-operated stores and branches, and over 130 manufacturing and distribution facilities.

Its business spans architectural coatings, industrial coatings, and manufacturing and distribution, with a performance coatings portfolio covering areas such as aerospace, automotive, coil and extrusion, general industrial, industrial wood, packaging, and protective and marine. The company also serves DIY and professional painters through its stores, offering paints, stains, supplies, color tools, and consultation services.

Industry: Paints and coatings
Employees: 64,000+

In their own words

About the company & team

At Sherwin-Williams, our purpose is to inspire and improve the world by coloring and protecting what matters. Our paints, coatings and innovative solutions make the places and spaces in our world brighter and stronger. Your skills, talent and passion make it possible to live this purpose, and for customers and our business to achieve great results. Sherwin-Williams is a place that takes its stability, growth and momentum and translates it to possibility for our people. Our people are behind the strength of our success, and we invest and support you in:

Life... with rewards, benefits and the flexibility to enhance your health and well-being
Career... with opportunities to learn, develop new skills and grow your contribution
Connection... with an inclusive team and commitment to our own and broader communities
It's all here for you... let's Create Your Possible

Eligibility to Work
You will need to provide proof of right to work. It is a condition of any offer of employment we make to you that you have the permission to work in the country for the role for which you are applying for.

Equal Opportunity Employer
An equal opportunity employer, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against based on race, colour, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnic or national origin, disability, age pregnancy or maternity, marital or civil partner status, or any other protected characteristic prohibited by law.

Please be aware, Sherwin-Williams recruiting team members will never request a candidate to provide a payment, ask for financial information, or sensitive personal information like national identification numbers, date of birth, or bank account numbers during the application process.

Additional information

The salary range shown refers to base salary only. In addition to this, we offer a broader total reward package which may include bonus or incentive pay, relevant allowances, and a range of competitive benefits. We encourage candidates to consider the full package when evaluating an offer.

Salary is determined using a structured and objective framework, taking into account the role's responsibilities, required skills and experience, market benchmarks, and internal equity. This ensures pay decisions are fair, consistent, and aligned with our commitment to equal pay and legal compliance.

All open roles at Sherwin-Williams