Operations Director

Collinson Ceramics is the largest independent importer of ceramic and porcelain tiles in Scotland. With significant advancements in digital printing, technology and manufacturing equipment, tiles have overtaken natural and precious stones as the product of choice for many applications in high-end commercial and residential markets.

A family business, founded in Edinburgh in 1988, Collinson Ceramics remains entirely family owned and run today. The head office and showroom is in Murrayfield, with a distribution centre in Dalmeny and branches in Dundee and Inverness.

The business is unique in its sector. Competitors tend to be multi-national or international businesses who, to varying degrees, are far more concentrated on one area of the market such as architectural specifications, trade or retail. Collinson supply to all of these sectors, enabling the business to operate at a breadth that provides a competitive advantage. Collinson are also part of the ABCD buying group, along with seven fellow distributors throughout the UK, thereby creating significant buying power.

With exciting new developments on the horizon and significant potential for growth, the opportunity has arisen for an outstanding Operations Director to join Collinson Ceramics and support the Managing Director in leading the business from its UK headquarters in Edinburgh. The Operations Director will be accountable for all operational processes, logistics and distribution, optimising efficiencies, use of IT systems and enabling the continued growth of the business, supported by an established team in place.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead the development and execution of the operational vision for the business.
• Provide operational leadership to the business, managing budgets and resource planning.
• Develop and implement policies and procedures to ensure operations and logistics are aligned to achieve business objectives.
• Derive value from the recent significant investment in technology, ensuring the business is optimising its use of IT systems.
• Coordinate and control stock, supply chain and distribution across UK, Italy, Spain and UAE
• Optimise daily communication across related areas of the business, providing effective coaching, feedback and building a high performing team.
• Design key performance indicators and drive consistent performance measurement across all four sites.
• Build strong relationships with all stakeholders, working collaboratively to ensure strategy and operating performance are aligned with business growth plans.
• Develop and drive a culture of excellence within the team, with particular focus on being highly visible both within the business and externally to customers and suppliers.
• Oversight of HR, Health & Safety and other related business areas.

We are looking to appoint an enthusiastic and credible operational leader into this role. We are very open on background but some exposure to the construction industry, building materials and products will be of interest. Candidates need not necessarily be operating at Director level right now but should come with a successful track record operations, logistics and distribution and in managing teams that have achieved great things.

Collinson is very much a family business and the preferred candidate will be able to display inherent values and behaviours consistent with this environment.

To view the candidate brochure, please click here.

Interested candidates should send their CV, with full remuneration details, to Graham Burns of FWB Park Brown at applications@fwbparkbrown.com. For a confidential conversation, please call 07738 182813.