Operations Director CV: ATS-Ready Executive Guide (UK, AU & NZ)

Begin with a three to five line executive profile that states your operational footprint and financial remit in plain terms. Specify the number of sites and business units you managed, whether responsibility covered production, logistics, quality and HSE, and how you reported results through tools such as SAP ERP and Power BI. Recruiters and ATS both look for explicit ownership signals, so include your involvement with EBITDA, margin or cost-to-serve, plus the operational drivers behind those numbers (e.g., OEE, OTIF/service level, scrap/rework, and working capital). Where applicable, include the breadth of your people leadership—headcount and direct report structure—so your scale is immediately recognisable rather than implied.

Close the profile with a tight KPI snapshot that demonstrates control of delivery and continuous improvement. Use business-relevant metrics such as OTIF (or on-time in-full), first pass yield/defect reduction, rework and scrap rates, planned versus unplanned downtime, and inventory turns. If your role operates under formal management systems, reference audit readiness and compliance leadership using common standards like ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001, and include the evidence mechanism (internal audits, corrective action close-out and management reviews). This section should read like an executive operating summary, not a generic CV tagline, and should clearly signal how you translate operational data into commercial performance.

In your experience section, use a consistent structure for each role: scope statement, P&L responsibilities, operating priorities, and quantified transformation outcomes. Describe how you improved service levels through supply chain control—such as S&OP, demand planning, safety stock strategy and constraints management—and then link these to commercial results like premium freight reduction or improved gross margin. Include execution detail that demonstrates you run operations, for example implementing daily management systems, using SAP ERP to track inventory and production performance, and publishing bottleneck and root-cause trends via Power BI dashboards. For improvement programmes, reference recognised approaches such as Lean (5S, value stream mapping) and Lean Six Sigma DMAIC with tools like SIPOC, process mapping and SPC to drive measurable reductions in cycle time and defect rates.

Treat quality and HSE as part of operational performance, not separate streams. Explain how you improved first pass yield using SPC control plans, strengthened CAPA discipline and reduced customer complaints through structured problem solving (e.g., 8D or DMAIC). For HSE, provide examples of reducing TRIR/LTIR through Permit-to-Work governance, risk assessments and safety critical procedure standardisation, and mention your incident management stack such as Intelex or iAuditor where used. Make it clear how you led cross-functional coordination by naming typical partners—maintenance/reliability, procurement, engineering, HR and quality—plus the headcount and direct reports involved, so the reader understands the coordination load at executive level.

Operations Directors are expected to connect operational reality to financial outcomes, so show your governance mechanism rather than listing tasks. Describe how you managed EBITDA and forecast accuracy, including cash drivers such as working capital and inventory movement, and specify how you used finance and performance tools such as SAP CO/BI reporting, SAP ERP cost reporting or equivalent internal business intelligence. Include the KPI framework you established—e.g., OTIF/service level, OEE, scrap/rework, cost per unit or cost-to-serve, utilisation, and leading safety indicators—and how you reviewed them through weekly performance meetings and monthly business reviews. Keep the KPI names consistent across roles so ATS can reliably identify your repeat use of operational governance terms.

Explain how you used data to improve traceability and tighten decision quality across the value stream. For example, describe moving from spreadsheet-based reporting to automated Power BI dashboards, standardising definitions for downtime and quality metrics, and embedding a single source of truth in SAP ERP. If you led capex or industrial investment, include your governance steps: business case creation, ROI tracking, benefits realisation milestones, risk controls for commissioning and ramp-up, and post-implementation review outcomes. Where relevant, describe how you managed exception processes—capacity constraints, supplier performance variance and quality escapes—using structured escalation and standard work. This section should function like an “operating system for profit”, showing how rhythm, KPI definitions and tooling helped you deliver sustained performance.

List your certifications and professional development in a way that reflects practical value, not only credentials. Include relevant Lean Six Sigma qualifications (e.g., Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or Green Belt) and explain how you governed or sponsored DMAIC projects from problem selection through benefits tracking. If you hold project management learning such as PRINCE2 or PMP, connect it to operational delivery—programme planning, stage gates and benefits realisation—so recruiters see you as commercially capable as well as operationally strong. Add evidence of reliability and maintenance excellence such as TPM training or structured autonomous maintenance, linking it directly to measurable outcomes like unplanned downtime reduction and OEE improvement.

Conclude with how you built capability to sustain transformation. Describe coaching for managers, training pathways (e.g., Green Belt cohorts, facilitator training), and practical routines such as standard work, visual management boards and problem-solving workshops. Mention how you used audit checklists and management system reviews to embed discipline, including how actions were tracked to closure and verified for effectiveness. If you supported cross-functional change, describe your change management approach—stakeholder mapping, communication plans and adoption measurement—so you show leadership that can land improvement in real operations across UK, Australia or New Zealand settings.