Plant Operations Manager - Automotive Manufacturing (Greenfield Site)Location: Basildon, Essex (On-site)Salary: Competitive + benefitsOverview We are supporting an established European manufacturing business as they launch a new UK production facility in Basildon. This is a greenfield site, replicating a successful operation in Italy, focused on plastic injection moulding and associated finishing processes (including painting) for the automotive sector. This is a key hire who will play a pivotal role in setting up, stabilising, and scaling the plant from the ground up.The Role As Plant Operations Manager, you will take ownership of the day-to-day operational setup and running of the facility, ensuring readiness for production and supporting long-term growth. You will work closely with international stakeholders (Italy HQ) and be instrumental in building the UK team and operational capability.Key ResponsibilitiesSite Setup and ReadinessSupport final stages of site preparation and operational readinessCoordinate installation of production machinery (target June-July)Ensure the plant is fully operational for production go-live (target September)Operations ManagementOversee day-to-day plant operations, ensuring efficiency, quality, and safetyImplement processes aligned with the existing Italian operationDrive continuous improvement across production, workflow, and outputTeam Build and LeadershipLead initial hiring of 10 staff, scaling to 30+ over timeBuild and develop a high-perf