Operations Assistant to the CEO

Role Overview

You will work directly with the Chief Executive Officer to streamline day-to-day operational workflows across engineering and industrial projects. This role focuses on turning strategic directives into actionable plans, coordinating cross-functional teams, and ensuring that commercial and technical milestones are met on schedule. Your ability to bridge the gap between high-level business goals and ground-level execution will directly influence the company’s efficiency and growth trajectory.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the CEO’s operational agenda by prioritising initiatives, tracking progress, and flagging bottlenecks in engineering and supply chain activities.
• Coordinate with department leads to align project timelines, resource allocation, and deliverables with corporate objectives.
• Prepare and present operational dashboards, risk assessments, and performance reports for CEO review and board-level meetings.
• Support commercial negotiations by gathering data, analysing supplier proposals, and drafting contracts under the CEO’s guidance.
• Facilitate communication between the CEO and external partners, contractors, and regulatory bodies to ensure compliance and project continuity.
• Identify process improvement opportunities within technical operations and lead small-scale kaizen or lean initiatives.
• Own the documentation and filing of critical operational records, meeting minutes, and action-item trackers.

Requirements & Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive experience in engineering operations, project management, or technical operations within an industrial or manufacturing environment.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Operations Management, Supply Chain Management, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate complex, multi-stakeholder projects from conception to completion, delivering on time and within budget.
• Strong commercial acumen, including experience with vendor negotiations, cost analysis, and contract management.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with a track record of building trust across engineering, finance, and executive teams.
• Proficiency in project management tools (e.g., MS Project, Jira, Smartsheet) and ERP systems common to industrial operations.
• Proactive problem-solving mindset, comfortable operating in a fast-paced, high-visibility role with shifting priorities.