Your job as operations manager in a Whisky company is to make your team of production operatives work together to achieve production targets.

Your job as operations manager in a Whisky company is to make your team of production operatives work together to achieve production targets.
You will be responsible for everything that affects your production area during your shift which means you need to be constantly on the ball making sure everyone is doing what they are supposed to with no problems to ensure there is no delays or faults/problems.
The role is extremely important to the success of your company. You’ll be accountable for all your team’s output.
What might I be doing?
The exact duties of the job will depend on your company structure and the breadth of responsibility you get given. However, you can expect to be doing most of the following:
- Planning and coordinating all operational activities during your shift and making sure all targets are met
- Making sure that the production line moves smoothly and efficiently
- Leading and developing your team to ensure optimal production effectiveness
- Ensuring that the company’s quality, hygiene and health & safety standards are always met
- Liaising with colleagues in planning, technical and supply chain departments
- Looking after machinery and coordinating with breakdown responses so that minimal time is lost
- Attending production team meetings and coordinating
- Maintaining records
- Ensuring handovers go well
- Assisting your team if necessary
What will be expected of me?
You will be expected to be hands-on and a confident person who enjoys day to day management of people. You will be a fair but firm manager taking difficult disciplinary decisions if necessary.
The job is all about making sure production moves smoothly with no problems and if there is problems, they need to be solved quickly but also properly. You may also be under pressure, so you need to be able to remain calm and collected.
As operations manager you need to set an example as someone who gets a job done without cutting corners. You will need to know equipment inside-out so that everything runs smoothly, and your company will expect you to have a strong work ethic and you will likely have experience working in a similar sort of environment.
What can I expect?
You may be working during the evenings and/or at night-time and your shift might rotate on a regular basis or be a permanent one
You will most likely be employed over a 40-hour week although there may opportunities for overtime.
You will have to wear protective clothing for your work as you spend most time in the production area and you should also expect that some of the work will be repetitive, and this is where your skills as a people motivator will come into play.
What about the pay?
The pay can vary by you should be looking at roughly £15000 to £18000 in the first instance but will change depending on experience and level of skills.
Bear in mind this will depend on the company you work for as some offer much more or less.
What qualifications do I need to get in?
Management qualifications are helpful but not required you may have started at the bottom and trained/learned skills and built-up experience to reach this point, or you could have joined with the higher-level qualifications say as a graduate trainee and you will keep on building up skills and experience.
What about further training?
You should always look to keep building up your bank of skills and qualifications as you develop your career and show willing, and your company will be very keen to help you.
Anything else I might need to know?
This may be a supervisory role, or you may have a wider remit with a team that includes supervisors and other operatives it just depends on the company and size of the company.

Management qualifications are helpful but not required you may have started at the bottom and trained/learned skills and built-up experience to reach this point, or you could have joined with the higher-level qualifications say as a graduate trainee and you will keep on building up skills and experience.