Background
Hunters Contracts, a specialist provider of contract furniture solutions, appointed Maxwell Stephens to recruit an experienced Operations Manager to strengthen the day-to-day management of its warehouse, logistics operations and business premises.
The role was central to maintaining operational standards across the organisation, with responsibility for quality management, environmental performance, health and safety, logistics, premises management and team leadership. Hunters Contracts needed a commercially aware and highly organised professional who could run a fast-paced, time-sensitive operation while protecting the company's established accreditations and keeping its Dagenham and London locations safe, compliant and fully operational.
A key requirement was experience managing and maintaining ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001, alongside SafeContractor and FSC certifications.
The Role & Candidate Profile
Reporting directly to the Board of Directors, the Operations Manager would take responsibility for a broad range of operational activities across the business.
Quality & ISO Management
The successful candidate needed to maintain and develop the company's management systems, ensuring continued compliance with:
- ISO 9001 Quality Management
- ISO 14001 Environmental Management
- ISO 45001 Occupational Health & Safety
- SafeContractor accreditation
- FSC certification
This called for close attention to detail, robust documentation and the ability to embed compliance into everyday operational practice rather than treating it as an annual audit exercise.
Premises & Facilities Management
The Operations Manager was responsible for keeping all business premises safe, secure and fully operational: coordinating maintenance, managing security arrangements, overseeing workplace health and safety and making sure the facilities supported employees and the wider business.
Operational & Logistics Management
The role involved planning, scheduling and reviewing workloads across warehouse and logistics activities so that operational targets were met efficiently and cost-effectively. That meant close coordination of the resources, priorities and activities that affect product handling, delivery schedules and customer commitments.
Health & Safety
A strong understanding of workplace health and safety requirements was essential, together with the confidence to see that standards were maintained throughout warehouse, logistics and premises operations. Relevant qualifications such as IOSH and CSCS were considered advantageous.
Team Leadership & Customer Focus
Leading the warehouse and logistics teams was a major part of the position. The successful candidate needed to motivate employees, set clear expectations and maintain high standards of performance in an environment where deadlines and customer commitments were critical.
Hunters Contracts also wanted somebody who understood that operational performance ultimately shapes the customer experience, combining strong internal management with a clear focus on reliability, service quality and delivering against client expectations.
Our Recruitment Approach
Maxwell Stephens conducted a targeted search for Operations Managers with experience across logistics, warehouse operations, compliance, premises management and ISO-accredited environments.
Our assessment went beyond technical competence. Candidates also had to demonstrate that they could remain calm under pressure, lead teams effectively, communicate confidently with senior stakeholders and manage competing operational priorities. In a role that reports to the board, the ability to explain operational trade-offs clearly matters as much as the ability to make them.
Cultural fit was equally important. Hunters Contracts needed an individual capable of building strong relationships across the organisation while maintaining the structure, accountability and attention to detail that a highly regulated operational environment demands.
The Outcome
Maxwell Stephens placed a highly experienced Operations Manager who met the technical, operational and leadership requirements of the position. The successful candidate brought strong experience in ISO management, logistics and team leadership, together with the interpersonal qualities needed to operate effectively across different areas of the business.
In post, the appointment delivered:
- Improved operational efficiency. Stronger coordination of warehouse, logistics and premises activities, creating smoother and more consistent day-to-day operations.
- Stronger compliance management. Effective oversight of ISO standards and wider accreditations, supporting Hunters Contracts in maintaining its quality, environmental and health and safety commitments.
- Enhanced team performance. Clear leadership across the warehouse and logistics teams, supporting accountability, productivity and consistently high standards.
- Improved premises management. The company's Dagenham and London locations kept safe, compliant and operationally effective.
- Greater operational resilience. A composed approach in a time-sensitive environment that strengthened decision-making and maintained service continuity when pressures arose.
- Strong cultural fit. Productive working relationships across teams and close alignment with Hunters Contracts' customer-focused culture and values.
Why This Placement Worked
The placement shows Maxwell Stephens' ability to recruit for roles that extend beyond traditional facilities management, identifying candidates who can combine operations leadership, logistics, compliance, quality management and workplace responsibility within a single senior position. Roles of this breadth are rarely filled well by advertising alone; the candidates who hold all of those strands together tend to be found through a search that starts from the accreditations and the operating environment, not the job title.
If you are looking for an experienced Operations Manager to strengthen your facilities, logistics or business operations, Maxwell Stephens can help you define the brief and reach the candidates who genuinely cover it. Get in touch with our team.