UK-wide | £100k + Car Allowance + Benefits + Bonus| Permanent | Full-time (37hrs/week)
We’re looking for a forward-thinking Operations Director to join the Senior Leadership Team of Global Education Supplies (GES), part of the Commercial Services Group (CSG). You'll bring strategic clarity, operational excellence, and a people-first mindset to a business set for transformation and growth.
Who we are
Commercial Services Group (CSG) is the UK’s largest local authority-owned trading company, generating over £800m in revenue and serving 16,000+ education and public sector customers worldwide. We reinvest profits back into frontline services — over £77 million so far — combining strong commercial growth with genuine social impact.
Global Education Supplies (GES) is a dynamic portfolio of seven specialist brands delivering products and services to schools across the UK and internationally. From science labs and sports kits to outdoor learning environments and international book supply, our reach is broad, and our ambitions are even bigger.
Why this role matters
As Operations Director, you will play a central role in shaping and executing our operational strategy across warehousing, logistics, transport, manufacturing, and customer experience. With £50m in annual revenue, 40,000 SKUs, and a team of over 100 colleagues operating across seven locations (including Manchester, Kent and Shrewsbury), the scale and complexity is significant.
This role is about more than keeping operations running — it’s about working alongside the Managing Director and senior peers to lead transformation, enhance systems and processes, and build the operational foundations that will enable our brands to scale effectively.
What you’ll be doing
* Lead the strategic planning, delivery and continuous improvement of GES’s operational functions, including warehousing, logistics, customer service, production and transport.
* Collaborate across the Senior Leadership Team to deliver seamless service and sustainable growth aligned to our organisational strategy.
* Champion and embed a culture of continuous improvement, health and safety, efficiency, and customer service excellence.
* Optimise systems and processes (WMS, ERP, TMS) to drive integration, scalability and future-readiness.
* Support business transformation by identifying opportunities, leading change programmes, and aligning operational delivery with our evolving commercial model.
* Provide inspirational and inclusive leadership to a diverse team, ensuring they are empowered, engaged and high-performing.
What we’re looking for
We’re looking for an experienced, commercially savvy operational leader with the credibility, curiosity, and ambition to elevate the way we work — and the humility to do it in partnership with others.
You’ll bring:
* Senior leadership experience across multi-site operational teams in warehousing, logistics, or supply chain environments. Both in the UKand abroad.
* A strong track record of delivering operational transformation and cost-effective, scalable solutions.
* Financial acumen, with experience managing budgets, KPIs and contributing to commercial decision-making.
* Deep systems expertise — ideally across WMS, ERP and TMS platforms.
* Exceptional leadership capability, with a proven ability to build culture, capability and high-performing teams.
* Experience in educational supplies, manufacturing or similarly complex, customer-led industries would be a bonus.
What you’ll get in return
* Base salary up to£100k
* £5,000 car allowance
* Bonus scheme
* Private healthcare
* Life assurance cover (x4 salary)
* Pension (6% employer contribution)
* 25 days holiday + birthday off
* Retail/gym discounts, volunteer days, and wellbeing support
* Access to learning and development opportunities in a growing group structure
Why CSG? Why now?
We’re growing fast, but sustainably. We’re commercially ambitious, but values-led. We’re investing in transformation — and we’re doing it with a clear mission to serve communities and customers better.
As a senior leader in GES, you’ll help shape the next chapter of our story — and the platform we build will enable thousands of schools and educators around the world to thrive.
Apply now to be part of something bigger.
Bring your experience, ideas and energy — and let’s shape the future of education supplies, together.
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