Operations Manager (Auto)

Job Title: Operational Lead - Auto

Location: London and Brackley – Hybrid (plus travel as required)

We are Strata!

Imagine being part of a fast and exciting brand experience agency whose clients include specialists in new technology, creators of some of the most stunning electric vehicles on the planet, financial institutions, and global leaders in pharmaceutical solutions. As an agency, we elevate these brands and make them heard through immersive and memorable virtual and face 2 face experiences.

As a people-first business, we encourage ambition, support and reward. We’re always listening and open to your ideas, just as we do with our clients.

Our name? It’s Strata, an agency on a mission to be the very best. This means we always want to hear from the very best creative and intelligent souls who genuinely believe that every moment matters.

Job Overview

The Operational Lead is responsible for leading, developing, and managing the Automotive team within the agency. This role focuses on people leadership, resource planning, operational excellence, and team performance, ensuring the team is structured, supported, and equipped to deliver outstanding client service.

As a senior member of the Automotive team, the Operational Lead will create a high-performing, collaborative culture, driving consistency, accountability, and continuous improvement across the department. The role acts as the bridge between strategic leadership and day-to-day team management, ensuring resources, processes, and capabilities are aligned to business objectives and client SLAs. The primary focus of the role is team management and oversight rather than project delivery; the candidate would be heavily office/hybrid based with a requirement to oversee the team on site as required

Key Responsibilities

_Team Leadership & People Management_

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of account, project, and operational professionals within the Automotive division.
• Conduct regular one-to-one meetings, performance reviews, and development conversations.
• Create clear career development pathways and identify training opportunities to support employee growth.
• Foster a positive, collaborative, and high-performing team culture.
• Support employee engagement, retention, wellbeing, and professional development initiatives.
• Manage performance issues effectively and constructively, ensuring clear expectations and accountability.

_Resource Planning & Workforce Management_

• Own team resource allocation and capacity planning across automotive accounts and programmes.
• Ensure workloads are balanced and aligned with team capabilities and business priorities.
• Identify future resource requirements and support recruitment activities where needed.
• Manage freelance and contract resource requirements in partnership with senior leadership and HR.
• Monitor utilisation and productivity metrics, making recommendations to optimise team performance.

_Operational Excellence_

• Establish and maintain effective operational processes, frameworks, and ways of working across the Automotive team.
• Drive consistency in project governance, documentation, reporting, and team processes.
• Identify operational challenges and implement solutions that improve efficiency and effectiveness.
• Champion best practice and continuous improvement initiatives across the department.
• Develop and monitor key performance indicators to measure team effectiveness and operational health.

_Stakeholder Management_

• Build strong relationships with senior internal stakeholders across Client Services, Production, Finance, HR, and Leadership teams.
• Act as the primary escalation point for team-related operational challenges.
• Collaborate with department leaders to ensure alignment on priorities, resource requirements, and business objectives.
• Support strategic planning initiatives and departmental decision-making.

_Financial & Commercial Oversight_

• Support workforce budgeting and resource forecasting activities.
• Monitor team utilisation and contribute to departmental financial planning.
• Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency and maximise profitability through effective resource management.
• Ensure operational decisions align with broader commercial objectives.

_Continuous Improvement & Capability Building_

• Drive operational improvement projects that enhance team performance and employee experience.
• Develop onboarding programmes and frameworks for new team members.
• Promote knowledge sharing, collaboration, and best practice across the Automotive team.
• Identify skills gaps and implement development plans to strengthen team capabilities.