400 employees
100 patented solutions
10 locations globally

Chief Operating Officer

Salary Dependent on Experience
Location Gloucester or Skelmersdale, UK
Mergefield Title {Mergefield Value}
Mergefield Title {Mergefield Value}

This is a Permanent, Full Time vacancy that will close in {x} days at {xx:xx} BST.

The vacancy

Chief Operating Officer (COO)

 

AIS is looking for a Chief Operating Officer (COO) to join our Executive Leadership Team and play a central role in shaping the next phase of our growth.

 

We’re a listed, global manufacturing business serving the energy, defence, and automotive sectors. Increasingly, our work is supporting renewable energy and other sustainable industries, reflecting both our ambition and the future of our markets. With a record order book and consistent growth, we’re well positioned. Now we need a COO who can build on this momentum, someone who can bring clarity, pace, and discipline to our operations while supporting continued expansion across international markets.

 

This is a hands-on leadership role with real breadth and influence. You’ll be responsible for strengthening and evolving our global operations, ensuring we can scale efficiently while maintaining the quality and performance our customers expect. You’ll work closely with the CEO and wider leadership team to turn strategy into execution, driving performance across our sites and building an operating model that supports both organic growth and future acquisitions.

 

What you will do as our Chief Operating Officer?

  • Lead operational improvement and transformation across all global sites
  • Strengthen performance across engineering, procurement, supply chain, manufacturing, and project delivery
  • Work closely with regional General Managers to deliver both local priorities and consistent group standards
  • Support the integration of new businesses, balancing alignment with respect for what already works
  • Drive improvements in efficiency, capacity, and margin without compromising quality or safety
  • Build an operating model that is scalable, resilient, and fit for a growing international business
  • Establish clear performance metrics and use data to inform decisions and track progress
  • Partner with the CEO and Executive Team to deliver key strategic initiatives

 

What are we looking for in our Chief Operating Officer?

  • Significant senior leadership experience within manufacturing, ideally in complex or project-based environments
  • Proven track record of delivering change and improving operational performance
  • Experience working in a global, multi-site organisation
  • A pragmatic, hands-on approach and a visible leadership style
  • The ability to engage and influence at every level, from senior stakeholders to frontline teams
  • Experience integrating businesses, systems, and processes in a growing organisation
  • The flexibility to travel regularly across our global sites

 

This role can be based at either our Gloucester or Skelmersdale location.

AIS is a global leader in the engineering, manufacture and application of insulation and passive fire protection systems, as well as buoyancy and SURF (subsea, umbilicals, risers and flowlines) products. Our advanced materials deliver mission-critical solutions for the energy, industrial, automotive, chemical and marine sectors.

Our vision

Our vision is to be globally recognised as the most technically advanced provider of fire protection, insulation and marine products, working closely with customers to deliver innovative, effective and sustainable solutions.

Our purpose is to make the world a safer place by protecting life, infrastructure and vital assets on land and sea.

Our mission is to harness our skills and knowledge to diversify and grow, combining bold thinking and world class expertise to create a range of products with strong appeal for individual markets, while forming part of an integrated family of solutions.

Who we are

AIS is a global leader in the engineering, manufacture and application of insulation and passive fire protection systems, as well as buoyancy and SURF (subsea, umbilicals, risers and flowlines) products. Our products deliver mission-critical solutions for the energy, industrial, automotive, chemical and marine sectors.

Above all, we are driven by our commitment to meeting our clients’ unique and evolving needs. That’s why we invest 10% of our revenue into R&D year on year: to ensure that we are always a world-class authority when it comes to industry insight and innovation.

We are experts in the manufacture and application of specialised technical coatings - including our syntactic phenolic resin-based foam thermal insulation materials.

From our popular off-the-shelf products to bespoke all-in-one packages, we provide high-performance innovations for the world’s most challenging environments. From design and build to installation and maintenance, our clients count on us to deliver best-in-class service - and systems that perform, whatever the conditions.

Find out more

Our values

We are responsible.
We use our influence wisely. We own our actions and are answerable for them.

We are perceptive.
We bring our experience and expertise to bear, always perceptive in spotting the right opportunities and then making them count.

We are candid.
We are open and straight-forward in our dealings with customers and amongst ourselves. We create honest relationships.

We are fearless.
There are no old paths to new directions. We believe in innovation and are fearless in our approach to problem solving.

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