Senior Operations Manager

London Source: WhatJobs

£90,000–£120,000

Multi-Site Highways & Infrastructure Operations

6-Month Fixed-Term Contract Midlands / South UK Coverage Competitive Salary + Car Allowance + Performance Incentive

We're partnering with a leading infrastructure services business to appoint an experienced Senior Operations Manager to lead, centralise and stabilise a multi‑site operational network across the Midlands and South of England.

This is a high‑profile contract assignment for an accomplished operational leader who thrives in complex, field‑based environments and can quickly establish control, consistency and commercial focus across multiple locations.

Supporting a national network of depots, operational teams and client contracts, you'll play a pivotal role in ensuring operational performance, workforce optimisation, customer satisfaction and financial performance remain aligned with business objectives.

Whilst initially offered as a 6-month Fixed-Term Contract , there is genuine potential for the role to become permanent for the right individual.

The Opportunity

Operating across a large geographical area, you'll be responsible for driving operational excellence, strengthening performance management disciplines and ensuring depot teams are delivering safe, efficient and commercially robust outcomes.

Working closely with senior leadership, you'll act as the bridge between strategy and delivery, ensuring operational plans translate into measurable business performance.

This is a role for someone equally comfortable reviewing depot performance metrics, engaging customers, supporting operational leaders and identifying commercial improvement opportunities.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

Provide leadership across multiple depot and operational locations
Drive consistency in operational standards, service delivery and customer experience
Ensure operational readiness across highways and infrastructure projects
Coach and develop depot management teams
Improve planning, mobilisation and workforce deployment

Commercial Performance

Drive revenue protection through effective resource utilisation
Improve depot productivity and operational efficiency
Reduce operational waste and unnecessary expenditure
Monitor contract performance and profitability
Identify opportunities to increase utilisation of plant, labour and operational resources
Support commercial recovery plans where performance falls below target

Client & Stakeholder Management

Build strong relationships with key infrastructure and highways clients
Support contract delivery teams in achieving service commitments
Act as a senior escalation point for operational issues
Contribute to customer retention and growth strategies

Performance & Continuous Improvement

Introduce greater operational controls and accountability
Establish clear performance reporting and KPI management
Drive a data‑led approach to decision making
Improve health, safety and compliance performance
Implement best practice and standardised operating procedures

What Success Looks Like

Within the first six months you will have:

Improved operational consistency across the depot network
Increased workforce and plant utilisation
Enhanced commercial performance and margin delivery
Strengthened leadership capability within local management teams
Improved KPI performance across safety, service and productivity
Delivered measurable operational efficiencies
Established clear reporting and performance management disciplines

About You

We are interested in speaking with individuals who have operated in complex, multi‑site environments where operational performance and commercial outcomes are intrinsically linked