Contract Services Director – Maintenance
Location: UK (Hybrid with National Travel)
Package: £90,000–£110,000 base + bonus + car allowance + full executive benefits
This is a senior leadership role with full accountability for the performance, profitability, and evolution of a national portfolio of maintenance contracts post-implementation.
The appointment exists to create sustained commercial value.
The successful candidate will own contract P&L, lead complex operational delivery at scale, and drive continuous improvement in how maintenance services are structured, priced, governed, and delivered. This role requires an individual who can operate simultaneously as a commercial operator, operational leader, and entrepreneurial value-creator.
This is not a technical asset management or engineering role.
It is a commercially exposed, operationally dominant leadership position, where success is measured by margin, predictability, client confidence, and scalable performance.
Scope & Authority
Executive ownership of all post-mobilisation maintenance contracts
Portfolio-level accountability for revenue, margin, cost-to-serve, and working capital
Leadership of multi-disciplinary operational, technical, and contract teams
Senior client sponsorship and ownership of key commercial relationships
Direct influence over contract evolution, mobilisation learning, and future bid strategy
What This Role is (and Is Not)
This role is for you if you have:
Led large-scale, contract-based technical services with full P&L accountability
Turned underperforming or complex contracts into stable, profitable operations
Operated comfortably at Board, ExCo, and client executive level
Built commercially astute leadership teams in operational environments
This role is not for you if your background is limited to:
Pure asset governance or ISO-led frameworks
Engineering leadership without commercial ownership
Cost-centre maintenance management
Single-site or narrowly technical roles
The role:
Commercial & Financial Ownership
Full P&L accountability across a portfolio of live maintenance contracts
Identification and elimination of margin leakage and operational inefficiency
Rigorous control of scope, variation, pricing, and commercial risk
Delivery of predictable, sustainable financial performance
Operational & Contract Leadership
Ownership of contracts post-mobilisation, driving rapid stabilisation and BAU excellence
Executive escalation point for complex operational or contractual issues
Consistent governance, performance cadence, and accountability across the portfolio
Asset & Lifecycle Value
Strategic oversight of asset performance and lifecycle cost optimisation
Data-led decisions on maintenance strategy, intervention, and investment
Balance of safety, resilience, performance, and commercial return
Entrepreneurial Value Creation
Continuous challenge to existing delivery and cost models
Creation of incremental value through innovation, service evolution, and scalability
Translation of operational learning into improved contract design and pricing
Leadership & Influence
Building and leading operational and contract teams
Setting standards for pace, accountability, and commercial thinking
Acting as senior sponsor for key client relationships
The person:
We are seeking a high-calibre senior leader with:
Degree educated with a robust career trajectory
Proven portfolio-level P&L ownership in contract-based, asset-intensive environments
A track record of optimising, turning around, or scaling complex maintenance or service contracts
Deep operational credibility combined with strong commercial acumen
Experience operating in regulated and/or safety-critical sectors
Gravitas, judgement, and confidence to lead at executive and client Board level
Candidates are most likely to come from senior roles in:
Contract services, infrastructure, utilities, FM, industrial services, or outsourced operations
Multi-site, geographically dispersed operational environments
Personal Style & Leadership Behaviour
Decisive, resilient, and outcome-focused
Commercially sharp; understands precisely how value is created and lost
Entrepreneurial mindset with the discipline to execute at scale
Comfortable operating in ambiguity and complexity
Sets pace, standards, and ambition for the organisation
Why This Role Will Appeal
Enterprise-level accountability with real commercial exposure
Authority to shape, evolve, and improve live contracts
High visibility with senior stakeholders and clients
A platform to create value, not simply manage operations
Confidential Applications & Enquiries
This appointment is being managed via executive search.
All enquiries will be handled in the strictest confidence.
If you recognise yourself in this brief, we would welcome your application
Please email your CV to ne@hprtalent.com
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