Project & Operations Director
Location: Office based in Norfolk, clientele across the UK.
Package: Up to £80,000 + Performance Bonus, an EV company car, 25 days + bank holidays.
Required: PLC / Tier 1 Construction Background.
Contract: Full Time, Permanent.
Overview
We are recruiting a Project & Operations Director to take full operational ownership of a growing specialist construction business delivering paneling systems on large‑scale commercial and accommodation projects. This hands‑on senior leadership role requires a proven PLC / Tier 1 construction operator comfortable running an entire multi‑project operation, not just a single function.
You will act as a General Manager, accountable for programme, margin and P&L across 40–50 live projects at any one time, delivered as a specialist subcontractor with all design, manufacture and installation handled in‑house. The role demands a visible leader who is actively on site, in production, removing obstacles, accelerating delivery, and delivering exactly what is forecast.
Responsibilities
- End‑to‑end project control: enforce delivery disciplines from handover through design freeze, planning, manufacture and site readiness, ensuring credible programmes, realistic labour plans, clear trade dependencies and live cost‑to‑complete reporting.
- Customer ownership post‑contract award: set clear expectations, provide early visibility of risk and change, manage delivery issues professionally, and eliminate client chasing through proactive communication standards.
- Commercial and margin protection: own operational commercial outcomes, enforce disciplined variation control, reduce cost‑to‑serve and partner with Finance on robust forecasting.
- Contract and risk management: ensure timely reviews, proactive risk identification, compliant notices and documentation, and maintain professional leverage with clients.
- Manufacturing, supply chain and logistics leadership: drive schedule adherence, quality, cost and OTIF performance to prevent margin erosion from delivery failure.
- Quality and snag‑free delivery: embed robust QA processes, simple SOPs and repeatable standards so quality is designed in, not inspected at the end.
- Health & Safety leadership: own exemplary H&S and CDM compliance through strong RAMS, audits, corrective actions and continuous improvement.
- Systems, data and reporting discipline: enforce a single source of truth, accurate weekly forecasting and data‑led elimination of recurring issues.
- People leadership and performance: build a strong, resilient operational team, coach capability, address underperformance decisively and ensure delivery is not dependent on single points of failure.
- Operating rhythm and governance: lead a disciplined weekly and monthly cadence with clear KPIs, priority ownership, escalation routes and signed‑off commitments.
- Final operational authority: approve programmes, labour deployment, recovery plans and readiness gates; make stop‑the‑line decisions for safety and quality where required.
Qualifications and Experience
- Essential:
- Background in PLC / Tier 1 construction along with senior specialist subcontracting or manufacturing‑led construction.
- Senior leadership experience delivering multiple concurrent construction projects.
- Strong commercial judgement with proven forecasting and margin control.
- Ability to build and enforce robust planning and delivery systems.
- Confident, authoritative client‑facing leadership.
- Proven ownership of HR responsibilities including performance management.
- Desirable:
- NEC (New Engineering Contract) and/or JCT (Joint Contracts Tribunal) experience.
- Qualifications: SMSTS / SSSTS / CSCS.
- Operational excellence / lean construction experience.
- Joinery or carpentry background.
- Design coordination experience.
Personal Attributes
- Appreciative: Leads with respect and recognition.
- Dedicated: Owns outcomes end‑to‑end and finishes what is started.
- Expeditious: Removes waste, simplifies systems and drives flow.
- Positive: Raises standards without drama.
- Trustworthy: Honest programmes, early risk visibility and no surprises.
Equal Opportunities Statement
This role is open to all qualified candidates. We are an equal opportunity employer.
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