Location: Apsley, Hemel Hempstead (+ site and other office visits when required)
Salary: Competitive salary + excellent benefits including car allowance
Type: Permanent, Full-time, 45hrs, 7.30-5.30pm
Department: Repetitive Delivery Division
Project Partners are now on the look out for an experienced Operations Director to head up the Water Mains Delivery Division. You will lead the delivery of a major water network upgrade, and you would be responsible for a programme replacing 150km of water mains across London and the Thames Valley. Directing a multidisciplinary team of around 150 people, ensuring a safe, efficient, and high-quality execution.
You will hold full operational and commercial accountability for delivering over £35m per year, meeting performance targets, and achieving margins in line with budget. This role is key to supporting the companies secured order book and ensuring the programme is delivered with excellence and long-term value.
Job Role:
Client Leadership & Relationship Management
- Act as the primary senior representative for the company, becoming the client’s trusted partner and championing our brand and values.
- Drive innovation by identifying and promoting new ways of working that enhance programme efficiency and delivery performance.
- Provide clear, evidence-based feedback to support informed and timely client decision-making.
- Support the management of external stakeholders to ensure programme objectives and client targets are met.
- Ensure full compliance with client governance frameworks, securing approval through all project milestones and stage-gates.
- Offer technical insight and guidance to client departments, including Asset Management and Engineering.
- Lead or attend key client meetings as part of the monthly reporting cycle and represent the company at wider contractor forums when required.
Operational Leadership & Delivery Excellence
- Ensure all works are delivered to the highest standards of health, safety, and environmental performance.
- Work collaboratively with internal functions including HSE, Planning, Environmental, Training & Development, Streetworks, and Quality to lead improvement initiatives and resolve any areas of non-compliance.
- Maintain optimal resource levels across the programme, proactively managing workforce capacity, peaks and troughs in workload, and annual leave.
- Monitor the pipeline of planned works against actual build rates to ensure programme alignment with client targets.
- Identify barriers to delivery at an early stage, develop targeted mitigation plans, and engage teams effectively to achieve full commitment to the solution.
- Support site teams and internal departments in navigating external stakeholder requirements as needed.
- Ensure all operational sites are fully resourced and equipped to meet programme demands.
- Participate in regular performance reviews, operational forums, and monthly commercial meetings.
- Support the Tactical PMO to maintain accurate, transparent, and high-quality programme data.
- Conduct thorough reviews of all programme data prior to submission, ensuring accuracy, clarity, and alignment with contractual reporting requirements.
- Lead programme submissions to the client in accordance with agreed reporting cycles, ensuring they accurately reflect progress, performance against budgets, and achievement of client targets.
- Review outputs from progressive assurance tools, addressing non-conformances and ensuring corrective actions are assigned to relevant contract leads.
Candidate Experience Required
- Strong understanding of highway working requirements, regulations, and industry standards, with the ability to ensure compliance across multiple operational sites.
- Proven experience leading and managing large-scale, planned works programmes, ideally within a high-volume or complex highway environment.
- Significant construction experience with a solid understanding of methodologies used in the installation of water mains and associated infrastructure. This includes knowledge of commissioning processes and integration of new assets into live client networks without disruption.
- Demonstrated ability to maintain high levels of productivity and performance within repetitive, fast-paced delivery programmes, ensuring consistency, quality, and efficiency.
- Able to support with the formulisation of bids to support our continued delivery and capability in the sector.
- High degree of skill and usage of Microsoft platforms (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
Qualifications Required
- Full clean UK driving licence
- Engineering Degree or equivalent. (desirable)
- NEBOSH General and/or Construction Qualification. (desirable)
- Appreciation of Lean or Agile methods of working. (desirable)
- Temporary Works qualification and/or understanding. (desirable)
- Appreciation of NEC and IChemE contracts and use of CEMAR or equivalent web-based tools for managing contracts. (desirable)
What’s included
- Competitive salary depending experience and qualifications
- Company vehicle / car allowance
- Pension Plan
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Discounted Gym Membership
- Highstreet Discounts
- Company Social Events
If you have strong water mains replacement / water mains experience and previously worked in Director or SLT level roles, then apply today to discuss further and to be considered for interview.
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