Operations Manager / Head of Projects/Contracts Manager
Location: Bristol (Farrington Gurney area), office based with site visits as required Salary: £70,000 to £130,000 plus package, depending on experience
About the company
A well established mechanical pipework and offsite manufacturing specialist with 25 years of experience, delivering pipework engineering, specialist welding, prefabricated plant skids and modular assembly across London, the South West and the Midlands. The business works with building services and industrial clients on their most critical projects.
This is a growing business of 70 people and this is a key appointment as it scales. The role exists to put a strong layer of leadership between the Managing Director and the project teams, bringing control, structure and commercial visibility across a growing portfolio.
The role
You will lead the delivery function and own the project portfolio. Sitting above the project managers, you will be accountable for programme, commercial performance and resourcing across multiple concurrent mechanical pipework projects. You will feed clear metrics up to the leadership team, keep delivery on track, and develop the PMs reporting into you.
This is a hands on leadership role for someone who wants to build something. The right person will have a genuine route to Operations Director as the business grows.
Key responsibilities
* Lead, manage and develop a team of project managers across multiple live mechanical pipework projects
* Own the portfolio view across all projects, tracking programme, cost, margin and labour hours, and reporting metrics to the leadership team
* Take commercial ownership of project delivery, understanding the commercials behind each job rather than managing by numbers alone
* Oversee pipework packaging and labour allocation, planning resource across sites
* Step onto site as and when required to keep delivery moving
* Drive standards, reporting discipline and accountability across the delivery team
* Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, supply chain and wider industry contacts
* Resolve issues proactively, putting the right people in the right place and staying close enough to the detail to spot problems early
Essential experience
* Proven track record managing multiple mechanical projects at the same time
* Strong mechanical contracting or building services background
* Genuine people leadership, with a team of project managers or site teams reporting into you
* Solid understanding of pipework packaging and labour hours, commercially literate rather than purely technical
* Commercial acumen across margin, programme and project finances
* Hands on, reactive and able to be firm and direct without being abrasive
Desirable
* An existing client and supply chain network that opens doors
* Experience scaling within a growing contractor
* Exposure to offsite manufacturing, modular or prefabrication
What we offer
* Real autonomy and ownership, joining a growing business at a stage where you can shape it
* A fast progression pathway, with a genuine route to Operations Director for the right person
* A performance driven culture where you get out what you put in
* Bonus potential tied to the growth and value you help create
* The flexibility and influence that comes from a business of this size, rather than a fixed structure in a larger organisation
Who this suits
This will suit an ambitious operator who wants to build and scale, not a clock watcher. If you want to bring your contacts, raise the bar on delivery and grow into a leadership seat as the business grows, this is for you.