Project & Operations Director

Project & Operations Director

• Location: Office based in Norfolk, clientele across the UK.
• Package: up to £80,000 + Performance Bonus, EV Company Car, 25 days + bank holidays.
• Required: PLC / Tier 1 Construction Background.
• Contract: Full Time, Permanent.

On behalf of our client, we are recruiting a Project & Operations Director to take full operational ownership of a growing specialist construction business delivering panelling systems on large‑scale commercial and accommodation projects.

This is a hands‑on senior leadership role for a proven PLC / Tier 1 construction operator, someone operating at senior management level who is comfortable running an entire multi‑project operation, not just managing a single function.

You will effectively act as a General Manager, accountable for programme, margin and P&L across 40 to 50 live projects at any one time, delivered as a specialist subcontractor with all design, manufacture and installation handled in‑house. They are looking for a visible leader who is actively on site, in production, with the teams, someone who removes obstacles, accelerates delivery, and delivers exactly what is forecast.

As a business their vision is clear: to be the preferred construction project partner that main contractors look to because their presence raises standards, pace and certainty.

In this role you will have end‑to‑end accountability for operational performance, with a clear mandate to drive:

• Predictable, high‑quality project delivery: Seamless integration with other trades, realistic programmes, snag‑free completion and professional handovers.
• Client trust and satisfaction: Clear, proactive communication, honest programmes, no surprises, and a calm, solutions‑led approach to challenges.
• Profit and margin growth: Disciplined change control, strong forecasting, reduced cost‑to‑serve and protection of commercial outcomes.

As a senior leader, you will help set priorities, remove constraints and align the operation to the company strategy. You will also own the HR and people agenda for operations, ensuring the right structure, capability, compliance and performance culture is in place to deliver safely and profitably.

Core Accountabilities:

• Translate company strategy into an executable operational plan across Projects, Production, Logistics and Installation.
• Shape decisions on capacity, investment, systems and risk.
• Own and deliver quarterly operational priorities.
• Enforce rigorous KPI, scorecard and forecasting discipline.
• Align Sales, Design, Manufacturing and Site Delivery to protect margin.
• Drive continuous improvement so the operating model becomes simpler, stronger and more repeatable.

Key Responsibilities:

• End‑to‑end project control: Enforce non‑negotiable delivery disciplines from handover through design freeze, planning, manufacture and site readiness. Ensure every project has a credible programme, realistic labour plan, 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 without becoming administratively burdened.
• 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.

Skills, Experience & Qualifications Required:

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.

Why Apply?
If you are a senior construction operator frustrated by poorly planned projects, weak forecasting or lack of accountability and you're looking a role where you can genuinely run the operation, raise standards and deliver predictable results, apply now!! This is a rare opportunity to make a visible impact!

Please contact Louisa Coggs on 07341 497822 or email louisacoggs@major-recruitment.com

Major Recruitment acts as an Employment Agency for permanent roles and an Employment Business for temporary opportunities.

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