Role: Operations Manager
Sites: x3 Energy Centres (All East London)
Sector: District Heating
Sector's Considered: Power, Utilities, Energy, Oandamp;G, Pharma andamp; Process Manufacturing
Location: East London
Salary: Competitive + Car Allowance (-7K) + Bonus (10%) Pension/Healthcare
The Client:
My client is a prominent and forward-thinking energy infrastructure provider in the United Kingdom, specializing in the design, delivery, and long-term operation of large-scale decentralized low-carbon utility networks.
The company focuses heavily on urban district heating, cooling, and power solutions, managing critical assets that supply sustainable energy to thousands of residential and commercial properties. Renowned for its engineering excellence and commitment to the green transition, the business integrates cutting-edge technologies like industrial heat pumps and waste-heat recovery systems to drive urban centres toward a zero-carbon future.
The Role:
Lead the people, performance and day-to-day delivery of a multi-site energy operation across three energy centres in East London. This is a senior operational leadership position, accountable for building a capable, engaged team and delivering safe, reliable and commercially effective services.
You will lead through supervisors and team leaders, setting clear expectations for shift engineering and day-based teams. Your priority will be leadership, performance management, workforce capability and consistent delivery across the operation.
You will create a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement, ensuring supervisors take ownership of their teams and operational standards. Technical and maintenance specialists will support delivery within your overall operational remit.
The successful candidate will have already held broad operational responsibility for people, service delivery, safety and budgets. You must be able to lead teams through change, address performance issues and develop managers and supervisors, alongside maintaining oversight of asset reliability.
This is a site-based leadership role with flexibility to work across locations and occasionally remotely. Maintenance expertise provides valuable context, but the core requirement is proven leadership of a sizeable operation through others.
Key Responsibilities
People Leadership and Management Through Supervisors
- Lead supervisors and team leaders, setting clear responsibilities, priorities and performance expectations across all sites.
- Hold regular performance and development reviews; coach supervisors to lead their teams confidently and consistently.
Operational Accountability and Service Delivery
- Take overall responsibility for safe, reliable and efficient delivery across the energy centres and associated networks, balancing people, customer, operational and financial priorities.
- Hold supervisors and technical leads accountable for delivery, using clear objectives, structured reviews and timely escalation to resolve barriers.
- Maintain oversight of maintenance and asset reliability through the relevant managers and specialists; ensure plans are resourced, prioritised and aligned to service requirements.
Health, Safety, Environmental andamp; Compliance
- Ensure operational teams meet statutory, environmental, company and contractual requirements, supported by relevant specialists.
- Maintain clear ownership of site compliance, risks and corrective actions across the management team.
- Ensure supervisors and responsible persons implement effective permits, RAMS and safe systems of work.
Change Leadership and Operational Readiness
- Lead changes to ways of working, team structures and operational processes, ensuring people understand and adopt the required improvements.
- Represent operations in discussions on upgrades, network expansion and new customer connections.
Team Capability and Organisational Development
- Develop supervisors and future leaders, building management capability across the operation.
- Set and review team objectives covering safety, customer service, reliability, productivity and people performance.
Stakeholder andamp; Customer Management
- Act as the senior operational contact for internal stakeholders and customer service escalations.
- Build effective relationships with customers, colleagues, contractors and suppliers; communicate priorities, risks and performance clearly.
- Coordinate the operational response to service issues and customer concerns, ensuring actions have owners and are completed.
Contractor andamp; Supply Chain Management
- Hold contractors and suppliers accountable for safe delivery, quality, service and value.
- Ensure supervisors and technical leads oversee contractor activities within agreed standards and responsibilities.
Performance Monitoring andamp; Continuous Improvement
- Run structured operational reviews using a balanced set of people, safety, customer, financial and asset performance measures.
- Use performance data and team feedback to identify underlying issues and agree practical improvements.
Leadership and Operational Capabilities
- Proven ability to lead a sizeable operational workforce through supervisors, team leaders or managers.
- Strong people management capability, including coaching, performance management, workforce planning and succession.
Personal Leadership Skills
- Visible, credible leadership with the confidence to set standards and address difficult performance conversations.
- Ability to delegate effectively and build ownership through others.
- Clear communication, sound judgement and strong stakeholder management.
Essential Experience
- Established experience as an Operations Manager, Area Operations Manager, Regional Operations Manager or equivalent, with responsibility extending across people, service delivery, safety and budgets.
- A track record of managing supervisors, team leaders or managers and being accountable for the performance of their wider teams.
- Experience leading a multi-site or comparably complex operation in energy, utilities, industrial services or another asset-intensive service environment.
Technical Background and Qualifications
- Working understanding of maintenance, asset reliability, safety and compliance in a technical operation. District heating or energy centre experience is advantageous; transferable operational leadership experience will be considered.
- NEBOSH or equivalent is desirable. An engineering qualification at HNC, HND or degree level is advantageous. Evidence of effective people and operational leadership is central to selection.