Note for Recruitment Agencies:

We prefer to hire directly and we will be in touch with our PSL Agencies if this role is eligible for release.

We do not accept speculative CVs from agencies. If speculative CVs are sent, no fee will be applicable – please direct all queries to the relevant Resourcing Partner.

Title: Operations Director

Location: Solihull

The Operations Director is a key member of the Oak Specialist Services Board, jointly accountable—alongside the Commercial Director—for the performance, governance, and safe delivery of all operational output.

This role provides strategic and hands-on leadership across project delivery, design management, safety governance, supply chain performance, and operational risk management. The Operations Director ensures projects are executed efficiently, safely, and profitably, while reinforcing high technical standards in façade remediation and strengthening Oak’s position as a best-in-class specialist contractor.

What will you be doing?

• Act as a full Board member contributing to business strategy, governance, forecasting, risk management, and corporate decision-making.
• Shape and implement Oak’s operational strategy aligned with business growth plans and Galliford Try governance requirements.
• Provide leadership across the entire project portfolio, ensuring consistent delivery excellence and client satisfaction.
• Jointly responsible (with Commercial Director) for business performance, including margin improvement, risk control, overhead management, and forecasting accuracy.
• Champion Oak’s culture of safety, integrity, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Operational Leadership
• Oversee the successful delivery of all projects from pre-construction through to handover and aftercare.
• Ensure all façade remediation works are executed in line with the Building Safety Regulator requirements, technical compliance standards, and project specifications.
• Drive excellence in design coordination, technical assurance, and buildability reviews through close collaboration with internal and external design teams.
• Lead the Operations Management and Site Delivery teams, creating high-performing, motivated, and well-supported operational staff.
• Manage operational planning, resourcing, and workforce deployment across all UK projects.
• Health, Safety, Quality, and Compliance
• Act as the accountable Board member for Health, Safety & Environmental performance across Oak’s operations.
• Ensure full compliance with the Building Safety Act, CDM Regulations, fire safety legislation, and façade-specific technical standards.
• Promote a proactive safety culture with robust reporting, investigation, and learning systems.
• Oversee quality assurance and technical compliance, ensuring works meet or exceed spec, standards, and third-party accreditation requirements.
• Client & Stakeholder Management
• Maintain senior relationships with clients, consultants, regulators, and supply chain partners.
• Champion Oak’s reputation for technical competency, reliability, and value.
• Address escalations promptly and professionally to protect client relationships and commercial outcomes.
• Represent Oak in client briefings, progress meetings, and strategic discussions.
• Financial & Commercial Oversight
• Support the Commercial Director in margin protection, cashflow management, forecasting accuracy, and cost discipline.
• Ensure operational teams understand and manage contractual obligations, programme commitments, and risk registers.
• Oversee procurement strategy and supply chain engagement in line with operational requirements.
• Drive operational efficiency, waste reduction, and productivity improvements across all projects.
• People Leadership & Development
• Lead the development of operational, design management, and site delivery teams, ensuring they have clear objectives, pathways, and performance oversight.
• Support succession planning, organisational development, and talent acquisition for operational roles.
• Promote a culture of collaboration across operations, commercial, design, and SHE teams.
• Ensure all staff receive the correct training, including façade-specific competencies and safety-related qualifications.

Required attributes include:-

• Significant senior leadership experience (Operations Director / Senior Operations Manager / Delivery Director) within the façade, cladding, curtain walling, or specialist building envelope sector.
• Proven ability to lead large-scale, complex remediation or construction projects with strict compliance and safety requirements.
• Strong understanding of façade engineering, system design, performance testing, and regulatory compliance (including Building Safety Act processes).
• Demonstrable success in leading multi-disciplinary teams across design, delivery, H&S, and quality.
• Experience operating at board or senior leadership level within a specialist contractor.
• Excellent commercial awareness and understanding of NEC / JCT contracts.

Desirable: 

• Chartered membership of CIOB, ICE, RICS, or equivalent.
• Experience with in-house design teams and complex technical assurance processes.
• Track record of driving operational transformation or scaling up a specialist contracting business.

What We Can Offer in Return:

With an impressive order book of over £4.1 billion we are one of the industry’s leading principal contractors, affording you the opportunity to work on some of the UK’s most exciting projects offering you stability as well as the chance to stretch your capabilities and realise long held career goals. You will be joining diverse teams working at a high professional level with exceptional levels of commitment. With an ambitious strategy, we’re poised for further growth and success, so if you’re committed, talented and enthusiastic, Galliford Try is the right place for you.  

We are committed to maintaining the physical and mental wellbeing of all our people, through our ‘Be Well’ programme which offers discounts on certain products, advice and support for a range of issues. 

We invest in high-quality training for employees of all levels, from our leadership development framework to our apprenticeship programmes. Through our Career Paths initiative, individuals receive tailored training and support to fulfil their potential.

Our industry is all about creating talented teams that excel in their areas of expertise. As an employer, we know you are most motivated to give your best when you feel valued and engaged. 

Our Agile Working programme empowers you with flexibility in when, where and how you work. Where appropriate, site and office-based employees can take advantage of a wide variety of working practices, offering different amounts of structure, regularity and flexibility to suit your needs as well as those of your wider team.

Our benefits:

We put our people first and our benefits package reflects that by offering a comprehensive range of attractive options to help support your career on top of a competitive salary.

• Generous holiday entitlement, increasing with years of service, plus the opportunity to purchase further holidays
• A wide range of corporate discounts
• Cycle to Work schemes
• Comprehensive pension plan
• Competitive family leave policy 
• Regular Save as You Earn share purchase scheme
• Private medical scheme options are available for all salaried employees, and our employee assistance programme also provides free 24/7 support to those who need it
• Paid for yearly membership to one recognised professional association relevant to your role

About us:

Galliford Try is one of the UK’s leading construction groups with a vision to continuously be a people-orientated, progressive business, driven by our values to deliver lasting change for our stakeholders and the communities we work in.

Our purpose is to improve people’s lives through building the facilities and infrastructure that communities need, providing opportunities for our people to learn, grow and progress, working with our supply chain to promote the very best working practice and caring for the environment in which we work.

We do this by holding true to our values, delivering excellence for our clients and the community, being passionate about our role in providing vital services, putting integrity at the heart of our business by doing the right thing, and collaborating with our clients, supply chain and stakeholders to deliver lasting change and long-term value.

Galliford Try is a leading UK Construction group. The business is split into four distinct divisions, 

Infrastructure, Building, Environment and Specialist Services, covering a range of specialist work in water, highways, telecoms, security, commercial, custodial, education, health, interiors, and leisure, across both public and private sectors. Listed on the London Stock Exchange and a member of the FTSE 250. Our vision is to be leaders in the construction of a sustainable future.

Oak Specialist Services:

Oak Specialist Services (OSS), a dedicated business unit within the Galliford Try group, is a leading provider of façade remediation solutions across the United Kingdom. Leveraging in-house design, engineering, and specialist installation expertise, OSS delivers high-integrity cladding, curtain walling, and façade system remediation projects for both public and private sector clients.

Our work is driven by technical excellence, stringent compliance with the Building Safety Act, and a commitment to delivering safe, high-performing building envelopes nationwide. As the business continues to scale, OSS is appointing an Operations Director to join its Board and lead all operational delivery activities across the UK.

For more information on this role or to enquire about other positions available within our business please contact Skyemarie Bree – [email protected]

Additional Information:

Galliford Try welcomes applications from candidates who would like to work full-time, reduced hours or flexibly and this will be discussed in more detail as part of the recruitment process.  

We encourage, and would be grateful if, you could confirm any requirements we can reasonably fulfil to make this application a positive experience for you. 

Don’t meet every requirement of the role? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Galliford Try, we are committed to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every requirement of the role, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

As a Disability Confident employer, we have committed to offer an interview to any candidate with a long-term health condition or disability that meet the essential criteria for the advertised position. Please contact the Resourcing Partner listed within the job advert if you believe this applies to you. We will also take the opportunity to discuss any adjustments required for your interview.”

A full job description for this role is available upon request.

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