In this role, you will hold end‑to‑end accountability for the delivery of groundwork and specialist civil projects across your assigned region. You will provide direct leadership to groundworker teams, taking full ownership of project planning, resource deployment, utilisation, and site standards from mobilisation through to completion. This is a Head Office‑based position (Chelmsford), but due to the nationwide nature of our operations, flexibility is required. You will maintain a strong on‑site visibility, traveling across your region (Southern part of the UK) to monitor, support, and control delivery standards, which will involve staying away from home for up to four nights per week at times.
Responsibilities
- Operational Delivery & Planning: Take full ownership of planning and executing multiple concurrent projects across the region. Ensure all works are fully prepared prior to mobilisation and challenge or elevate jobs that are not ready to be delivered effectively.
- Team Leadership & Performance Management: Provide clear, consistent line management to all regional operatives, taking accountability for productivity, conduct, quality, and time/attendance reporting. Drive engagement through regular one‑to‑one and manage employee relations activity, including absence management, grievances and disciplinary investigations in line with company policy.
- Commercial Awareness & Cost Control: Actively protect project margins by controlling labour utilisation, travel time and accommodation expenses. Identify operational inefficiencies, manage overtime alignment with budgets, and provide informed feedback into project pricing and feasibility.
- Health, Safety & Compliance Ownership: Ensure strict site compliance with RAMS, company standards, and legislation including HASAWA 1974, CDM 2015 and COSHH 2002. Conduct site inspections, enforce uniform and PPE standards, verify that all operatives hold valid certificates for assigned tasks, and lead incident management and investigations. You have the authority and duty to stop work if compliance or safety requirements are not met.
- Client & Site Management: Act as the primary operational contact for clients across active sites. Build client confidence through reliable delivery, clear communication and professional site environments, ensuring minimal disruption to live client operations.
- Team Training & Recruitment: Identify capability gaps and oversee regional training records to ensure all qualifications remain up to date. Take ownership of regional recruitment, including identifying resourcing needs, interviewing and onboarding new starters.
- Cross‑Functional Coordination: Work in close partnership with the Head of Specialist Services, Programming & Feasibility Manager and Groundworks Support Manager to validate project feasibility and feed insight back to drive continuous operational improvements.
Qualifications
- Proven Leadership & Regional Management: Demonstrable experience managing multi‑site operations and coordinating mobile, field‑based teams within the groundworks, civils or construction sector.
- Confidence to Challenge & Manage Employee Relationships: The ability to confidently address poor performance, safety breaches and behavioural issues, with experience handling formal employee relations investigations and disciplinary processes.
- Commercial Mindset: Strong commercial awareness with a track record of monitoring metrics (utilisation, downtime, job completion) to protect margins and improve cost control.
- Health & Safety Expertise: Comprehensive working knowledge of safe systems of work, RAMS, COSHH and CDM 2015 regulations.
- Essential Certifications
- Valid SMSTS (Site Management Safety Training Scheme) certification.
- Valid CSCS card (at the appropriate management/supervisor level).
- A full, clean driving license and willingness to stay away from home up to four nights a week.
- Communication & IT Literacy: Excellent verbal and written communication skills for client and stakeholder management, alongside IT literacy sufficient to manage schedules, reports and mobile systems.
- Desirable (for consideration)
- First Aid at Work qualification.
- IOSH or NEBOSH Health & Safety qualification.
- Relevant plant or machinery tickets (e.g., CPCS / NPORS).
If you are an experienced operational leader ready to take full ownership of a fast‑growing region, we would love to hear from you.
Horizon Parking Ltd, part of the Horizon Group, is one of the UK’s leading providers of parking management services, with operations across over 2,500 car parks nationwide. As part of our expanding business, we are looking for a skilled Delivery Manager to join our Specialist Services Team.
Benefits and Salary
- Salary: £60,000 per annum
- Access to a company pool vehicle
- 25 days holiday per year (plus statutory/public holidays)
- Company sick pay (5 days after 12 months continuous service)
- Birthday day off
- Health Cash Plan
- Auto‑Enrolment Pension contributions
- EAP & Wellbeing services
- Enhanced paternity and maternity leave
- Access to free online training
