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- Tasks: Lead operations for a major housing project, ensuring effective delivery and client satisfaction.
- Company: Join Mears Group, a leader in social housing repairs and maintenance.
- Benefits: Competitive pay, inclusive culture, and opportunities for career growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in the community while leading innovative projects.
- Qualifications: Proven leadership experience in social housing and strong commercial understanding.
- Other info: Diverse and inclusive workplace committed to social mobility and veteran support.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
Location: Birmingham
Contract: Full Time Permanent
Join us on our new, exciting contract with Birmingham City Council. Mears Group has been awarded a major new 10-year partnership with Birmingham City Council to deliver repairs, maintenance, and planned investment work across 11,500 homes in central and west Birmingham. This contract represents one of our most significant projects in the city and will create a wide range of opportunities across our operational teams. We are now building our talent pool ahead of our contract go-live on 1 July 2026 and are inviting Expressions of Interest for an experienced Operations Director who would like to be considered once formal recruitment opens in the coming weeks. Submitting an expression of interest does not guarantee employment, nor does it provide salary or detailed role information at this stage. It simply ensures that you are first to be contacted when full job details, including pay, working hours, and application timelines, are confirmed.
About The Role
We are seeking an experienced Operations Director to initially support the implementation of the new contract and to hold full responsibility and accountability for the operations and aftercare functions, ensuring the effective delivery of projects from initial conception through to completion of the defect’s liability period, supporting Birmingham City Council to deliver modern, responsive, tenant focused service. This is a senior leadership role with strategic and operational accountability for the contract’s delivery, commercial performance, Health & Safety, and customer satisfaction. You will ensure all projects are delivered on sound operational and commercial principles, working collaboratively with design, commercial, technical and customer care teams to achieve successful outcomes. As Operations Director, you will lead the development and maintenance of key client relationships, ensure SHEQ requirements are fully embedded across all activity, and provide strategic oversight of resourcing, recruitment and capability to support current and future business needs. You will also be responsible for implementing group policies and developing departmental policies and procedures as required.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide overall leadership and accountability for the Operations and Aftercare functions, ensuring effective delivery from project inception through to defects liability.
- Lead on Health & Safety and SHEQ compliance, chairing monthly SHEQ meetings and setting clear standards across all projects.
- Ensure strong commercial control, programme delivery and performance management across all live sites.
- Drive collaborative working between operations, technical, commercial and customer care teams.
- Maintain and develop key client relationships, ensuring consistently high levels of customer satisfaction.
- Oversee project progress and delivery, implementing corrective actions to meet contractual and programme targets.
- Lead on resourcing, recruitment and retention, ensuring departments are appropriately staffed.
- Prepare and present board and senior management reports, providing insight on performance, risk and opportunity.
- Support tender activity and mobilisation, ensuring operational input and resourcing is in place.
- Ensure group and departmental policies, procedures and management systems are implemented and maintained.
Key Criteria
- Proven senior operational leadership experience within social housing repairs and maintenance, with responsibility for departments, people and live contracts.
- Strong commercial and contractual understanding, with experience managing financial performance and delivery.
- Demonstrable ability to lead, influence and manage teams, including recruitment and retention.
- Strong focus on Health & Safety, compliance and customer satisfaction.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
- IT-literate, with experience using Microsoft Office and working knowledge of Microsoft Project.
- Organised, adaptable and able to operate effectively in a fast-paced environment.
- CSCS and GCSE (or equivalent) essential.
- NVQ in Site Management and/or professional qualification (CIOB or equivalent) desirable.
- Full UK driving licence.
All our roles require candidates to have the entitlement to work within the UK, Mears does not currently offer visa sponsorship. To drive a Mears vehicle, you must be aged over 21, have held your licence over 3 months and have less than 9 points. Candidates should be aware that all our roles are subject to relevant Background, Identity & Security checks before commencement of employment.
At Mears Group, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive, we are a Disability Confident employer, valuing individuality and ensuring equal opportunities for all. We proudly support the Armed Forces Covenant and are honoured to have achieved the Gold Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) to coincide with this, we hold an Endorser Award for the Career Transition Partnership, recognising our commitment to veterans transitioning into civilian careers.
In our continued effort to promote social mobility, we invite applicants to voluntarily share their background information during the application stages to help us better understand the diverse experiences of our candidates. This is to ensure we are committed to improving social mobility. We use the Social Mobility Index to assess and enhance opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds. These questions are optional and will not impact your ability to apply.
Operations Director in Birmingham employer: Mears Group PLC
Contact Detail:
Mears Group PLC Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Operations Director in Birmingham
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, attend relevant events, and don’t be shy about letting people know you’re on the lookout for an Operations Director role. You never know who might have the inside scoop on upcoming opportunities.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its projects. Understand their values and how they align with your experience in social housing repairs and maintenance. This will help you showcase how you can contribute to their success right from the get-go.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to explain your leadership style and how you’ve successfully managed teams and projects in the past. Highlight your focus on Health & Safety and customer satisfaction, as these are key for the Operations Director role.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we’re here to support you throughout the process, so reach out if you need any help or have questions.
We think you need these skills to ace Operations Director in Birmingham
Some tips for your application 🫡
Be Clear and Concise: When you're writing your application, keep it straightforward. We want to see your experience and skills shine through without any fluff. Stick to the point and make sure every word counts!
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your application for the Operations Director role. Highlight your relevant experience in social housing repairs and maintenance, and show us how you can lead and influence teams effectively.
Showcase Your Achievements: Don’t just list your responsibilities; tell us about your successes! Use specific examples to demonstrate how you've driven performance and customer satisfaction in previous roles. We love a good success story!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to submit your application directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure we receive your expression of interest and that you’re first in line when we open formal recruitment. Plus, it’s super easy!
How to prepare for a job interview at Mears Group PLC
✨Know the Contract Inside Out
Before your interview, make sure you thoroughly understand the Birmingham City Council contract. Familiarise yourself with its objectives, key deliverables, and how it aligns with the community's needs. This will show your genuine interest and help you articulate how your experience can contribute to its success.
✨Demonstrate Leadership Experience
As an Operations Director, you'll need to showcase your leadership skills. Prepare specific examples of how you've successfully led teams in previous roles, particularly in social housing repairs and maintenance. Highlight your ability to influence and manage diverse teams while maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction.
✨Emphasise Health & Safety Knowledge
Given the importance of Health & Safety in this role, be ready to discuss your experience with SHEQ compliance. Share examples of how you've implemented safety standards in past projects and how you plan to uphold these standards in the new contract.
✨Prepare for Stakeholder Management Questions
Expect questions about managing client relationships and stakeholder engagement. Think of instances where you've successfully navigated complex stakeholder dynamics, ensuring that all parties were satisfied. This will demonstrate your communication skills and ability to maintain strong client relationships.