Director of Operations in Bridgend

Location: Bridgend

Salary: A GBP 93,567 per annum

Closing Date: Tuesday 12th May 2026

Interview Date: Thursday 28th May 2026

At Sylfaen, we build high-quality, sustainable homes and communities across South Wales. We believe a home is more than just a structure; it is a reliable base for growth, connection, and possibility. Just as foundations support everything above them, we provide the stability that allows people and communities to thrive.

Launched in 2026, Sylfaen (Welsh for foundation) is a commercially agile subsidiary of the Valleys to Coast Group. We operate with the authority of an industry expert and the visionary drive of a growth-oriented business, yet our core is always grounded in the warmth of community.

Purpose

The Director of Operations for Sylfaen is a pivotal role, reporting to the Executive Team, and is responsible for the strategic leadership and operational oversight of all operational services across the organisation. The focus is on delivering high-quality, efficient, and customer-focused services that drive performance against corporate objectives. The Director of Operations occupies a critical, strategic, and highly outward-facing leadership position within the Valleys to Coast Group. This role is instrumental in actualising the Group's ambitious development agenda, which is centred on the delivery of up to 300 new, high-quality homes annually. Beyond housing delivery, the Director is also the driving force behind major, complex regeneration programmes. These programmes are designed to be transformative, turning existing estates and town centres into thriving, sustainable, and truly vibrant communities that enhance the quality of life for all residents.

As a pivotal member of the organisation, the Director of Operations reports directly to the Managing Director of Development and Regeneration, holding ultimate responsibility for both the strategic direction and the detailed operational oversight of all service delivery functions across Valleys to Coast. The core mandate of this leadership role is to ensure the delivery of high-quality, highly efficient, and deeply customer-focused services. This operational excellence is paramount, directly driving and measuring the organisation's performance against its key corporate objectives and ensuring the Group achieves its mission.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or equivalent (Essential)
• Professional qualification e.g. CIOB, RICS, MAPM (Desirable)

Knowledge

• Proven track record as an Operations Director / Delivery Director / Development Director in the housing, property, or construction sectors;
• Extensive knowledge of contractor-side operations and effective contract management (JCT/NEC);
• Skilled in stakeholder and partner engagement, with experience of managing complex multi-party projects;

Skills

• Results-driven, with a relentless focus on operational excellence and customer satisfaction;
• Strong leadership presence, able to inspire and empower teams;
• Collaborative and outward-facing, able to build strong relationships across the sector;
• Commercially aware, with the ability to balance financial outcomes and customer value;
• Resilient, adaptable, and solutions-focused;
• A role model for Valleys to Coast Group's values, culture, and behaviours;

Experience

• Excellent leadership experience, with a proven ability to build and inspire high-performing teams.
• Significant experience of working in a housing related environment (desirable);
• Extensive experience in delivering Build-for-sale housing: with strong understanding of customer care, aftersales, and defects resolution.
• Regeneration projects: estate renewal, town-centre, and community transformation.
• Complex mixed-use/mixed-tenure schemes: coordinating across residential, commercial, and community uses.