Operations Manager. Job in Hook Norton LilyLifestyle Jobs

Location: Banbury. Office-based five days a week with visits to customer projects that span Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire and the Cotswolds.

Salary: Starting from £50,000 (flexible for the perfect candidate)

Working hours: Monday to Friday (40-hour week)

The company is growing its team to include a proactive, diligent, and effective Operations Manager to oversee its team of fully accredited engineers delivering reliable, professional plumbing and heating solutions keeping homes and businesses running smoothly across Oxfordshire and the surrounding areas.

Role Summary

They are seeking an experienced Operational Manager with a background in commercial/domestic plumbing/heating to oversee the day-to-day delivery of their projects and field operations. The ideal candidate will be a former plumber/heating engineer with a minimum of five years industry experience who has progressed into an operational or supervisory leadership role within a small or growing commercial plumbing/heating engineering business. This position is responsible for managing site teams, coordinating project timelines, ensuring health and safety compliance, and maintaining high standards of workmanship and client service. The Operational Manager will work closely with senior leadership to support business growth, improve operational efficiency, and implement scalable processes suitable for an expanding firm. The successful candidate will combine hands-on technical knowledge with strong planning, people management, and commercial awareness enabling them to bridge the gap between field delivery and strategic operations. Experience working in fast-paced environments, managing multiple projects, and supporting workforce development is essential.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide direct line management to a team of approximately 10 field-based engineers, including plumbers, apprentices, and subcontractors where applicable.
• Plan, coordinate, and oversee the day-to-day operational delivery of multiple commercial/domestic plumbing/heating projects.
• Work closely with the Estimator to review project scopes, labour allocations, cost assumptions, and programme requirements prior to project commencement.
• Collaborate with office staff to ensure the smooth scheduling of works, materials procurement, documentation, and client communications.
• Monitor project progress to ensure works are delivered on time, within budget, and to the company's quality standards.
• Drive operational efficiency across the wider business and all projects by reviewing workflows, resource allocation, and site productivity.
• Conduct regular site visitations to review workmanship, compliance, progress against programme, and health & safety standards.
• Provide technical guidance and problem-solving support to site teams, maintaining a proactive, solutions-focused approach.
• Foster a positive, can-do culture within the operational team, promoting accountability, teamwork, and high morale.
• Identify and mitigate project risks, delays, or commercial issues, implementing corrective actions where required.
• Support workforce development through mentoring, performance management, and skills progression of team members.
• Ensure all works comply with relevant regulations, industry standards, and Company policies.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives as the business grows, helping to implement scalable operational processes.
• Attend internal planning meetings and client/site meetings where operational representation is required.

Additional day-to-day responsibilities

• Managing holidays and absence across the team to ensure the business can always run efficiently and without large gaps in output.
• Oversight of the Company van fleet, ensuring servicing, MOTs and insurances etc. are up-to-date.
• Oversight of the daily operations of the travelling team of engineers.
• Supporting the estimator in pricing projects and raising quotes to measure profit and margins.
• Working closely with the Customer Service Assistant and Office Manager to ensure the smooth running of operations within the Head Office.

Required Qualifications

It is essential for the right candidate to have held a previous commercial gas qualification/certification (even if it is now expired).

Preferred Skills

• Proven experience within the world of Project Management (use of PM tools or software is a bonus).
• Good understanding and familiarity of the basic principles of HR and Employee Management.
• Keenness to stay up to date with safe working practices and H&S legislation.
• Experience with Commusoft or a similar CRM would be preferred.
• Competent knowledge of Office 365 products (Teams, Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.).

Benefits

• Competitive Salary (they believe in offering fair and competitive wages based on experience and the right attitude to succeed and exceed in the business).
• Company Bonus Scheme (performance-based).
• 21 days holiday + statutory bank holidays.
• 3% company pension contribution.
• Use of Company van (driving license therefore essential).