Operations Director in Newport

Ventro Group is a leading fire safety and building compliance business, backed by Private Equity investment from KLAR Partners, operating nationally through our family of brands including Ventro, Firntec, and HJS. As we continue to scale our passive fire protection division, we are looking for an experienced Operations Director to take ownership of divisional delivery performance and drive the next phase of operational growth.

The Opportunity

This is a senior leadership appointment with genuine scope to shape how we deliver passive fire protection across the country. Reporting to the Divisional Director, you will be the operational heartbeat of the passive fire division - accountable for project delivery, financial performance, quality standards, and the people who make it all happen. You won't be inheriting a broken operation. You'll be joining a business that has built strong foundations and now needs a senior operator to take it further: tightening margins, raising productivity, strengthening accountability, and ensuring our clients receive an industry-leading service every time.

What You'll Be Responsible For:

• Divisional P&L ownership — delivering accurate financial forecasts, managing cost-to-complete, and driving gross profit improvement across the project portfolio
• Site productivity — optimising labour deployment, programme sequencing, and materials logistics to maximise output nationally
• Quality and compliance — ensuring all passive fire installations meet FIRAS, BM TRADA, and Building Safety Act standards, with robust QA procedures from site to handover
• Margin control — managing labour costs, subcontractor spend, procurement, and variation recovery to protect and improve project profitability
• Team leadership — leading and developing a team of Associate Directors, Project Managers, and Site Managers, embedding a culture of personal accountability and high performance
• Client relationships — representing the division at senior level, managing escalations, and building long-term partnerships that generate repeat business and new opportunities
• Board reporting — providing clear, data-driven operational updates to the leadership team covering delivery output, risk, and resource planning

What We're Looking For

• A minimum of 10 years in construction or fire safety delivery, with at least 5 years at senior operational or director level
• A proven track record of managing multi-million-pound project portfolios across multiple sites and regions
• Demonstrable experience of financial forecasting, margin control, and P&L accountability
• Experience leading and developing teams of Project Managers, Site Managers, or Contracts Managers
• Strong knowledge of passive fire protection systems, products, and installation standards (or closely transferable construction delivery experience)
• Familiarity with the Building Safety Act 2022, CDM 2015, and relevant health and safety legislation
• A client-first mindset with outstanding communication and stakeholder management skills
• Experience operating within a PE-backed or high-growth business environment would be particularly valuable

What We Offer

• A senior leadership role within a PE-backed, high-growth group with a clear trajectory
• Company car or car allowance
• Healthcare scheme
• Ability to purchase additional annual leave
• Company reward scheme
• Regular company events
• The opportunity to shape the future of a nationally operating passive fire division

How to Apply

If this sounds like the right opportunity, we'd welcome a conversation. Apply directly via LinkedIn or reach out to our Talent Acquisition team for a confidential discussion. Ventro Group values diversity and promotes equality. No terminology in this advert is intended to discriminate against any of the protected characteristics that fall under the Equality Act 2010. We encourage and welcome applications from all sections of society and are more than happy to discuss reasonable adjustments and/or additional arrangements as required to support your application. Ventro prefer to hire directly and we will be in touch with our PSL Agencies if this role is eligible. We do not accept speculative CVs and no fee will be applicable if sent.