Chief Operating Officer

AUSTIN MATLEY; England; On-site; GBP 170,000 - 290,000; Full time

Job summary

Austin Matley Ltd is seeking a Group Chief Operating Officer to lead operations across multiple sites in the United Kingdom, backed by private equity. The role combines strategic leadership with hands-on oversight to drive growth, efficiency and accountability.

The ideal candidate has operated at group or divisional level, managed complex contracting businesses, and can partner with CEOs and investors to deliver margins, cash generation and performance improvements.

Qualifications

• Experience at Group or divisional level with strategic leadership and hands-on approach.
• Experience in project and maintenance contracting within building services, compliance or the built environment.
• Proven track record of improving operational efficiency, engineer/productivity, service delivery and customer satisfaction.
• Experience working with CEOs, CFOs, investors and Boards to deliver strategic objectives.
• Strong commercial and financial understanding with focus on margin, EBITDA, cash generation, and accountability.

Skills

COO / Group Operations Director

Multi-site leadership

Building services / contracting

Commercial & financial acumen

M&A and integration

Operational reporting & KPIs

Job description

Austin Matley has been retained to appoint a Group Chief Operating Officer for a substantial, PE-backed, multi-site business operating within the built environment.

This is a genuine COO mandate, offering the opportunity to play a pivotal role in the next phase of an ambitious growth journey.

We're looking for an experienced operational leader who has operated at Group or divisional level, bringing strategic leadership alongside the commercial acumen and hands-on approach needed to drive operational performance, accountability and scalable growth.

We're particularly interested in speaking with leaders who can demonstrate:

• COO / Group Operations Director experience within a complex, multi-site organisation.
• Significant experience within project and maintenance contracting businesses, ideally across building services, compliance or the wider built environment.
• Strong contracts and service delivery experience, covering both recurring maintenance activities and project-based operations.
• Experience leading multiple business units or divisions through senior operational leadership teams.
• A proven track record of improving operational efficiency, engineer and subcontractor productivity, service delivery and customer satisfaction.
• Strong commercial and financial understanding, with a focus on margin, EBITDA, cash generation, performance and accountability.
• Experience of M&A, business integration and embedding consistent operational processes and best practice across multiple businesses.
• The ability to implement effective operational reporting, KPIs and continuous improvement processes to drive better decision-making and performance.
• Experience working closely with CEOs, CFOs, investors and Boards to deliver strategic business objectives.

Your background could be within building services, fire and life safety, compliance, engineering, construction, infrastructure or another complex, project-led contracting environment.

We're looking for someone with pace, resilience and commercial drive - a leader who can operate confidently at Board level but is equally comfortable getting into the detail, challenging performance and solving complex operational problems.

This is an opportunity for an ambitious individual who wants to make a significant impact, build high-performing teams and play a defining role in the long-term success of a growing business.