Contract Services Director

HPRExecutive; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading service provider in the UK is seeking a Contract Services Director – Maintenance to oversee national maintenance contracts. This role demands a senior leader with proven P&L experience in complex environments. The ideal candidate will drive operational excellence, lead multidisciplinary teams, and have the ability to influence at the executive level. A competitive package is offered, including full executive benefits and a hybrid work model with national travel.

Benefits

Car allowance

Full executive benefits

Bonus

Qualifications

• Proven portfolio-level P&L ownership in asset-intensive environments.
• Experience in turning around complex maintenance contracts.
• Ability to lead at executive and client Board level.

Responsibilities

• Full P&L accountability for maintenance contracts.
• Drive operational excellence and rapid stabilization.
• Lead multi-disciplinary operational teams.

Skills

Commercial acumen

Leadership

P&L accountability

Operational excellence

Education

Degree educated

Job description

Contract Services Director – Maintenance

Location : UK (Hybrid with National Travel)

Package : £90,000–£110,000 base + bonus + car allowance + full executive benefits

This is a senior leadership role with full accountability for the performance, profitability, and evolution of a national portfolio of maintenance contracts post-implementation.

The appointment exists to create sustained commercial value.

The successful candidate will own contract P&L, lead complex operational delivery at scale, and drive continuous improvement in how maintenance services are structured, priced, governed, and delivered. This role requires an individual who can operate simultaneously as a commercial operator, operational leader, and entrepreneurial value-creator.

This is not a technical asset management or engineering role.

It is a commercially exposed, operationally dominant leadership position, where success is measured by margin, predictability, client confidence, and scalable performance.

Scope & Authority

• Executive ownership of all post-mobilisation maintenance contracts
• Portfolio-level accountability for revenue, margin, cost-to-serve, and working capital
• Leadership of multi-disciplinary operational, technical, and contract teams
• Senior client sponsorship and ownership of key commercial relationships
• Direct influence over contract evolution, mobilisation learning, and future bid strategy

What This Role is (and Is Not)

This role is for you if you have :

• Led large-scale, contract-based technical services with full P&L accountability
• Turned underperforming or complex contracts into stable, profitable operations
• Operated comfortably at Board, ExCo, and client executive level
• Built commercially astute leadership teams in operational environments

This role is not for you if your background is limited to :

• Pure asset governance or ISO-led frameworks
• Engineering leadership without commercial ownership
• Cost-centre maintenance management
• Single-site or narrowly technical roles

The role :

Commercial & Financial Ownership

• Full P&L accountability across a portfolio of live maintenance contracts
• Identification and elimination of margin leakage and operational inefficiency
• Rigorous control of scope, variation, pricing, and commercial risk
• Delivery of predictable, sustainable financial performance

Operational & Contract Leadership

• Ownership of contracts post-mobilisation, driving rapid stabilisation and BAU excellence
• Executive escalation point for complex operational or contractual issues
• Consistent governance, performance cadence, and accountability across the portfolio

Asset & Lifecycle Value

• Strategic oversight of asset performance and lifecycle cost optimisation
• Data-led decisions on maintenance strategy, intervention, and investmentBalance of safety, resilience, performance, and commercial return

Entrepreneurial Value Creation

• Continuous challenge to existing delivery and cost models
• Creation of incremental value through innovation, service evolution, and scalability
• Translation of operational learning into improved contract design and pricing

Leadership & Influence

• Building and leading operational and contract teams
• Setting standards for pace, accountability, and commercial thinking
• Acting as senior sponsor for key client relationships

The person :

We are seeking a high‑calibre senior leader with :

• Degree educated with a robust career trajectory
• Proven portfolio‑level P&L ownership in contract‑based, asset‑intensive environments
• A track record of optimising, turning around, or scaling complex maintenance or service contracts
• Deep operational credibility combined with strong commercial acumen
• Experience operating in regulated and / or safety‑critical sectors
• Gravitas, judgement, and confidence to lead at executive and client Board level

Candidates are most likely to come from senior roles in :

• Contract services, infrastructure, utilities, FM, industrial services, or outsourced operations
• Multi‑site, geographically dispersed operational environments

Personal Style & Leadership Behaviour

• Decisive, resilient, and outcome‑focused
• Commercially sharp; understands precisely how value is created and lost
• Entrepreneurial mindset with the discipline to execute at scale
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and complexity
• Sets pace, standards, and ambition for the organisation

Why This Role Will Appeal

• Enterprise‑level accountability with real commercial exposure
• Authority to shape, evolve, and improve live contracts
• High visibility with senior stakeholders and clients
• A platform to create value, not simply manage operations

Confidential Applications & Enquiries

This appointment is being managed via executive search. All enquiries will be handled in the strictest confidence.

If you recognise yourself in this brief, we would welcome your application. Please email your CV to [e-mail].