Field Operations Manager (South)

Places for People; Southampton; On-site; GBP 43,000 - 58,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Car allowance

Pension with matched contributions

Bonus scheme

35 days holiday

Healthcare cashback plan

Wellbeing support

Private GP and health services

Discount platform

Job summary

Places for People is seeking an experienced operations leader to manage field-based teams across the South region. You will coach, assess performance, and drive improvements while ensuring high-quality delivery and strong customer service.

You will monitor performance data, support workforce systems, and uphold safety and compliance standards. The role requires significant travel nationwide, a full UK driving licence, and a commitment to safeguarding and inclusive practices.

Qualifications

• Proven experience managing field-based teams in a multi-trade or technical environment.
• Strong leadership, coaching and people management skills.
• Experience with workforce management or scheduling systems.
• Experience in HR processes and performance management.
• Full UK Driving Licence and willingness to travel nationally.
• Knowledge of compliance standards and familiarity with mobile workforce technology.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team of Operatives, conduct 1:1s, performance reviews and coaching.
• Identify training needs and address underperformance.
• Ensure work meets high quality standards and customer expectations; resolve complaints.
• Support operational delivery and optimisation of workforce systems.
• Monitor job allocation and completion rates; analyse performance data to identify trends.
• Promote health and safety culture; ensure compliance with KPIs and SLAs.
• Collaborate with other managers and contribute to service improvements and mobilisation of new contracts.

Skills

Field team management

Coaching

People management

Data interpretation

Workforce management

HR processes

Driving licence

Travel willingness

Performance management

Scheduling systems

Tools

SOR

Job description

In this role, you will lead and manage a team of Operatives conducting regular 1:1s, performance reviews, and coaching, while identifying training needs and addressing underperformance. You will ensure all work meets high-quality standards and customer expectations, resolving complaints and promoting a customer-first culture. You will support the operational delivery and optimisation of workforce systems, monitor job allocation and completion rates, undertake technical inspections, and provide guidance to meet delivery standards. You will analyse performance data to identify trends and inefficiencies, recommend process improvements, and ensure compliance with KPIs and SLAs. You will maintain a strong health and safety culture, ensuring adherence to legislation and company policies through site visits and audits. Finally, you will collaborate with other managers and stakeholders, share best practices, and contribute to service improvement initiatives and the mobilisation of new contracts or services.

For this role you will be covering the South region.

As part of our commitment to diversity and inclusion, we offer a guaranteed interview to candidates who are disabled, neurodiverse, or have served in the Armed Forces, provided they meet the essential criteria for the role. If you would like to be considered under this scheme, please indicate this in your application. We are dedicated to creating a supportive and accessible recruitment process for all.

We are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support your application or interview experience, please let us know. We're happy to work with you to ensure you have the opportunity to perform at your best.

We understand the importance of a supportive and inclusive work culture so please talk to us at interview about flexibility you may need. We can't promise to give you exactly what you want, but we promise not to judge you for asking. For this role we are open to discussing the possibility of reduced hours, flexible start and finish times or compressed hours.

Safeguarding

At Places for People, safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. We are committed to creating safe communities for our customers and colleagues by protecting children, young people, and adults at risk from harm, abuse, and neglect.

We follow robust safeguarding policies and procedures, ensuring all employees, volunteers, and contractors uphold the highest standards of safeguarding and accountability. Our recruitment process includes pre-employment checks, including Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks where applicable, to promote a safe and secure working environment.

By joining Places for People, you are expected to contribute to our safeguarding culture, following our policies and reporting concerns to protect those in our communities.

Places for People, we hire People, not numbers. So, if you like the sound of one of our jobs, you could be just who we're looking for. Of course, experience and track record are important, but we're more interested in hiring someone that embodies our People Promises. That's someone that does the right thing, is enthusiastic and motivated to grow, believes in Community spirit, is respectful and enjoys their work. As the UK's leading Social Enterprise, we're dedicated to creating inclusive and thriving Communities for both our Customers and colleagues.

Qualifications

• Proven experience managing field-based teams in a multi-trade or technical environment.
• Experienced leader in coaching and people management skills.
• Previous experience in interpreting data and driving improvements.
• Experience with workforce management or scheduling systems.
• Full UK Driving Licence and willingness to travel nationally.
• Experience in managing HR processes and performance management.

Desirable

• Experience within a Gas environment.

More About you

You will have proven experience managing field-based teams in a multi-trade or technical environment, with strong leadership, coaching, and people management skills. You will demonstrate an excellent customer service ethos, strong communication abilities, and an analytical mindset to interpret data and drive improvements. You will be experienced in workforce management or scheduling systems, confident in handling HR processes and performance management, and hold a full UK driving licence with the willingness to travel nationally. You will be resilient, adaptable, and solutions-focused. Ideally, you will also have experience in the housing, facilities management, or utilities sectors, knowledge of relevant compliance standards, and familiarity with mobile workforce technology and optimisation tools, including SOR.

We are a large diverse and ambitious business, which will give you all the challenge you could wish for.

Benefits

We know that there's always more we can do to make you smile, that's why we offer a comprehensive benefits package with each role, yours will include:

• Competitive salary with regular annual review
• Car allowance
• Pension with matched contributions up to 7%
• Bonus scheme for colleagues at 2%
• 35 days holiday (including bank holiday) with option to buy or sell days
• Healthcare cashback plan for everyday medical costs - up to £500 savings per year
• Access to wellbeing support such as counselling and flu jabs
• Private GP and health support services available
• Access to a rewards platform with retail and lifestyle discounts