Hard Services Operations Manager

Ancient Wisdom School; Crawley; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A world-leading facilities management provider is seeking an experienced Hard Services Operations Manager to ensure operational excellence and compliance for a high-profile client in Surrey. You will lead the delivery of engineering services, manage maintenance operations, and drive continuous improvement efforts. Ideal candidates will have a strong technical background and experience managing operations on critical sites, demonstrating exceptional leadership skills.

Qualifications

• Proven experience managing operations on a critical or highly regulated site.
• Exceptional leadership and team management capabilities.
• Strong technical knowledge in relevant engineering disciplines.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operations of hard services.
• Manage planned and reactive maintenance.
• Oversee and support a team of engineers.

Skills

Managing hard services/engineering operations

Technical background in M&E building services

Leadership and people management

Knowledge of compliance frameworks

Excellent communication skills

Ability to work under pressure

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Hard Services Operations Manager to oversee the delivery of engineering and technical services on a critical site in Surrey. This is an exciting opportunity to join a world-leading facilities management provider, ensuring compliance, resilience, and operational excellence for a high-profile client.

Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day operations of hard services across the site, ensuring seamless service delivery.
• Manage planned and reactive maintenance across critical engineering systems, ensuring uptime and compliance with SLAs/KPIs.
• Oversee a team of engineers and technical staff, providing leadership, support, and development.
• Ensure statutory and contractual compliance with all relevant regulations, standards, and company policies.
• Develop and maintain strong client relationships, acting as the primary point of contact for operational matters.
• Drive continuous improvement in service delivery, energy efficiency, and asset performance.
• Manage budgets, reporting, and resource allocation effectively.
• Support business resilience and emergency response planning.

Skills & Experience

• Proven experience managing hard services/engineering operations on a critical or highly regulated site (e.g., data centre, healthcare, defence, or similar).
• Strong technical background in M&E building services (mechanical, electrical, HVAC, or related disciplines).
• Exceptional leadership and people management skills.
• Knowledge of compliance frameworks, statutory requirements, and health & safety legislation.
• Excellent communication, client engagement, and stakeholder management abilities.
• Ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment with high service expectations.