Head of Operations

Macdonald & Company; London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading property management firm in London is looking for a Head of Operations to manage their HMO portfolio. This role requires strong operational leadership, project management skills, and experience in multi-site capex delivery. You will ensure compliance, meet occupancy targets, and oversee financial management of budgets exceeding £1m. The position offers a competitive salary and attractive benefits including bonuses.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Bonus and longer-term incentives

Qualifications

• Proven track record in operational leadership within property sectors like PRS or HMO.
• Experience delivering large-scale capex/refurbishment programmes.
• Strong background in managing outsourced agents.

Responsibilities

• Lead the operational management of the national HMO portfolio.
• Oversee outsourced managing agents to ensure service delivery.
• Plan and deliver significant refurbishment and compliance programmes.
• Own operational and capex budgets, monitoring spend against budgets.
• Work closely with investment teams to align operational and investment strategies.

Skills

Operational leadership

Stakeholder management

Project management

Financial literacy

Problem-solving

Job description

ROLE

The Head of Operations will lead the operational delivery of our client's property portfolio, with a primary focus on delivering significant multi-site capex and refurbishment programmes and driving performance from external managing agents.

This role is hands-on and delivery-focused, ensuring that assets are compliant, well-presented, and achieving target occupancy and income levels. The Head of Operations will work closely with the Operations and Investment teams to ensure operational readiness for acquisitions, and with the Data team to ensure timely, accurate reporting.

Key Responsibilities

1. Operational Leadership

• Lead day-to-day operational management of the national HMO portfolio.
• Oversee outsourced managing agents, ensuring delivery against lettings, compliance, and customer service KPIs.
• Set clear SLAs, run structured performance reviews, and escalate underperformance where required.
• Form initiatives to streamline and ensure occupancy, leakage and rent collection targets are met/exceeded.
• Maintain systems to track occupancy, rent collection, arrears, compliance, and maintenance response times.

2. Capex & Refurbishment Delivery

• Plan, budget, and deliver significant portfolio-wide refurbishment, compliance, and upgrade programmes.
• Coordinate contractors, consultants, and agents to minimise void loss and disruption to tenants.
• Ensure all projects meet health and safety, licensing, and building regulation requirements.
• Track programme performance against budget and timelines, reporting variances and risks.

3. Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure all properties meet statutory and licensing requirements (HMO, PRS, fire safety, gas, electrical, etc.).
• Maintain oversight of risk registers and ensure timely resolution of compliance actions.
• Work with legal and asset management teams to address operational risk exposure.

4. Financial Oversight

• Own the operational and capex budgets, monitoring spends vs budget and approving invoices within delegated authority.
• Provide accurate and timely reporting to the fund manager on performance, risks, and forecasts.
• Work with the finance team to manage contractor payments, drawdowns, and funding requirements.

5. Stakeholder & Cross-Team Collaboration

• Work closely with the investment team to ensure operational plans support investment strategy.
• Liaise with investment team pre-acquisition to assess operational readiness and refurbishment requirements.
• Maintain strong working relationships with external stakeholders including managing agents, contractors, and local authorities.

REQUIREMENTS

Experience

• Proven track record in operational leadership within PRS, HMO, or multi-site residential portfolios.
• Experience delivering large-scale, multi-site capex/refurbishment programmes.
• Strong background in managing outsourced agents and contractor performance.
• Familiarity with HMO licensing, compliance, and property health and safety regulations.
• Experience managing budgets of £1m+ and delivering against tight timelines.

Skills & Attributes

• Commercially astute with strong financial literacy.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, able to influence and drive performance.
• Highly organised with strong project management capability.
• Resilient, pragmatic, and delivery focused.
• Ability to balance strategic oversight with hands-on operational problem-solving.

There is a very attractive salary on offer alongside bonus and longer term incentives