HEAD OF TRENCHLESS AND CIVILS

Adler & Allan; Harrogate; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Enhanced maternity,paternity and adopt

Company pension

Life assurance scheme (x4 salary)

Medicare Cash Plan (includes cash ...)

Refer a friend scheme

Employee assistance programme

Competitive annual leave plus bank

Training and career progression

Job summary

Adler and Allan is seeking an experienced Head of Trenchless & Civils to lead a high-performing department delivering critical infrastructure projects. You will provide strategic leadership, drive growth, manage budgets, and cultivate strong client relationships to ensure safe, profitable project delivery across civils and trenchless works.

The role requires senior leadership, a strong commercial mindset, and a track record of delivering large-scale civil engineering outcomes in a fast-paced

Qualifications

• Significant senior leadership experience within construction, civils, utilities, infrastructure, or a related sector.
• Proven track record of delivering operational and financial results.
• Strong understanding of construction contracts, including JCT, NEC and FIDIC frameworks.
• Experience managing budgets, resources, and business performance.
• Strong commercial awareness and financial management capability.
• Excellent people leadership and team development skills.
• Outstanding communication and stakeholder management abilities.
• Demonstrated experience in strategic planning and organisational improvement.
• Strong problem-solving, decision-making, and analytical skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the department's strategic plans, aligned to wider business objectives.
• Identify opportunities for growth, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Contribute to business-wide strategy, planning, and decision-making.
• Drive operational excellence and foster a culture of accountability and high performance.
• Lead day-to-day departmental operations, ensuring projects and services are delivered efficiently and effectively.
• Establish, maintain, and improve policies, procedures, and operational standards.
• Monitor departmental performance against KPIs, targets, and service delivery requirements.
• Ensure resources are effectively deployed to meet business needs.
• Inspire, lead, and develop a team of managers and operational professionals.
• Create a positive, inclusive, and high-performing culture.
• Oversee recruitment, succession planning, performance management, and employee development.
• Set clear objectives and support teams in achieving outstanding results.
• Manage departmental budgets, forecasts, and financial performance.
• Ensure effective cost control and value-for-money delivery.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, productivity, and profitability.
• Maintain robust governance, reporting, and risk management processes.
• Support commercial decision-making and business growth initiatives.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, partners, suppliers, and internal stakeholders.
• Act as a senior representative for the department in meetings, projects, and strategic discussions.
• Ensure effective communication and collaboration across all business functions.
• Support the development of long-term customer and stakeholder relationships.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant legal, contractual, regulatory, and company requirements.
• Promote a strong health and safety culture across all activities.
• Identify and manage operational and commercial risks.
• Champion ethical standards, governance, and continuous improvement.

Skills

Senior leadership

Commercial acumen

Stakeholder management

Strategic planning

People development

Operational delivery

Budget management

Tools

JCT/NEC/FIDIC knowledge

Job description

We are seeking an experienced and commercially driven Head of Trenchless & Civils Department to lead a high-performing team responsible for delivering critical infrastructure and civil engineering projects.

This is a senior leadership opportunity for an ambitious individual with a strong background in construction, utilities, civils, or infrastructure delivery who can combine strategic vision with operational excellence. You'll play a pivotal role in driving business performance, developing talented teams, maintaining strong client relationships, and ensuring projects are delivered safely, efficiently, and profitably.

If you're a proven leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is passionate about continuous improvement, innovation, and delivering outstanding results, we'd love to hear from you.

Job Description

The Role

As Head of Trenchless & Civils, you will provide strategic leadership and overall management of the department, ensuring successful delivery of business objectives while maintaining the highest standards of safety, quality, and customer service.

You'll work closely with senior leadership teams, operational managers, clients, and stakeholders to drive growth, enhance performance, and support the organisation's long-term strategy.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and implement the department's strategic plans, aligned to wider business objectives.
• Identify opportunities for growth, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Contribute to business-wide strategy, planning, and decision-making.
• Drive operational excellence and foster a culture of accountability and high performance.

Operational Delivery

• Lead day-to-day departmental operations, ensuring projects and services are delivered efficiently and effectively.
• Establish, maintain, and improve policies, procedures, and operational standards.
• Monitor departmental performance against KPIs, targets, and service delivery requirements.
• Ensure resources are effectively deployed to meet business needs.

Leadership & People Development

• Inspire, lead, and develop a team of managers and operational professionals.
• Create a positive, inclusive, and high-performing culture.
• Oversee recruitment, succession planning, performance management, and employee development.
• Set clear objectives and support teams in achieving outstanding results.
• Manage departmental budgets, forecasts, and financial performance.
• Ensure effective cost control and value-for-money delivery.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, productivity, and profitability.
• Maintain robust governance, reporting, and risk management processes.
• Support commercial decision-making and business growth initiatives.

Stakeholder & Client Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, partners, suppliers, and internal stakeholders.
• Act as a senior representative for the department in meetings, projects, and strategic discussions.
• Ensure effective communication and collaboration across all business functions.
• Support the development of long-term customer and stakeholder relationships.

Compliance, Safety & Risk

• Ensure compliance with all relevant legal, contractual, regulatory, and company requirements.
• Promote a strong health and safety culture across all activities.
• Identify and manage operational and commercial risks.
• Champion ethical standards, governance, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

About You

We're looking for someone who combines strong leadership capability with commercial acumen and a passion for delivering exceptional outcomes.

• Significant senior leadership experience within construction, civils, utilities, infrastructure, or a related sector.
• Proven track record of delivering operational and financial results.
• Strong understanding of construction contracts, including JCT, NEC and FIDIC frameworks.
• Experience managing budgets, resources, and business performance.
• Strong commercial awareness and financial management capability.
• Excellent people leadership and team development skills.
• Outstanding communication and stakeholder management abilities.
• Demonstrated experience in strategic planning and organisational improvement.
• Strong problem-solving, decision-making, and analytical skills.

You'll Stand Out If You Have

• Experience leading trenchless technology or civil engineering operations.
• A passion for developing high-performing teams and driving employee engagement.
• Experience leading organisational change and transformation initiatives.
• A track record of improving operational efficiency and business performance.

Additional Information

What we can offer you:

• Enhanced maternity,paternity and adoption pay and leave
• Company pension
• Life assurance scheme (x4 salary)
• Medicare Cash Plan (includes cash payments towards dental, medical, therapeutic treatments) with the option to add up to 4 dependants
• Refer a friend scheme
• Employee assistance programme (access to GP appointments and mental health support)
• Competitive annual leave plus bank holidays
• Training and career progression opportunities

Adler and Allan are committed to fostering diversity and inclusion in our workplace. We proudly embrace equal opportunities for all applicants, regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin. If you require any support with your application, whatever the circumstance, please let us know.