Operational Development Manager

EQUANS; Chatham; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company vehicle or allowance

Bonus

25 days annual leave

Life Cover

Job summary

Equans is seeking an Operational Development Manager to join our team on a permanent basis. The role is full-time (40 hours) with hybrid working across the South of England and travel to multiple sites.

The post holder will lead the growth, performance and development of the regional portfolio, acting as a bridge between contract teams and wider business functions. The role focuses on operational readiness, transition, governance and best practice to enable sustainable growth and excellent

Qualifications

• Experience within Facilities Management or similar operational environment.
• Experience supporting multi-site or multi-contract environments.
• Experience supporting bids, retenders, contract transitions, mobilisation or service improvement initiatives.
• Strong organisational, coordination and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong communication skills, including report writing, presentations and meeting facilitation.
• Ability to gather, analyse and present information to support operational decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate operational inputs for tenders, retenders and growth opportunities, ensuring proposals demonstrate operational strengths and credible delivery solutions.
• Partner with bid stakeholders and operational teams to develop delivery models, mobilisation approaches and resource plans.
• Develop and maintain operational content, case studies and best practice materials to support business development and customer engagement.
• Coordinate governance and risk review activities associated with growth opportunities and business initiatives.
• Coordinate operational readiness, transition and mobilisation activities for new contracts, extensions and service changes across the portfolio.
• Facilitate readiness reviews, assurance activities and lessons learned, promoting a consistent approach to contract transitions.
• Support post-mobilisation stabilisation and soft landings activities to ensure readiness and successful delivery.

Skills

Facilities management

Multi-site operations

Bid management

Stakeholder management

Report writing

Presentations

Data analysis

Management information

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Teams

SharePoint

Job description

Equans is looking for an Operational Development Manager to join our team on a permanent basis. This is a full-time role working 40 hours per week. On offer is a competitive salary, company vehicle or allowance, bonus, and benefits package.

This is a regional role covering Private Sector contracts in the South of England. The post holder can be based anywhere in the south with travel required to multiple sites. The role offers hybrid working.

The Operational Development Manager plays a key role in supporting the growth, performance and development of the regional portfolio. Acting as a trusted link between contract teams, leadership and wider business functions, the role helps shape opportunities, coordinate transitions into service delivery, promote operational excellence and enable sustainable growth. Proximity and a visible presence across contract locations is essential to building relationships, understanding operational challenges and customer needs, and supporting regional priorities and business initiatives.

Operating across a diverse portfolio of contracts and customers, this role supports growth, operational readiness, service excellence and account development activities across the region. Success requires the ability to manage competing priorities, influence stakeholders and translate business requirements into practical actions and measurable outcomes. A visible presence across the portfolio is essential to build strong relationships, understand operational challenges first‑hand and support the successful delivery of regional priorities.

The Operational Development Manager strengthens regional performance by supporting contract growth, operational excellence and service development across the portfolio. Through effective coordination between contract teams and wider business functions, the role enhances customer value, improves operational effectiveness and helps deliver sustainable business growth.

What will you deliver?

• Business Development & Growth
  • Coordinate operational inputs for tenders, retenders and growth opportunities, ensuring proposals demonstrate operational strengths, customer outcomes and credible delivery solutions
  • Partner with bid stakeholders and operational teams to develop delivery models, mobilisation approaches and resource plans
  • Develop and maintain operational content, case studies and best practice materials to support business development and customer engagement
  • Coordinate governance and risk review activities associated with growth opportunities and business initiatives
• Operational Readiness & Transition
  • Coordinate operational readiness, transition and mobilisation activities for new contracts, extensions, service changes and growth opportunities across the portfolio
  • Support the planning and delivery of mobilisation activities, maintaining readiness plans, governance actions, risks and dependencies to enable successful implementation
  • Facilitate readiness reviews, assurance activities and lessons learned, promoting a consistent and structured approach to contract transitions
  • Support post-mobilisation stabilisation and soft landings activities with contract teams and customers to ensure operational readiness, resolution of transition challenges and success promotion
• Operational Excellence & Best Practice
  • Champion the deployment of best practice and efficient ways of working across the portfolio
  • Coordinate operational reviews, events, governance activities and improvement initiatives with contract teams, maintaining visibility of actions and progress
  • Drive the sharing of innovation, lessons learned and successful delivery approaches, supporting the implementation of opportunities to improve service delivery, productivity and customer outcomes
  • Maintain a regular site presence across the portfolio to build relationships, understand operational challenges and provide operational support, coordination and specialist expertise where required
• Business Interface & Organic Growth
  • Act as a key interface between contract teams and wider Equans business functions, promoting business capabilities and supporting solution deployment activities
  • Coordinate engagement between contracts and specialist business functions to develop customer solutions and value‑added opportunities
  • Support the identification and progression of organic growth opportunities, maintaining visibility of opportunity status and key actions
  • Support the successful transition of approved opportunities into operational delivery

What can we offer you?

On offer is a competitive salary, company vehicle or allowance, bonus, and benefits package, which includes

• 25 days annual leave (+ public holidays)
• Life Cover equivalent to 2 times annual salary
• Employee discount shopping schemes on major brands and retailers
• Gym membership discounts
• Cycle to work scheme
• Holiday purchase scheme
• 2 corporate social responsibility days per year
• Broad range of learning opportunities, such as professional qualifications, collective/individual training, and personalized support programmes
• Attractive Employee Referral Rewards Scheme
• Access to our growing employee networks including AccessAbility (representing those with physical and mental disabilities), Encompass (representing the LGBTQ+ community), RISE (representing people from ethnic backgrounds), WOMEN TOGETHER (representing women in Equans), Working Parents, and Young Professionals.
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Program and access to mental wellbeing app

Who are we looking for?

• Experience within Facilities Management or a similar operational environment
• Experience supporting operational teams across multi-site or multi-contract environments
• Experience supporting bids, retenders, contract transitions, mobilisations or service improvement initiatives
• Strong organisational, coordination and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities
• Strong communication skills, including report writing, presentations and meeting facilitation
• Ability to gather, analyse and present information to support operational decision-making
• Experience producing management information, performance reports and tracking documentation
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft 365 applications, including Excel, PowerPoint, Teams and SharePoint
• Proactive, solutions‑focused and able to work independently whilst seeing activities through to completion
• Strong attention to detail
• Willingness to travel across the regional portfolio as required

Who are we?

Equans is a world leader in energy services with nearly 100,000 employees working in more than 50 countries, with an annual turnover of over 17 billion euros.

In the UK & Ireland, Equans is a provider of technical, FM, regeneration and energy services – with specialist capabilities in smart buildings, green mobility, district & embedded energy and decentralised renewables.

Equans’ 13,500 UK & Ireland employees combine these activities to help businesses, public sector organisations and government to embrace the energy transition towards net zero, and also the digital & industrial transitions that are redesigning the way we move, work and live.

Equans is a Bouygues group company.

As part our commitment to better reflect the markets within which we operate, we encourage applications from women, ethnically diverse individuals and people with disabilities, along with all candidates who identify with protected characteristic groups under the Equality Act 2010.

At Equans we’re committed to delivering a culture where everyone’s voice is heard and supported. We know the value a diverse workforce creates, delivering better results for our people, customers, and stakeholders. Diversity and inclusion is at the core of what we do, should you join Equans you'll find a welcoming and open workplace where you're supported and encouraged to be your true self at work.

You’ll also have access to our growing employee networks including AccessAbility (representing those with physical and mental disabilities), Encompass (representing the LGBTQ+ community), RISE (representing people from ethnic backgrounds), WOMEN TOGETHER (representing women in Equans), Working Parents, and Young Professionals.

For this role, you must have evidence of the right to work in the UK. Unfortunately, we are not able to offer a re‑location package with this job role. Certain roles may require applicants to undergo a Disclosure check, as noted in the role requirements.