Operations Manager

Matchtech; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Pension

Career development

Travel opportunities

Job summary

Matchtech Group is seeking an experienced Operations Manager to lead safe, efficient delivery of UAV and Drone-in-a-Box services across customer sites nationwide. The role combines office, field and home-based work with regular UK travel, and requires strong leadership of cross-functional teams.

You will coordinate resources, manage budgets and schedules, and ensure compliance with aviation safety standards.

Qualifications

• Proven track record in operations management or service delivery leadership.
• Experience leading people, resources and field-based operations.
• Strong planning, organisational and safety-focused mindset.
• Commercial awareness including budgets and KPIs.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day UAV and Drone-in-a-Box service delivery across customer sites.
• Coordinate people, equipment, and resources for safe, efficient operations.
• Translate customer requirements into practical operational plans.
• Manage schedules, priorities and capacity across multiple customers.
• Ensure compliance with procedures, aviation regs and safety standards.
• Monitor KPIs, budgets and milestones; take corrective action as needed.
• Mobilise new contracts and improve processes for scalable delivery.

Skills

Operational leadership

People leadership

Stakeholder management

Planning & organisation

Safety & compliance

Data-driven decision making

Tools

Scheduling platforms

Data analytics tools

Job description

Our client is an ambitious aerospace organisation specialising in autonomous UAV and drone operations. They are seeking an Operations Manager to lead safe, efficient and consistent service delivery across customer sites nationwide. This permanent role will involve office, field and home-based working, with regular UK travel required.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the day-to-day delivery of UAV and Drone-in-a-Box services across multiple customer sites
• Coordinate people, equipment, vehicles and technical resources to ensure safe, efficient and timely operations
• Translate customer requirements into practical operational plans alongside commercial, technical and account-management teams
• Manage schedules, priorities and capacity across multiple customers, sites and programmes
• Ensure operations comply with company procedures, aviation regulations, safety requirements and customer standards
• Monitor service levels, key performance indicators, budgets and milestones, taking corrective action where required
• Identify operational risks and dependencies, implement mitigations, and manage incidents through investigation and resolution
• Lead the mobilisation of new contracts and operational programmes while improving processes to support scalable service delivery

Job Requirements:

• A strong background in operations management, service delivery, project delivery or a similar operational leadership role
• Experience leading people, resources and concurrent operations in field-based or technically complex environments
• Excellent planning and organisational skills, with the ability to balance changing priorities and deadlines
• A clear commitment to safety and experience working within regulated environments and established procedures
• Commercial awareness, including budgets, resource utilisation, contract performance and profitability
• Confident leadership and stakeholder-management skills, with clear communication at all levels
• Strong problem-solving abilities, with the confidence to identify risks early and implement practical solutions
• Experience using data, service levels and key performance indicators to monitor performance and drive improvement

Desirable Experience:

• Experience within the water sector, utilities, infrastructure, aviation or another regulated operational environment
• Understanding of water-company sites, contractor environments and customer operational requirements
• Working knowledge of aviation operations, UAVs or remotely operated systems
• Familiarity with Drone-in-a-Box technology, autonomous systems, geospatial technology, IoT, artificial intelligence or data analytics
• Experience using scheduling, resource-planning or operational performance platforms
• Familiarity with quality, safety or continuous-improvement frameworks, including ISO, audit, assurance or incident-review processes
• A full UK driving licence and willingness to travel regularly for customer, site and internal meetings

Benefits:

• Company pension and benefits package
• Flexible or hybrid working arrangements
• Opportunities for professional development and career progression
• The opportunity to contribute to projects supporting the resilience and sustainability of critical infrastructure
• The chance to help shape and scale innovative autonomous UAV operations

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Operations Manager to lead high-performing teams, strengthen service delivery and support the growth of innovative aerospace and drone operations.