Operations Manager - Rail and Highways

Survey Solutions; West Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

24 days holiday

Bank holidays

Company car

Overtime

Discretionary Christmas bonus

Job summary

Survey Solutions is seeking an experienced Operations Manager for JWG Survey & Engineering to lead rail and highways services across the UK. You will manage a multidisciplinary team, drive project delivery, staff development and equipment management while upholding our values.

The role is office-based with travel to client sites and other offices. We offer hybrid working, 40-hour weeks, and a benefits package including holiday entitlement and a company car.

Qualifications

• Role requires strong leadership and project delivery skills.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary teams in rail/highways projects.
• Excellent communication and client-facing abilities.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily operations across the rail & highways department teams to ensure technical excellence, timely delivery, and client satisfaction.
• Liaise with Project Manager to understand project requirements, resources and provide detailed briefings for rail & highway projects.
• Allocate resources effectively to meet changing priorities and project demands while ensuring compliance with internal and external standards.
• Understand the commercial aspects of the projects so to ensure effective delivery within the fee.
• Report any differences to the programmed timeline to the Project Manager and Associate Director so financial impacts can be avoided.
• Identify new technology adoption and process improvements in collaboration with the Project Manager.

Job description

Job Title: Operations Manager JWG Survey & Engineering

Department: Rail & Highways

Location: Any Survey Solutions nationwide office. Hybrid working options are also available.

Reporting to: Associate Director

Hours of work: 40 hours per week (usually 9.00 – 5.30)

Benefits: 24 days holiday + bank holidays, company car, overtime, discretionary Christmas bonus.

About Us

JWG Survey & Engineering work on rail & highways projects across the UK, specialising in surveying, engineering, monitoring and site engineering. We support clients throughout the project lifecycle, from early survey work through to construction and completion.

Now part of the Survey Solutions Group – the UK's largest engineering surveyors specialising in land, measured building and underground utility surveys as well as monitoring and site engineering schemes. With a network of twelve offices across the UK, we have over 160 surveyors and engineers working on some of the UK's major construction and infrastructure developments.

Role Overview

The primary role of the Operations Manager is to deliver high-quality services to clients across multiple sectors including infrastructure, utilities, environmental services, and government, with work delivery undertaken primarily within rail & highway environments.

You will lead a multidisciplinary team of survey, engineering and monitoring professionals and your remit will include project delivery, staff management, training and equipment management.

The manager must have professional and effective communication skills and will seek to develop their own personal profile within industry client bases. The manager will be presentable and represent the company in a professional manner, ensuring the implementation of JWG's working practices and company values are promoted.

The post holder will be predominantly office based, but may also be required to undertake operational projects, travel to other office locations, client meetings, site and management meetings when required. There will be an expectation to work outside of the contracted hours when required.

Main Duties/Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

• Operations: Oversee daily operations across the rail & highways department teams to ensure technical excellence, timely delivery, and client satisfaction.
• Operations: Liaise with Project Manager to understand project requirements, resources and provide detailed briefings for rail & highway projects.
• Leadership: Allocate resources effectively to meet changing priorities and project demands while ensuring compliance with internal and external standards.
• Commercial: Understand the commercial aspects of the projects so to ensure effective delivery within the fee.
• Financial Management: Understand where savings can be made to help deliver a greater profit margin.
• Financial Management: Report any differences to the programmed timeline to the Project Manager and Associate Director so financial impacts can be avoided.

Strategic Development

• Development: With Project Manager and Associate Director to identify new technology adoption, processes and deliverable improvements.
• Strategy: Support with tendering and proposal development efforts in collaboration with the Project Manager.

Client & Stakeholder Engagement

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key clients, partners, and stakeholders
• Leadership: Recruit, mentor, and lead a high-performing team, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Development: Provide training and career development opportunities to ensure skill growth and team retention, providing regular feedback and performance appraisals.
• Management: Manage day-to-day people processes including holiday bookings, expense and time sheet approvals, fatigue calculations as well as conducting 1-1 s and performance appraisals for team members.

Compliance & Quality Assurance

• Compliance: Ensure department compliance with all relevant regulations, licensing requirements, and health & safety procedures.
• QA: Uphold the company's commitment to data integrity, environmental responsibility, diversity, equality, bullying, staff welfare, brand awareness and ethical business practices.