Operations Manager South- Building Services

WSP; Guildford; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

WSP is seeking an Operations Manager to lead day-to-day operational matters for the Building Services discipline. You will support the Buildings Group Director in project leadership, drive a robust delivery model and balance client, staff and commercial expectations.

You will embed a project culture with strong reporting, governance, and cross-functional collaboration across UK-wide teams, ensuring efficient delivery and high standards of safety and quality.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to lead and manage teams.
• Experience coordinating multidisciplinary teams to deliver outcomes.
• Strong understanding of project governance and controls.
• Ability to communicate technical information clearly to diverse audiences.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operations for the Buildings group.
• Oversee resource planning and ensure optimal utilisation within technical capability.
• Support SHEQ compliance and embedding Best Practice across projects.
• Drive commercial governance, budget control and reporting.
• Maintain monthly reviews of project performance and risk.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Financial acumen

SHEQ compliance

Stakeholder management

Team leadership

Education

Engineering degree

Tools

MS Project

MS Excel

Job description

What if you could do the kind of work the world needs?

At WSP, you can access our global scale, contribute to landmark projects and connect with the brightest minds in your field to do the best work of your life. You can embrace your curiosity in a culture that celebrates new ideas and diverse perspectives. You can experience a world of opportunity and the chance to shape a career as unique as you.

To find out more about our Property & Buildings Sector, clock on the following link and discover what awaits you at WSP: Property and Buildings Engineers and Consultants | WSP

A little bit more about your role...

The Operations Manager is responsible for managing day to day operational matters associated with their Discipline; you will support the Buildings Group Director in leadership of projects, and business performance.

The role of this Operations Manager is to embed a project culture around a technically robust and efficient delivery model, balanced with the need to satisfy client, staff and commercial expectations.

The Operations Manager will operate with moderate direct supervision from the Group Director and Operations Director. They will be expected to take appropriate action in all aspects of the role to meet the expectations of the business

Overall

• Support Building Services team by supporting and demonstrating a client and project centred culture and represent the business internally and externally as appropriate.
• Manage risk and opportunity through implementation of effective control and review measures.
• Operational overview/reporting and management on project, commercial, business risk and employee performance and development issues.
• Champion SHEQ (Safety, Health, Environment, and Quality) performance by promoting a positive culture, ensuring BMS (Building Management System) and policy compliance, supporting training and competency, and embedding SHEQ into project delivery and operational reviews.

Operational Management

• Responsible for the management and support of teams in day-to-day operational matters.
• Maintain an overview of workload, utilisation and associated resource requirements and work with team leaders as appropriate to ensure resources are fully utilised within technical capability.
• Support Project Management to ensure compliance with SHEQ management systems.
• Support and ensure the integration of UK wide best practice i.e. BMS, SHEQ.
• Ensure best practice relating to project reviews (technical and commercial).
• Interface with GCC (Gulf Capability Centre) and promote its effective use within the region.
• Ensure the correct level and complexity of reporting is in place to fit the business needs.

Projects Delivery & Financial Management

• Support effective implementation of commercial risk management controls, governance, reviews (bid, contract, project, business, etc), guidance and direction.
• Support collaboration and interface with the GCC commercial project management support team and ensure consistency of use and standard of commercial deliverables are maintained throughout the team over all projects
• Support budget / forecast build up at key touch points through the financial year.
• Ensure the correct protocol is followed when working on an intercompany basis across WSP UK and worldwide.
• Overview of monthly project portfolio financial performance and challenge exceptions with project leaders.
• Proactively encourage margin improvement within reason and challenge expectations with Project Directors and Project Managers
• Support Project Directors to achieve required levels of Project Reviews within each calendar month.
• Support Project Managers within the Horizon platform to troubleshoot and educate ensuring positive outcome for the business.

Commercial management

• Lead commercial performance and financial governance across major projects and frameworks, including oversight of project budgets, cost-to-complete forecasts, backlog management, working capital, profitability, and margin improvement initiatives to ensure delivery of business financial targets.
• Provide commercial leadership on client contracts and change management, supporting the negotiation, valuation, approval and recovery of variations, compensation events and contractual entitlements, whilst managing commercial risk and protecting project profitability.
• Drive robust project financial controls and assurance, overseeing forecasting accuracy, invoicing strategy, cash collection performance, contingency management, and financial reporting to ensure compliance with WSP governance requirements and audit readiness.
• Accountable for the commercial performance, financial governance and profitability of major projects and frameworks, ensuring effective management of revenue, backlog, cash flow, margins, working capital and project financial risk.
• Provide leadership and assurance on commercial strategy, contract management and change control, maximising recovery of variations, compensation events and additional services while protecting WSP's commercial position.
• Lead monthly project performance reviews and forecasting processes, challenging project teams on cost-to-complete, resource forecasts, contingencies, budget movements and financial recovery actions to drive improved project outcomes.
• Partner with Project Directors and client teams to deliver commercially successful projects, embedding best practice financial controls, governance, reporting and continuous margin improvement across the portfolio.

Human Resources

• Communicate, demonstrate and justify recruitment needs to meet project and budget targets / demands to the Group Directors and Operations Director.
• Provide operational leadership on employee performance and development across the Building Services team, working with Group Directors, Technical Leads and Team Leaders to set clear expectations, review performance, identify development needs and support timely intervention where performance, capability or conduct issues require attention.
• Support career development, succession planning and retention by encouraging group directors, technical leads and tea, leaders to actively practice coaching, mentoring, knowledge sharing and access to suitable project, technical and professional development opportunities.
• Ensure training requirements are understood, planned and monitored, including mandatory learning, SHEQ training, role-specific competency requirements, project-related training and refresher training; working with People Managers and project leaders to ensure employees have the information, instruction, training and supervision required to carry out their roles safely and effectively.
• Promote compliance with WSP’s SHEQ and BMS requirements within the team by ensuring competence, induction, Personal Risk Reviews and relevant HSEQ responsibilities are actively considered as part of resource planning, project mobilisation, day-to-day management and annual review processes.
• Drive effective Personal Development Reviews (PDRs) by ensuring people managers have meaningful conversations with employees and ensuring objectives are meaningful, aligned to business and project needs, reviewed regularly, and used to capture clear development actions, training needs, career aspirations and follow‑up commitments between employees and their managers.

What we will be looking for you to demonstrate…

• Demonstrated ability to lead and manage teams, working effectively with colleagues and stakeholders across different business functions.
• Experience managing stakeholder relationships and coordinating the contributions of multidisciplinary teams to achieve agreed outcomes.
• Evidence of identifying and implementing improvements to processes, ways of working, or service delivery, including supporting teams through change initiatives.
• Able to communicate technical and non‑technical information clearly to a range of audiences. Experience supporting the development of colleagues through coaching, mentoring, knowledge sharing and training delivery, workshops, presentations, or one‑to‑one learning activities.
• Proven ability to build and maintain productive working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, contributing to positive client and business outcomes.
• Demonstrates a structured and logical approach to problem solving, applying appropriate methodologies to analyse issues, evaluate options, and deliver effective solutions in complex or ambiguous situations.
• Must be able to obtain UK vetting level of Security Check (SC)

Imagine a better future for you and a better future for us all.

Join our close-knit community of talented individuals who share your passion for making a positive impact. Our global team includes more than 69,000 employees, working together to make a difference in communities both close to home and around the world.

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