Senior Operations Manager

Fairford Associates; London; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in facilities management seeks a Senior Operations Manager in London. This role entails leading operational activities, ensuring client satisfaction, and fostering team performance while promoting innovative solutions. The ideal candidate has strong leadership skills, operational oversight experience, and familiarity with health and safety regulations, contributing to sustainable practices.

Benefits

28 days holiday

Pension

Gym membership

Qualifications

• Hands-on, flexible work attitude.
• Experience in SME or family business environments in the soft services sector.
• Knowledge of health & safety and environmental impacts.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coordinate, and optimize all operational activities.
• Build and maintain strong client relationships.
• Manage budgets for labor and materials.

Skills

Leadership

Client Relationship Management

Operational Strategy Development

Problem Solving

Tools

Templar

Timegate

Job description

Originally founded more than two decades ago, my client is a market-leading company operating as a single source solution provider, offering comprehensive and bespoke facilities management and cleaning services in the heart of London. From humble beginnings, they have enjoyed impressive organic growth across a diverse array of demanding luxury retail and sophisticated commercial clients, including over 150 blue-chip companies with retail and office sites. The company remains family-owned, upholding principles of service quality, reliability, flexibility, and environmental sustainability.

We are currently seeking a Senior Operations Manager to lead, coordinate, and optimize all operational activities, ensuring the delivery of high-quality services aligned with strategic business goals, client satisfaction, team performance, cost-efficiency, and compliance. The role requires agile decision-making, stakeholder engagement, and ongoing innovation in processes and service delivery.

Responsibilities of the role

• Utilize company systems for accurate information management and process traceability.
• Follow internal regulations and health and safety guidelines.
• Report any events, deficiencies, or irregularities affecting duties to the supervisor.
• Foster a positive workplace environment supporting organizational growth.
• Build and maintain strong client relationships, focusing on satisfaction and retention.
• Proactively address client concerns and implement solutions collaboratively.
• Ensure services meet client expectations and contractual obligations.
• Remain available outside working hours for emergencies and client inquiries.
• Oversee the adoption of new technologies to improve workflows.
• Collaborate with department heads to streamline operations.
• Promote innovative solutions to operational challenges.
• Lead technology implementation to enhance processes.
• Optimize processes for departmental efficiency.
• Manage budgets for labor and materials to maintain cost efficiency.
• Allocate resources effectively across teams and projects.
• Work with finance teams to monitor and adjust operational expenses.
• Maintain records of machinery location and maintenance schedules.
• Ensure compliance with health, safety, and environmental regulations.
• Conduct regular audits of standards and practices.
• Oversee onboarding and training of team members including Area Managers and Supervisors.
• Develop training programs to improve team skills.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and professional growth.
• Supervise and guide team leaders to meet performance goals.
• Align financial and administrative functions with operational needs.

Strategic & Operational Leadership

• Develop and monitor operational strategies aligned with company goals.
• Identify and address departmental inefficiencies.
• Oversee completion of extra and specialist jobs, ensuring quality.
• Lead initiatives to improve workflows.
• Maintain high cleaning standards across sites through effective team management.
• Assist in preparing quotations for new clients and projects.
• Support sustainability goals, including waste management, chemical use, and energy efficiency, training teams on best practices.
• Monitor KPIs, conduct performance reviews, and evaluate team performance.
• Manage health & safety documentation and compliance.
• Act as point of contact for same-day job requests, allocating resources accordingly.
• Create daily schedules based on staffing and job bookings.
• Consolidate operational reports and communicate with senior management.
• Manage driver deployment and staff scheduling, ensuring approvals for extra hours.
• Handle team holiday requests to ensure service continuity.

Candidate Attributes

• Inspiring and effective team leadership skills.
• Entrepreneurial mindset.
• Experience in SME or family business environments within the soft services sector.
• Hands-on, flexible work attitude.
• Ability to review and improve procedures.
• Knowledge of health & safety and environmental impacts.
• Passion for the cleaning industry.
• Experience with industry software such as Templar and Timegate.
• Spanish language skills are a plus but not essential.

Salary: £55,000–£65,000, plus 28 days holiday, pension, gym membership.

Fairford Associates operates as an Employment Agency. Due to high application volumes, we may not contact every applicant within seven days. If you do not hear from us, your application was not successful, but we will retain your CV for future opportunities.