Operations Manager – Contractor & Service Delivery
Hybrid – near Diss, Suffolk (2 days office) | £30,000 – £40,000 DOE + £350/month car allowance | Permanent, Full Time

Are you the person who keeps everything moving, even when the people doing the work are spread across a whole region and you're not standing next to them?

We're recruiting an Operations Manager for a well-established, growing external site services business. They support commercial and retail clients across a large regional portfolio. This is not a production or manufacturing operations role. There's no shop floor or line to run. It's about planning, coordinating and organising resources, and about managing a network of subcontractors and delivery partners remotely so that every client site is covered, safe and serviced on time.

What you'll be doing

You'll take ownership of a regional network of subcontractors and delivery partners. You'll match the right local contractors to the right sites and hold them to agreed service levels. When conditions change quickly, you'll pick up alerts and coordinate real-time deployment across your area, making sure people, equipment and materials are where they need to be.

Alongside the planned work, you'll scope, quote and organise reactive and ad-hoc external works through your partner network, such as minor repairs, site clearances and groundworks. You'll also check contractor compliance, including insurances, vehicles and equipment. Regular site visits for risk assessments, quality checks and client meetings are part of the role. Client relationships matter here, and you'll be the person who resolves issues and keeps clients confident.

The year has a natural rhythm. A busy peak season brings earlier starts, occasionally longer hours and some on-call cover for escalations. The quieter months are spent on planning, lesser hours, partner recruitment and project delivery, ready for the next peak.

What we're looking for

• Solid operations experience managing subcontractors, third-party providers or field teams, ideally remotely across a wide geographic area.
• A strong planner and organiser who can schedule resources and juggle planned and reactive work without losing control.
• Confident with clients and able to resolve problems calmly and commercially.
• A self-starter with natural leadership who can give clear direction to people you don't directly employ.
• Comfortable working from home with real accountability, and local enough to commute to the Suffolk office two days a week.
• Flexibility to work occasional longer hours / earlier starts and some on-call availability during peak season (less hours during non-peak)
• A full, clean UK driving licence.

Experience in facilities management, grounds maintenance, external works or seasonal services would be a real advantage. So would experience with complex or high-security sites, or relevant qualifications such as IOSH/NEBOSH.

What's on offer

• £30,000 – £40,000 depending on level and relevant experience within this role
• £350 per month car allowance, plus pool van access when office-based
• Hybrid working with 2 days in the office
• 22 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Pension (Nest)
• A loyal, collaborative team that values working together over working in silos

This is a great opportunity to join a growing business offering progression and development - apply today or contact Helen Pitcher for a confidential chat.