Location
London

Hours
Full Time

Salary
Negotiable

About the Role
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.

The Operations Manager is responsible for managing day-to-day operational matters associated with their Discipline and supporting the Buildings Group Director in leadership of projects and business performance. This role is key to embedding a project culture around a technically robust and efficient delivery model, balanced with the need to satisfy client, staff and commercial expectations. Operating with moderate direct supervision from the Group Director and Operations Director, the Operations Manager takes appropriate action to meet business expectations.

Overall
Support the Building Services team by fostering a client and project-centred culture and representing the business internally and externally as appropriate. Manage risk and opportunity through effective control and review measures. Provide 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 Building Management System (BMS) and policy compliance, supporting training and competency, and embedding SHEQ into project delivery and operational reviews.

Operational Management
Manage and support teams in day-to-day operational matters. Maintain an overview of workload, utilisation and resource requirements, working with team leaders to ensure resources are fully utilised within technical capability. Support Project Management to ensure compliance with SHEQ management systems and integration of UK-wide best practice such as BMS and SHEQ. Ensure best practice in project reviews (technical and commercial). Interface with the Gulf Capability Centre (GCC) and promote its effective use within the region. Ensure appropriate reporting is in place to meet business needs.

Projects Delivery & Financial Management
Support commercial risk management controls, governance and reviews (bid, contract, project, business). Collaborate with the GCC commercial project management support team to maintain consistency and standards of commercial deliverables. Support budget and forecast build-up at key points throughout the financial year. Ensure correct protocols are followed when working intercompany across WSP UK and worldwide. Oversee monthly project portfolio financial performance and challenge exceptions with project leaders. Encourage margin improvement and challenge expectations with Project Directors and Project Managers. Support Project Directors to achieve required levels of Project Reviews monthly. Assist Project Managers within the Horizon platform to troubleshoot and educate for positive business outcomes.

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 deliver business financial targets. Provide commercial leadership on client contracts and change management, supporting negotiation, valuation, approval and recovery of variations, compensation events and contractual entitlements while 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 and audit readiness. Accountable for commercial performance, financial governance and profitability of major projects and frameworks. Lead monthly project performance reviews and forecasting processes, challenging project teams on cost-to-complete, resource forecasts, contingencies, budget movements and financial recovery actions. Partner with Project Directors and client teams to deliver commercially successful projects, embedding best practice financial controls, governance, reporting and continuous margin improvement.

Human Resources
Communicate recruitment needs to Group Directors and Operations Director to meet project and budget targets. 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 interventions. Support career development, succession planning and retention by encouraging coaching, mentoring, knowledge sharing and access to project, technical and professional development opportunities. Ensure training requirements are understood, planned and monitored, including mandatory learning, SHEQ training, role-specific competency, project-related and refresher training. Promote compliance with WSP’s SHEQ and BMS requirements by ensuring competence, induction, Personal Risk Reviews and relevant HSEQ responsibilities are considered in resource planning, project mobilisation, day-to-day management and annual reviews. Drive effective Personal Development Reviews (PDRs) by ensuring meaningful conversations, aligned objectives, regular reviews and clear development actions between employees and managers.

Experience
Demonstrable commercial leadership on client contracts and change management, including negotiation, valuation, approval and recovery of variations, compensation events and contractual entitlements while managing commercial risk and supporting project profitability. Proven track record delivering projects within multidisciplinary design engineering, construction or professional services consultancy. Experience leading and managing teams and working effectively with colleagues and stakeholders across business functions. Skilled in managing stakeholder relationships and coordinating multidisciplinary teams to achieve outcomes. Experience identifying and implementing process improvements and supporting teams through change initiatives. Ability to communicate technical and non-technical information clearly to diverse audiences. Experience supporting colleague development through coaching, mentoring, knowledge sharing, training delivery, workshops, presentations or one-to-one learning. Proven ability to build and maintain productive working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, contributing to positive client and business outcomes. Structured and logical problem-solving approach, applying appropriate methodologies to analyse issues, evaluate options and deliver effective solutions in complex or ambiguous situations. Must be able to obtain UK Security Check (SC) vetting level.

About you
Strong leadership and operational management skills with a client and project-centred mindset. Commercially astute with the ability to drive financial performance and governance. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to engage with diverse teams and stakeholders. Proactive, organised and able to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment. Committed to promoting a positive SHEQ culture and embedding best practices. Passionate about developing people and fostering a collaborative team environment.

Qualifications
Relevant professional qualifications or equivalent experience in building services, engineering, construction or related disciplines are desirable. Security Check (SC) clearance is required or must be obtainable.