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; supporting the Buildings Group Director in leadership of projects and business performance. This role embeds 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, you will take appropriate action in all aspects of the role to meet business expectations.

Overall
Support the Building Services team by demonstrating 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 practices 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 implementation of 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 across projects. Support budget and forecast development throughout the financial year. Ensure correct protocols are followed for intercompany work across WSP UK and worldwide. Monitor 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, overseeing budgets, cost-to-complete forecasts, backlog management, working capital, profitability, and margin improvement initiatives to meet 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, 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 and justify recruitment needs to Group Directors and Operations Director to meet project and budget demands. 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 requirements 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 between people managers and employees, with objectives aligned to business and project needs and capturing clear development actions and career aspirations.

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 different business functions. Experience managing stakeholder relationships and coordinating multidisciplinary teams to achieve agreed outcomes. Evidence of 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 activities. 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 interpersonal skills with the ability to motivate and develop teams. Client-focused with a commitment to delivering high-quality outcomes. Proactive, organised and able to manage multiple priorities effectively. Adaptable and open to new ideas and ways of working. Committed to promoting a positive SHEQ culture and embedding best practices in all aspects of work.

Qualifications
Relevant professional qualifications or equivalent experience in building services, engineering, project management or related disciplines are desirable. Commitment to continuous professional development and training.