Operations Director

Competitive pay

Expression of interest - Operations Director

Location: Birmingham

Contract: Full Time Permanent

Join us on our new, exciting contract with Birmingham City Council

Mears Group has been awarded a major new 10-year partnership with Birmingham City Council to deliver repairs, maintenance, and planned investment work across 11,500 homes in central and west Birmingham. This contract represents one of our most significant projects in the city and will create a wide range of opportunities across our operational teams.

We are now building our talent pool ahead of our contract go-live on 1 July 2026 and are inviting Expressions of Interest for an experienced Operations Director who would like to be considered once formal recruitment opens in the coming weeks.

Submitting an expression of interest does not guarantee employment, nor does it provide salary or detailed role information at this stage. It simply ensures that you are first to be contacted when full job details, including pay, working hours, and application timelines, are confirmed.

About the Role:

We are seeking an experienced Operations Director to initially support the implementation of the new contract and to hold full responsibility and accountability for the operations and aftercare functions, ensuring the effective delivery of projects from initial conception through to completion of the defect’s liability period, supporting Birmingham City Council to deliver modern, responsive, tenant focused service.

This is a senior leadership role with strategic and operational accountability for the contract’s delivery, commercial performance, Health & Safety, and customer satisfaction. You will ensure all projects are delivered on sound operational and commercial principles, working collaboratively with design, commercial, technical and customer care teams to achieve successful outcomes.

As Operations Director, you will lead the development and maintenance of key client relationships, ensure SHEQ requirements are fully embedded across all activity, and provide strategic oversight of resourcing, recruitment and capability to support current and future business needs. You will also be responsible for implementing group policies and developing departmental policies and procedures as required.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide overall leadership and accountability for the Operations and Aftercare functions, ensuring effective delivery from project inception through to defects liability
• Lead on Health & Safety and SHEQ compliance, chairing monthly SHEQ meetings and setting clear standards across all projects
• Ensure strong commercial control, programme delivery and performance management across all live sites
• Drive collaborative working between operations, technical, commercial and customer care teams
• Maintain and develop key client relationships, ensuring consistently high levels of customer satisfaction
• Oversee project progress and delivery, implementing corrective actions to meet contractual and programme targets
• Lead on resourcing, recruitment and retention, ensuring departments are appropriately staffed
• Prepare and present board and senior management reports, providing insight on performance, risk and opportunity
• Support tender activity and mobilisation, ensuring operational input and resourcing is in place
• Ensure group and departmental policies, procedures and management systems are implemented and maintained

Key Criteria:

• Proven senior operational leadership experience within social housing repairs and maintenance, with responsibility for departments, people and live contracts
• Strong commercial and contractual understanding, with experience managing financial performance and delivery
• Demonstrable ability to lead, influence and manage teams, including recruitment and retention
• Strong focus on Health & Safety, compliance and customer satisfaction
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
• IT‑literate, with experience using Microsoft Office and working knowledge of Microsoft Project
• Organised, adaptable and able to operate effectively in a fast‑paced environment
• CSCS and GCSE (or equivalent) essential
• NVQ in Site Management and/or professional qualification (CIOB or equivalent) desirable
• Full UK driving licence

All our roles require candidates to have the entitlement to work within the UK, Mears does not currently offer visa sponsorship.

To drive a Mears vehicle, you must be aged over 21 have held your licence over 3 months and have less than 9 points.

Candidates should be aware that all our roles are subject to relevant Background, Identity & Security checks before commencement of employment.

Apply below or to discuss your application further; contact:

Francesca Swan ([email protected])

If you need any help with your application process, we are here to support you. We will be accessible every step of the way.

At Mears Group, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive, we are a Disability Confident employer, valuing individuality and ensuring equal opportunities for all.

We proudly support the Armed Forces Covenant and are honoured to have achieved the Gold Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) to coincide with this, we hold an Endorser Award for the Career Transition Partnership, recognising our commitment to veterans transitioning into civilian careers.

In our continued effort to promote social mobility, we invite applicants to voluntarily share their background information during the application stages to help us better understand the diverse experiences of our candidates. This is to ensure we are committed to improving social mobility. We use the Social Mobility Index to assess and enhance opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds. These questions are optional and will not impact your ability to apply.