Head of Operations - Contract Services at Universal… · Leicester

Head of Operations - Contract Services

Head of Operations – Contract Services

Location: Leicester - office based

An opportunity to take ownership, build, scale and make a real impact.

Are you a driven, commercially minded operational leader who thrives on making things happen?

Do you have the ambition and ability to take an established operation, unlock its potential and drive it to the next level?

We are looking for an exceptional Head of Operations, Contract Services to take full ownership of a growing contract operation, leading its people, performance and customer experience.

This is an opportunity for someone who doesn't simply want to manage a team or maintain the status quo. We want someone who is passionate about building something better, scaling operations, challenging existing ways of working and creating a high-performing team that consistently delivers outstanding service.

You'll have the autonomy and responsibility to make a genuine difference, bringing energy, commercial thinking and a relentless focus on execution.

The opportunity

You will take overall responsibility for the Contract Services function, leading the team and overseeing the end-to-end delivery of services to customers.

Your remit will span operational leadership, customer engagement, field service management, commercial performance and continuous improvement.

You'll be responsible for ensuring that the right people, processes, systems and resources are in place to deliver a consistently excellent service, while improving efficiency, profitability and scalability.

A key part of the role will be understanding how the operation works on the ground, identifying opportunities to improve and putting practical solutions in place.

You'll need to be equally comfortable setting the strategic direction and getting hands-on when required.

This is a role for someone who takes ownership, creates momentum and gets things done.

What you'll be responsible for

• Leading, developing and inspiring the team
• Scaling and managing field service operations
• Customer engagement and service excellence
• Commercial performance and operational efficiency
• Product quality, maintenance and service delivery
• Systems, processes and continuous improvement

What we're looking for

We're looking for someone with real drive, ambition and a strong sense of ownership.

Someone who wants to make an impact, takes pride in what they deliver and has the energy and determination to continually improve.

You'll ideally bring:

• Proven experience leading and scaling operational or field service teams.
• Experience managing B2B contract services or service-based operations.
• A strong track record of improving operational performance, productivity and profitability.
• Experience managing field-based teams, scheduling, resource allocation and service delivery.
• Excellent customer engagement and relationship management skills.
• The commercial awareness to understand margins, costs, revenue and business performance.
• Strong leadership skills, with the ability to motivate, challenge and develop people.
• A practical, solutions-focused approach and the confidence to make decisions.
• Strong IT and systems knowledge, with an enthusiasm for embracing AI and new technology.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills.
• A continuous improvement mindset and the ability to turn ideas into action.
  

Experience within horticulture, plant maintenance or a related product/service environment would be advantageous, but is not essential. More important is your ability to understand an operational service, take ownership of its delivery and continually improve it.

A full UK driving licence is essential.

Requirements

Above all, we're looking for someone who is:

• Hungry: Ambitious, motivated and always looking for the next opportunity to improve.
• Humble: Approachable, collaborative and willing to roll their sleeves up.
• Smart: Commercially astute, practical and able to make good decisions.
  

You'll be someone who:

• Takes complete ownership rather than waiting to be told what to do.
• Has a natural bias towards action and execution.
• Is comfortable challenging the status quo.
• Leads from the front and sets high standards.
• Balances pace and performance with people and customer care.
• Is passionate about delivering a great service.
• Enjoys solving problems and finding better ways of working.
• Wants to build something, not simply manage something.

Benefits

This is an opportunity to take genuine ownership of an important business function and play a significant role in its future development.

You'll have the scope to shape the operation, develop the team, improve the customer experience and build the systems and processes needed to support future growth.

We're looking for someone who wants responsibility, enjoys a challenge and is motivated by seeing the tangible results of their work.

If you're an ambitious operational leader who wants to make a difference, drive performance and build something exceptional, we'd love to hear from you.

Monday to Friday - Office based
Basic Salary of £80,000 - £90,000

IND25