Operations Manager

About the Company Our client are a growing plumbing and drainage business serving clients across the southeast of England. With around 10 engineers on the road and a small office team handling help desk, scheduling and administration, we support both domestic and commercial customers and work to agreed service level agreements. Purpose of the Role The Operations Manager is responsible for ensuring the business runs efficiently, effectively and profitably day to day while supporting the growth of the company. You will oversee the help desk, scheduling and office teams, coordinate engineers in the field, and build strong relationships with key clients to drive high service standards, better utilisation, and increased value from our client base. Why Join A highgrowth business where you can directly shape how the operation scales and evolves. Work with owners who are happy to hand over responsibility to the right person, giving you real scope to help shape the direction and strategy of the business. Clear progression opportunities as the company expands and the leadership structure grows. A varied, energising role where your impact is seen quickly across clients, teams and performance. Key Responsibilities Operational management ·     Oversee day‑to‑day operations from job intake through to completion, ensuring smooth workflow between office and field. ·     Ensure effective scheduling and allocation of engineers to minimise travel time and maximise productive hours. ·     Monitor SLA performance and take action to prevent and recover potential breaches. ·     Work with those responsible for stock, parts and vans to ensure availability and cost‑effective use of resources. ·     Use systems such as BigChange and Xero to monitor performance, spot issues and drive improvements. ·     People leadership and culture ·     Lead and develop the help desk/scheduling and office teams, providing clear expectations, coaching and feedback. ·     Influence and coordinate engineers and supervisors, building a culture of accountability, teamwork and continuous improvement. ·     Address underperformance, inefficiencies and downtime fairly and constructively. ·     Help create a sustainable, high‑performing environment that reduces burnout and staff turnover. Client and key‑account management ·     Act as an operational point of contact for key clients, handling escalations and running review meetings where needed. ·     Build trusted relationships with key accounts through reliable delivery, proactive communication and problem‑solving. ·     Work with owners to identify and develop opportunities to grow work with existing clients and increase average income per client. ·     Use operational data to present simple, meaningful updates and recommendations to clients and owners. ·     Commercial performance and growth ·     Monitor operational KPIs (e.g. engineer utilisation, first‑time fix rates, travel time, job margins) and take action to improve them. ·     Support pricing and job‑scoping discussions by providing operational insight and feasibility checks. ·     Contribute to achieving company profit growth of around 10–15% year on year through better operations, stronger key‑account management and increased value from existing clients. ·     Identify and implement practical process improvements that deliver measurable efficiency or margin gains. Skills and Experience Essential ·     Experience in plumbing, drainage, HVAC or a similar field‑service / reactive maintenance environment. ·     Proven track record in an Operations Manager or senior supervisory role in a small to mid‑sized business. ·     Strong people leadership skills, with experience managing office‑based teams and coordinating field engineers. ·     Confident user of job management / field service software (e.g. BigChange or similar) and comfortable working with reports and KPIs. ·     Ability to understand and work with margins, labour efficiency and basic commercial metrics. ·     Strong communication skills, both with internal teams and external clients, including handling difficult conversations. ·     Ability to turn detailed data into clear, simple insights and actions. Desirable ·     Experience managing or growing key commercial accounts in a services environment. ·     Relevant technical background or qualifications in plumbing, drainage or HVAC. ·     Experience working closely with owners/founders in an entrepreneurial environment. ·     Familiarity with Xero or similar accounting systems. ·     Personal Attributes ·     Hands‑on and willing to get into the detail when needed, while able to step back and manage through others. ·     Calm and structured under pressure, able to prioritise and make decisions in a fast‑moving environment. ·     Commercially aware, always looking for ways to improve efficiency, service and profitability. ·     Credible, straightforward communicator who builds trust with engineers, office staff and clients alike