Operations Manager

AI overview

Lead and develop the Operations Team in a hands-on leadership role, ensuring operational efficiency and project delivery in the wastewater and environmental sectors.

Operations Manager

Location: Stafford, Staffordshire
Salary: £50,000 – £60,000 + Company Car + Benefits
Contract Type: Permanent, Full-time

About the Company

This is an established and growing organisation operating within the wastewater, utilities, and environmental sectors. The company designs and delivers dust, odour and water management solutions that help clients operate more efficiently, safely, and responsibly.

Known for reliability, innovation, and excellent customer service, the business is now seeking an experienced and motivated Operations Manager to lead and develop its growing Operations Team, driving excellence across project delivery, efficiency, and customer experience.

The Opportunity

This newly created role offers the chance to shape the future of the company’s operations. You will lead a diverse and skilled team comprising:

  • 1 Engineering & Facilities Manager overseeing 8 Installation & Maintenance Engineers
  • 1 Project Manager
  • 2 Hire/Service Administrators
  • 1 Purchasing Administrator
  • 1 QHSE Manager (part-time)

You will be responsible for project delivery, order fulfilment, and operational performance, ensuring safe, efficient, and profitable outcomes across all activities. This is a hands-on leadership role within a practical, engineering-focused environment—ideal for someone who enjoys balancing people leadership with commercial delivery.

Key Responsibilities

  • Provide strong, hands-on leadership and mentorship to your team.
  • Oversee purchasing, fulfilment, workshop/stores, site engineering, transport, and QHSE.
  • Manage and deliver multiple bespoke projects from concept to completion.
  • Drive operational efficiency, process improvement, and system development.
  • Maintain financial oversight, including budgets, cost control, and contribution margins.
  • Ensure compliance with safety, quality, and environmental standards.
  • Foster a positive culture built on teamwork, accountability, and continual improvement.
  • Support business growth by ensuring operational readiness and scalability.

Requirements

The ideal candidate will have experience working in a practical or rugged engineering environment, leading teams and delivering projects involving mechanical and electrical equipment. You will have a strong commercial mindset and understand how to balance quality, cost, and timelines to achieve the best outcomes.

Experience within or alongside the hiring industry (e.g. equipment, plant, or labour hire) would be a distinct advantage.

Essential skills and experience:

  • 3+ years in an operational or team leadership role, ideally within engineering, utilities, or industrial sectors.
  • Proven success in project delivery and contract fulfilment.
  • Commercial awareness, with a solid understanding of budgets and financial performance.
  • Strong leadership, communication, and organisational skills.
  • Proactive, hands-on approach with a continuous improvement mindset.
  • Full UK Driving Licence and eligibility to work in the UK.

A degree or qualification in engineering, operations, or business management is desirable but not essential.

Benefits

This business is values-driven and genuinely invests in its people. It offers a supportive and collaborative environment where great ideas are encouraged and success is shared.

Benefits include:

  • Salary of £50,000 – £65,000 per annum (dependent on experience)
  • Company car
  • Profit-sharing scheme
  • Free daily lunches
  • Healthcare scheme
  • Genuine opportunities for growth and career progression

If you are ready to take ownership of a key operational function and make a real impact in a forward-thinking organisation, we would love to hear from you.

Perks & Benefits Extracted with AI

  • Free Meals & Snacks: Free daily lunches
  • Health Insurance: Healthcare scheme

Universal Business Team (“UBT”) is a global enterprise spanning 19 countries across the United Kingdom, Europe, North America, Central America and Australasia. UBT, headquartered in Sydney, Australia, is a diversified business consultancy that supports clients with business-advisory and group-buying services with the objective to help businesses develop a competitive edge. UBT was launched in 2009 in response to the Global Financial Crisis to support client organisations that were either in distress or looking to improve their competitiveness and financial performance. Currently, UBT turns over $500M (AUD) and has aspirations for significant growth over the next three to five years. A recent decision was made to bring four separate global regions together under the one global brand and leadership team. UBT’s business advisory services comprise corporate training, consulting, recruitment, accounting, and group buying services. UBT facilitates leadership and business excellence for our client’s in their respective industries. Through the group buying function, UBT nurtures mutually-beneficial relationships between member businesses and world-leading providers of business goods and services. The outcome to which we strive is a “win-win” for small-to-medium enterprises and big business alike. UBT provides services and products to approximately 3,000 independent, family-owned businesses globally with combined annual revenues exceeding $12B (AUD). The majority are small to medium sized enterprises with typical annual revenue ranges between $5m-$20m. However, there are also some larger businesses with annual revenues in the range of $100m-$250m. The unifying feature of all UBT’s clients is that the owners are parishioners of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (PBCC). UBT (which is owned by the PBCC) supports clients by providing products, services and support designed to increase their profitability and growth. The after-tax profits generated by UBT are reinvested into community initiatives, predominantly through schools (established to educate the children of Brethren families) and charities, such as the Rapid Relief Team (“RRT”) and the Red Cross. UBT Recruitment are an Equal Opportunities Employer. We will apply a rigorous, objective selection process using non-discriminatory criteria, as far as possible on behalf of all the businesses we recruit for.To view our policy in full please contact [email protected]

View all jobs
Salary
£50,000 – £60,000 per year
Get hired quicker

Be the first to apply. Receive an email whenever similar jobs are posted.

Ace your job interview

Understand the required skills and qualifications, anticipate the questions you may be asked, and study well-prepared answers using our sample responses.

Operations Manager Q&A's
Report this job
Apply for this job