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Universal Business Team

Service Manager

Harlow , United Kingdom
full-time On-site

AI overview

Lead service delivery and operational processes to shape internal standards and ensure sustainable growth in a high-growth engineering environment.

Service Manager – High-Growth Engineering & Manufacturing Business

Location: Harlow
Salary: £60,000 – £65,000 + Bonus + Car + Benefits
Hours: Monday–Friday, 7:30–4:30 (flex required)
Start Date: ASAP

A fast-scaling engineering and manufacturing organisation with 25+ years’ heritage is seeking an experienced Service Manager to take full ownership of its service, contracts, and field operations functions. The business has grown 18–20% year-on-year and is tracking toward £9m+ turnover, with continued investment planned for 2025 and beyond.

This is a pivotal, hands-on leadership role that blends operational strategy with real-world delivery. You’ll be a key driver in shaping internal processes, uplifting service capability, and ensuring sustainable growth across a broad operational footprint.

What’s in it for you

  • £60,000 – £65,000 base salary
  • Bonus scheme (GBS)
  • Company car
  • £90 monthly lunch allowance
  • 20 days holiday + 8 bank holidays
  • Free onsite parking
  • Pension (auto-enrolment)
  • Ad hoc weekend phone support only
  • Additional training opportunities

The Opportunity

As the Service Manager, you’ll lead the operational heartbeat of the business, covering service delivery, projects and contracts.

You’ll be responsible for:

Project & Service Delivery

  • Managing ventilation installation projects (£50k–£200k) – approx. 2–3 per month.
  • Overseeing high volumes of remedial works and smaller technical jobs completed internally.
  • Ensuring first-time-fix rates, van stock optimisation, spare parts availability and site readiness.
  • Getting hands-on at customer sites where required – supporting engineers to close out works.
  • Managing day-to-day service contracts, including some out-of-hours escalation coverage.

Operational Leadership & Process

  • Creating a scalable, best-in-class operational framework across service and projects.
  • Implementing systems for project monitoring and post-order process ownership.
  • Building SOPs, ensuring compliance and embedding continuous improvement methodologies.
  • Driving efficiencies in NCR handling, issue resolution and service recovery.
  • Reinforcing performance culture using KPIs, structured coaching, and clear accountability.

Financial & Commercial Oversight

  • Budget management, forecasting and profitability uplift.
  • Supporting commercial teams with quoting, remedials, variations, and client planning.
  • Managing subcontractors – reviews, development, site inspections, motivation and performance.

People Leadership

  • Building and mentoring a young, growing team (including new starters and apprentices).
  • Creating a positive, low-ego, high-output environment where people thrive.
  • Setting the tone on communication, engagement, ownership and problem-solving.

About You

You’ll bring a balanced blend of operational gravitas and hands-on delivery capability. You’ll be naturally solutions-focused, calm under pressure, and able to operate in the detail while maintaining strategic oversight.

Experience & Capability

  • Proven success in service, contracts or operational leadership within engineering, manufacturing or technical project environments.
  • Strong project management capability with an ability to jump into complex jobs as needed.
  • Commercially astute, numerically confident and comfortable with budgets & forecasting.
  • Strong IT competency (Microsoft Office & general systems awareness).
  • Full UK driving licence; UK travel required.
  • Working knowledge of H&S compliance and RAMS.

Your Mindset

  • Humble, hungry, smart – low noise, high output.
  • Resilient, pragmatic and thrives in a fast-moving environment.
  • Able to quickly absorb technical information and turn insight into action.
  • Natural coach who sets pace, raises standards and leads from the front.

Team & Culture

You’ll report directly to the Operations Director and work alongside a young, ambitious team. The environment is grounded, delivery-focused, and built on collaboration rather than ego. The business is bringing all service, projects and operations functions under one umbrella, offering significant influence and long-term progression – including a route toward Operations Manager.

Perks & Benefits Extracted with AI

  • Health Insurance: Pension (auto-enrolment)
  • Training opportunities: Additional training opportunities
  • Paid Time Off: 20 days holiday + 8 bank holidays
Universal Business Team

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]

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Salary
£60,000 – £65,000 per year
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