Head of Operations – Defence Projects (Major Works & FM)
Location: Oxford / South West & South East (with significant site presence)
Salary: Competitive senior package + car/allowance + bonus
Portfolio Value: £25m–£30m (2026 programme)
Creating and maintaining great places to live and work delivered by excellent people who care…
The Opportunity
This is a high-impact senior leadership role responsible for the delivery and performance of a major Defence projects and FM portfolio, valued at £25m–£30m for 2026.
The scale, complexity and stakeholder environment demand an experienced Construction Project / Contracts Manager or Project Director, ideally from a Tier 1 contracting background, who is looking to take the next step into a strategic Head of Operations role.
You will have full accountability for operational delivery, safety, commercial performance and team leadership, while remaining highly visible on site and closely engaged with both clients and supply chain partners.
What You’ll Be Doing
Operational & Project Leadership
- Take overall responsibility for the safe, compliant and profitable delivery of a complex Defence works programme
- Provide visible, on-the-ground leadership, regularly attending sites and engaging directly with delivery teams
- Oversee multiple concurrent projects, ensuring programmes, quality, cost and safety expectations are met
- Identify projects that are underperforming and drive practical improvements in delivery approaches
Client & Stakeholder Management
- Act as a senior interface with Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), establishment leads and key stakeholders
- Build trusted relationships with clients through credibility, accountability and consistent delivery
- Ensure client requirements are understood and translated clearly to delivery teams and suppliers
Contractor & Supply Chain Oversight
- Lead and manage Tier 1 contractors and professional consultants, ensuring strong governance and performance
- Drive best practice across commercial management, supply chain engagement and risk management
- Ensure materials, labour and specialist suppliers are procured efficiently and compliantly
Leadership & Team Development
- Bring a strong character and presence capable of uniting diverse delivery teams
- Create a culture where people take ownership, collaborate and continuously improve
- Mentor and develop senior managers, project managers and operational leaders
- Identify skills gaps and ensure the right capability is in place across the portfolio
Commercial & Strategic Accountability
- Maintain full accountability for profitability, forecasting, cash flow and risk management
- Support strategic planning and business growth within the Defence portfolio
- Ensure governance, reporting and controls are robust, timely and aligned to company standards
What We’re Looking For
- Proven experience as a Project Director, Senior Project Manager, Contracts Manager or Operations Leader
- Background delivering large, complex construction or major works programmes, ideally within Defence, infrastructure or highly regulated environments
- Strong experience working with Tier 1 contractors and managing multi-disciplinary project teams
- Demonstrated ability to lead from the front, bringing teams together and improving delivery performance
- Comfortable operating at both strategic and site level – this is not a desk-based role
- Natural authority and credibility with senior clients, contractors and internal stakeholders
Career Development
This role is well suited to a senior Project Director or Contracts Manager who wants to:
- Take ownership of a multi-project operational portfolio
- Broaden their influence beyond individual projects
- Progress towards wider operational or divisional leadership
In return for your hard work we offer additional training and development, 26 days holiday (+ bank holidays), generous pension contribution, life assurance and much more.
We are VINCI Facilities – experts in the built environment. VINCI Facilities is a Facilities Management and Building Solutions provider, delivering cost-effective and sustainable bespoke solutions to customers in the public and private sectors. We are committed to working towards a lower carbon society, focusing on sustainable and innovative methods to exceed our partners' goals and add value for all stakeholders – and we were named the top-ranked FM service provider in the Sustainable FM Index for 2020. We put our people first. Always working as a team and collaborating from start to finish. We are the trusted expert in the built environment because we listen to our team and create a workplace that maximises their potential.
Fairness, Inclusion and Respect (FIR) at VINCI Facilities is about recognising and celebrating each other’s differences and what they bring to the team. Harnessing this diversity and applying the experiences, abilities and unique qualities of individuals will enhance our business; therefore, we commit to equity of opportunity and fair treatment of all current and potential employees and encourage job applications from all.
Should you require any reasonable adjustments to be made as part of the application process please contact us directly.
VINCI recognises the importance of helping our employees balance their work and home life by offering flexible working arrangements across many of our roles which include working from home to enable employees to balance their working life with other priorities.