Head of department building fabric

Head of Department – building Fabric - £75k – Essex based.

Office : Essex with occasional travelling to client sites.

My client are a leading engineering company who have been trading for over 50 years providing first class building services solutions to some of largest names within retail, educational and catering clients.

The opportunity has now become available for a operations manager/head of department to oversee there building fabric department.

Role Purpose

The Head of Department – Building Reactive Operations is responsible for the overall strategic, operational, and commercial performance of the Building fabric  Reactive function across contracts.

This role provides leadership to Contracts Managers and operational teams, with full accountability for service delivery, financial performance (P&L), health & safety compliance, contract mobilisation, and client satisfaction.

The objective is to ensure all contracts are delivered safely, efficiently, profitably, and in line with client expectations, company standards, and legislative requirements.

You will be overseeing a building fabric department that consists of 35 engineers, 3 contract managers and a team of administrators across blue chip clients such as universities, retail and catering contracts across London and the South East.

This busy department carries out all building fabric repairs and maintenance to large fabric projects.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership, Management & Accountability (LMA)

Lead, manage, and develop Contracts Managers and operational teams
Drive a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement
Conduct performance reviews, coaching, and succession planning
Set and maintain operational standards aligned with company policies
Operational Delivery

Oversee delivery of all reactive maintenance and contract services
Ensure works are completed safely, on time, within budget, and to quality standards
Manage mobilisation of new contracts and service expansions
Monitor KPIs and resolve escalated operational issues
Commercial & Contract Management

Maintain full accountability for contract performance and compliance
Manage commercial risk, variations, and service delivery standards
Support contract renewals and identify opportunities for commercial growth
Estimating & Pricing

Oversee estimating, pricing, and tender submissions
Ensure competitive pricing while protecting margins
Health & Safety

Lead and promote a strong health & safety culture
Ensure RAMS are reviewed, approved, and implemented
Oversee audits, inspections, and incident investigations
Financial Management

Full ownership of departmental P&L
Monitor revenue, costs, margins, and forecasts
Identify cost efficiencies and growth opportunities
Client & Stakeholder Management

Build and maintain strong client and stakeholder relationships
Attend client meetings, reviews, and manage escalations
Ensure high levels of customer satisfaction and service performance

Department Accountability

Operating within the Building accountability structure, the role holds responsibility for:

Operational delivery across all regions
Mobilisation of new contracts and service expansions
Health & Safety performance and compliance
Revenue delivery and financial performance
Full P&L ownership
Account management across key contracts
The role provides leadership across Contracts Managers, allocation teams, engineers, supply chain partners, and supporting finance and administrative functions.

Remuneration (Proposed)

Salary: £70,000 per annum
Car Allowance: £5,000 per annum
Monday to Friday 8 till 5.30pm
Total Package: £75,000 per annum
25 days holiday
Laptop/Phone
Bonus structure to be agreed separately