Operations Manager

The Vacancy

We have a fantastic opportunity for an experienced Operations Manager to join our WPS Planned Works division in the North West, overseeing multiple planned works contracts with a particular focus on High Rise Buildings (HRB), cladding, and fire safety remediation. You will also support wider planned works and energy efficiency contracts within occupied residential homes.

This role is ideal for someone with strong operational leadership experience in planned social housing works, including high‑rise and building safety programmes.

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📌 Project Scope

• Delivery of high‑rise residential schemes, ensuring full compliance with the Building Safety Act and Fire Safety Regulations.
• Mobilisation of planned works and retrofit programmes under frameworks such as PAS 2035.
• Coordination with design teams, consultants, and supply chain partners to ensure works align with client expectations, safety requirements, and regulatory standards.
• Oversee medium‑scale refurbishment projects including kitchens, bathrooms, heating and roofing works, ensuring quality, safety and programme adherence.
• Lead operational governance, quality assurance, and client engagement throughout the lifecycle of HRB and non‑HRB planned works.

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🔧 Key Responsibilities

• Manage the delivery of multiple planned works contracts, ensuring projects are delivered safely, efficiently and to high standards.
• Act as the operational lead for HRB, cladding and façade remediation programmes, ensuring robust compliance and governance.
• Support a small team of Project/Site Managers and Supervisors, driving performance and continuous improvement.
• Develop strong relationships with clients, residents and internal stakeholders, representing Wates at progress, review, and technical meetings.
• Monitor KPIs, H&S performance and commercial delivery, ensuring projects meet contractual and regulatory obligations.
• Champion a positive customer and safety culture across all workstreams.

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🎓 Qualifications

• Degree or HNC/HND in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, or a related built‑environment discipline.
• Strong knowledge of the Building Safety Act, Fire Safety Regulations, and PAS 2035 retrofit standards.
• Professional membership (e.g., CIOB, RICS) desirable.
• Full UK driving licence and ability to travel across contract locations.

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🌍 What We’re Looking For

• Proven experience delivering planned social housing works, particularly HRB, cladding and fire‑related remediation.
• Confident leadership skills with experience managing small operational teams.
• Strong communication, stakeholder management and commercial awareness.
• Ability to work autonomously across multiple sites with a focus on safety, quality and programme performance.

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✨ What We Offer

• A chance to play a leading role in high‑priority building safety programmes.
• Long‑term planned works pipeline across multiple contracts.
• Competitive salary, benefits, and excellent career development opportunities.
• A supportive, collaborative environment within a values‑driven, Tier 1 family‑owned business.

Given the nature of this position, you will need to undergo a Basic Disclosure and Barring Service Check (DBS) at offer stage. Applicants with criminal convictions will be assessed individually, and we assure you that we do not discriminate based on an applicant’s criminal record or the details of any disclosed offenses. Additionally, certain roles may be subject to additional pre-employment checks.

To learn more about the checks included in this process, please click on the following link: National Security Vetting

Work for Wates

Wates is one of the UK’s leading family-owned development, building and property maintenance companies.  Founded over 125 years ago, we have a proud legacy in the built environment.

We are driven by our purpose, ‘reimagining places for people to thrive’ and our three promises:

• Thriving places – working with customers, partners and communities to create places that are more sustainable, inclusive, and full of opportunity.
• Thriving planet – protecting nature and taking action on climate change by collaborating and innovating with our partners.
• Thriving people – creating opportunities and relationships so that everyone who works for and with us feels included, invested in and treated with care.

We are proud to be recognised as Gold Investors in People and as a Disability Confident employer.  We also ensure that our recruitment processes do not treat anyone less favourably due to an offending background.