Operational Development Manager

Equans is looking for an Operational Development Manager to join our team on a permanent basis. This is a full-time role working 40 hours per week. On offer is a competitive salary, company vehicle or allowance, bonus, and benefits package.

This is a regional role covering Private Sector contracts in the South of England. The post holder can be based anywhere in the south with travel required to multiple sites. The role offers hybrid working.

The Operational Development Manager plays a key role in supporting the growth, performance and development of the regional portfolio. Acting as a trusted link between contract teams, leadership and wider business functions, the role helps shape opportunities, coordinate transitions into service delivery, promote operational excellence and enable sustainable growth. Proximity and a visible presence across contract locations is essential to building relationships, understanding operational challenges and customer needs, and supporting regional priorities and business initiatives.

Operating across a diverse portfolio of contracts and customers, this role supports growth, operational readiness, service excellence and account development activities across the region. Success requires the ability to manage competing priorities, influence stakeholders and translate business requirements into practical actions and measurable outcomes. A visible presence across the portfolio is essential to build strong relationships, understand operational challenges first-hand and support the successful delivery of regional priorities.

The Operational Development Manager strengthens regional performance by supporting contract growth, operational excellence and service development across the portfolio. Through effective coordination between contract teams and wider business functions, the role enhances customer value, improves operational effectiveness and helps deliver sustainable business growth.

• Business Development & Growth
  • Coordinate operational inputs for tenders, retenders and growth opportunities, ensuring proposals demonstrate operational strengths, customer outcomes and credible delivery solutions
  • Partner with bid stakeholders and operational teams to develop delivery models, mobilisation approaches and resource plans
  • Develop and maintain operational content, case studies and best practice materials to support business development and customer engagement
  • Coordinate governance and risk review activities associated with growth opportunities and business initiatives
• Operational Readiness & Transition
  • Coordinate operational readiness, transition and mobilisation activities for new contracts, extensions, service changes and growth opportunities across the portfolio
  • Support the planning and delivery of mobilisation activities, maintaining readiness plans, governance actions, risks and dependencies to enable successful implementation
  • Facilitate readiness reviews, assurance activities and lessons learned, promoting a consistent and structured approach to contract transitions
  • Support post-mobilisation stabilisation and soft landings activities with contract teams and customers to ensure operational readiness, resolution of transition challenges and success promotion
• Operational Excellence & Best Practice
  • Champion the deployment of best practice and efficient ways of working across the portfolio
  • Coordinate operational reviews, events, governance activities and improvement initiatives with contract teams, maintaining visibility of actions and progress
  • Drive the sharing of innovation, lessons learned and successful delivery approaches, supporting the implementation of opportunities to improve service delivery, productivity and customer outcomes
  • Maintain a regular…