Head of Operations

Annual salary: up to £90,000.00 Head of Operations

Location:

Birmingham

Contract:

Full Time Permanent Salary: £90,000 + car allowance

Mears Group has been awarded a major new 10-year partnership with Birmingham City Council to deliver repairs, maintenance, and planned investment work across 11,500 homes in central and west Birmingham. This contract represents one of our most significant projects in the city and will create a wide range of opportunities across our operational teams.

We are looking for an experienced Head of Operations
- Repairs & Voids to lead the delivery of multiple Social Housing responsive repairs, voids and cyclical maintenance contracts across the Mears Housing division. This is a senior leadership role with full accountability for operational performance, commercial delivery and customer experience. You will ensure services are delivered on sound operational and commercial principles, providing a safe, high‑performing and customer‑focused service underpinned by strong leadership and positive team ethics.

Reporting to the Operations Director, you will work closely with the operations leaders and senior commercial stakeholders, you will set clear direction across your contract portfolio, ensuring financial targets are achieved or exceeded, productivity is maximised and services remain fully compliant. You will act as a senior escalation point for both internal and client matters, balancing operational control with strategic oversight to drive sustainable performance improvements.

• Lead the delivery of responsive repair contract, ensuring contractual compliance, service excellence and a strong customer experience
• Provide visible, authoritative leadership, mentoring and motivating teams while setting clear direction, targets and performance expectations aligned to divisional strategy
• Hold full accountability for P&L performance, ensuring robust cost control, margin improvement, effective WIP management and debt oversight
• Review and assess contract and business unit performance through regular and monthly financial and operational reviews, maintaining tight control of the cost base
• Develop and sustain strong client and stakeholder relationships, acting as the senior operational contact and ensuring high‑quality customer relationship management
• Act as the main point of contact for internal and external escalations, resolving issues decisively and professionally
• Drive productivity and efficiency across all operational teams, using data, dashboards and performance insight to identify risks and improvement actions
• Ensure full and effective use of business operating systems and controls, including MCM, MSP, Dashboards, Workday, SODA, Contract Compliance Plans, Client Development Plans and Standard Operating Procedures
• Oversee and manage a large‑scale, multi‑trade workforce and subcontractor supply chain, ensuring compliance, value for money and consistent performance
• Ensure all new contracts are effectively mobilised, and any demobilisations are managed in line with agreed plans to the optimum benefit of the business
• Maintain full compliance with Health & Safety legislation, working closely with the H&S Manager and undertaking regular joint site visits
• Embed and role‑model Mears values and the Mears Red Thread, reinforcing behaviours through contract reviews, appraisals, engagement activity and staff feedback
• Prepare for and attend commercial, operational and performance meetings, providing clear insight, challenge and leadership

• Senior operational experience delivering repairs, voids and maintenance services within social housing or a regulated environment
• Strong commercial and leadership, with financial accountability and proven performance improvement experience
• Experience managing multi‑trade teams and subcontractor supply chains
• Ability to influence, negotiate, challenge and drive change
• Data‑driven, with strong capability in productivity, performance and resource management
• Sound technical understanding of repairs and maintenance service delivery
• Strong knowledge of Health & Safety legislation and compliance requirements
• Excellent communication and…