Head of Operations

Lead with purpose. Put safety first. Make an impact!

Ready to bring your operational expertise to a leadership secondment? Join CRSA as a Head of Operations
, based at Aston Depot in Birmingham, you’ll take responsibility for the North, West & Central team and the South & Central team until the end of March 2027.

Reporting to the Operations Director, you’ll lead the depot programme of works, combining visible leadership with commercial oversight to deliver safely, efficiently and to the right specification.
You’ll be a key point of contact for regional customers and internal stakeholders, working closely with planning and development colleagues to turn plans into successful delivery. It’s an opportunity to broaden your leadership experience while championing teamwork, continuous improvement and high standards.

• Leading safe delivery
  :
  Oversee works across both teams, ensuring compliance with Group Standards, safety legislation and health, safety, quality and environmental requirements, including CDM obligations.
• Driving commercial performance
  :
  Manage plans, resources, costs and delivery to meet or better tendered margins; report on performance and targets, escalating issues to the Operations Director.
• Keeping delivery on track
  :
  Maintain robust risk and change management and ensure methodologies, estimates, work package plans, task briefs and contingency arrangements meet required standards and timescales.
• Building relationships
  :
  Be the depot’s initial contact for regional customers and internal stakeholders, collaborating with planning, development and supply chain colleagues.
• Championing governance
  :
  Support Network Rail’s End to End/PACE governance, lead planning reviews and audits, and ensure incidents, non-conformances and actions are investigated, reported and closed out.
• Developing your people
  :
  Lead visibly, promote welfare, maintain training and competence arrangements, and support development reviews, succession planning and teamwork.
• Providing operational support
  :
  Deliver on-call and on-site cover as required by the programme.

• Experience successfully managing major programmes of work in construction and/or rail.
• Knowledge of the UK railway industry, its safety requirements and relevant Network Rail and Balfour Beatty Group Standards.
• Strong commercial judgement and financial awareness, including business investment processes and procedures.
• A sound understanding of health and safety, quality and environmental legislation and best practice, including the Construction Design and Management (CDM) Regulations.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with experience leading people and behavioural change within a large organisation and contributing to cross-functional strategic discussions.
• A visible, collaborative leadership style: you listen, build consensus, champion change and make sound decisions under pressure.
• The relevant track safety competence required for this safety-critical role, which is also designated a key safety post.
• A degree, HND or HNC, or equivalent relevant engineering and commercial experience, alongside at least five years in middle management roles.

Desirable: Membership of a relevant professional body with chartered status and/or degree-level education, plus a NEBOSH and/or accident investigation qualification.

Day in, day out, our teams deliver some of the UK’s most ambitious, exciting and meaningful projects; developing, building and maintaining the vital infrastructure that supports national economies and strengthens communities.

As if contributing to and supporting work that makes life better for millions wasn’t rewarding enough, we offer a full range of benefits too. You’ll have the…