Works Manager

Colas Ltd are a UK subsidiary of the global Colas Group, which operates in over 50 countries worldwide and employs over 55,000 people including over 1500 in the UK across multiple sites. We are specialists in highways construction and have been involved in large-scale UK and international construction projects within the highways, airfields, and marine sectors as well as offering highways maintenance services and manufacturing our own innovative surfacing products.

We hold a 'Gold Investor in People' award for continuously developing and rewarding our employees, offering excellent career potential.

The Works Manager is fully accountable for the safe, efficient, and commercially effective operation of the Warrington bitumen manufacturing facility, which specialises in producing Polymer Modified Bitumen (PMB), emulsions, and a successful range of packed products. The role leads all site activities, including production, maintenance, engineering, and administration, ensuring that products are manufactured safely, on time, in full, and to specification while meeting financial, operational, and compliance targets.

The Works Manager will create a strong Safety First culture and drive operational excellence, cost control, and continuous improvement across the site.

Overall leadership for the Warrington site involves aligning operations with the company's strategy, values, and performance expectations. Prioritising health and safety is essential, ensuring full compliance with health, safety, and environmental (HSE) regulations, as well as quality standards. This includes leading incident investigations and promoting safe working practices. Ownership of production performance is key, driving deliverables according to the plan and improving key performance indicators (KPIs) such as output, downtime, labour efficiency, and waste management.

Effective management of maintenance and engineering ensures high plant reliability, implementation of a robust preventative maintenance programme, and maintenance of statutory compliance. Responsibilities also include managing the site budget, controlling costs, delivering savings, and contributing to forecasting and business planning. Additionally, overseeing stock and supply chain effectiveness, driving continuous improvement initiatives (including 6S), and leading, developing, and performance-managing the site leadership team are crucial aspects of the role.

To qualify for this role, you should possess a degree or equivalent experience in Engineering, Manufacturing, or Operations Management. You should have a proven track record of leading a manufacturing site or managing a large operational area. Strong knowledge in production and maintenance management, asset reliability, and compliance with health, safety, and environmental (HSE) regulations is essential, preferably within heavy manufacturing or similar industries.

Additionally, you should be commercially aware and have experience managing budgets and controlling costs. As a confident and visible leader, you must be able to motivate your team, foster development, and hold individuals accountable. Excellent communication skills, sound judgment, and a continuous improvement mindset are crucial for success in this position.

Here at Colas, we offer a great total compensation package, including:

• A salary of £60,000 - £70,000 per annum (depending on experience)
• Our Colas Pension Scheme has combined contributions of up to 10%
• Life Assurance Scheme, which is x4 basic salary
• 25 days of annual leave per year + Public Holidays
• Family-Friendly Benefits, including Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Pay
• Holiday Purchase & Selling Scheme
• Opportunities to study towards a fully funded Professional Qualification
• Discounts on car leasing, holidays, cinema tickets, restaurants and much more through our online employee benefits portal

At Colas, our culture is guided by four core values:
Respect
,
Commitment
,
Pioneering
, and
Sharing
. These values shape how we work, collaborate, and grow together. We believe that
respect
is the foundation of every relationship. By treating others as we wish to be…