Buro Happold is recruiting for an Operations Director to support the Operational Strategy of one of our UK discipline groups.
Working with autonomy to execute decisions, this role will report into the Business Discipline Lead who has exclusive executive responsibility for the leadership and development of the capability and capacity of Buro Happold’s Cities unit as a whole and it’s individual teams.
Based from either our Bath or London office, the Operations Director will work with the Unit Lead and receive direction on aspirations for business strategy and performance, but will work relatively autonomously within the Cities Unit to deliver these aspirations. and be responsible for driving the implementation of strategy across the disciplines to align with agreed metrics. This role will also require the postholder to organise resource on bids and projects and ensure the overall delivery of project work is well co-ordinated.
Here at Buro Happold, expect the exceptional.
From career-defining opportunities to an inclusive and diverse practice where we all contribute to a more equitable world. From our reputation to our relationships. Wherever your Buro Happold career takes you, it’ll be anything but ordinary.
Your next role:
Be part of an exceptional team that embraces technically demanding projects and challenges. Be at the forefront of changes in the industry such as reducing embodied carbon and modern methods of infrastructure design.
Key Duties:
The duties (around which the Operations Director will have authority to make executive decisions, informing the Cities Business Discipline Lead appropriately) are:
- Working with HR to provide pastoral care / oversight of HR issues, recruitment, promotions & reward within the Specialist Unit
- Development and success of the Cities Discipline Leaders through effective line management.
- Monitoring the delivery of Cities project teams for multi-discipline bids and projects.
- High level management of resource (insofar as it relates to headcount, recruitment, growth etc.) within the Cities Unit.
- Carrying out strategic discipline reviews and management of the implementation of actions associated with discipline strategy defined as a result of the discipline reviews
- Development of an effective Business Development strategy in order to foster product enhancement, innovation and competitive market positioning in accordance with the regional strategy
- Developing and implementing global strategies for example Net Zero Carbon Route Map, Decarbonisation, Social Value etc.
Duties over which the Operations Director will be consulted but where actions will be taken by other management team members include:
- Managing quality and ensuring both technical excellence and compliance with legislation.
- Oversight of financial performance for each individual Cities team, and responsibility for financial performance of the Cities Unit as a whole through increasing gross and net margins in order to deliver or exceed budget targets.
- Communication of resource availability with relation to business-wide multi-disciplinary projects & bids.
Your Skills and Experience:
- Experience of leading a team of senior professionals in an engineering or built-environment consultancy setting, this could be from the perspective of Human Resources, Resource Management or General Operations.
- Ability to evidence successful line management of team leaders and senior professionals.
- Awareness of the importance of good financial hygiene and experience of such.
- Exposure across general HR matters (e.g. pay reviews, recruitment, performance management etc.)
- Ability to prioritise issues, including the cyclical varying of focus from macro to micro, depending on the needs of individual teams and situations
- Able to demonstrate consideration of strategy and (critically) the dissemination of such in a way which provides clear and tangible direction for the teams, resulting in actionable behaviours.
What we offer:
- Holiday entitlement of 25 days per annum, exclusive of Bank Holidays.
- Hybrid working arrangements.
- Private Medical Health (family cover).
- Company Pension Scheme.
- Life Assurance.
- Income Protection.
- Flexible Benefits - including Cycle scheme, Dental insurance, Optical Cover, Travel insurance and Corporate discounts.
A place for everyone
Buro Happold values an individual's flexible approaches to working patterns as an important part of the way you work and achieve balance. We welcome applications from those who are seeking flexibility in their careers.
Our exceptional portfolio of projects is the result of the diversity of thought, identities, backgrounds, and experiences that shape us. Appreciating each other’s differences is key, we want employees to feel they don’t have to mask elements of their identity to thrive.
We are working to change the lack of representation of marginalised groups in the built environment and are particularly keen to hear from anyone who feels they are underrepresented in the industry. We have much to learn from one another. Embracing differences allows us to develop the most innovative and elegant solutions.
Please let us know if there are any adjustments we could make to the application process to make it easier and more comfortable for you. Contact recruitment@burohappold.com so we can work with you to support you throughout your application.
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