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Operations Manager

Full Time | Office Based |Permanent

Monday to Friday, 7:00am – 5:00pm

Location: Mid Kent

Salary £35,000 - £45,000 (DOE)

We are looking for an experienced Operations Manager to oversee the scheduling, planning and delivery of drainage operations within a highly reactive environment.

This role is pivotal to ensuring work is scheduled effectively, resources are deployed efficiently, and services are delivered safely, on time, and to a high standard.

The position combines hands-on operational coordination with commercial awareness and would suit someone confident managing moving parts in a fast-paced, logistics-heavy setting.

The Role

Plan, coordinate, and oversee daily operations involving specialist vehicles, drivers and subcontractors

Ensure effective utilisation of fleet, drivers, and external partners

Act as a key point of contact for subcontractors, managing availability, performance, and communication

Provide support to field teams, resolving on-site issues and operational challenges

Maintain a strong understanding of specialist vehicles and equipment, including their capabilities and limitations

Continuously review workloads and adjust plans in response to urgent callouts, delays, or changing priorities

Work closely with internal teams to ensure smooth end-to-end service delivery

Ensure all activity is carried out in line with health & safety standards and internal procedures

Oversee jobs from planning through to completion, ensuring accurate records and documentation are maintained

Commercial & Financial Oversight

Monitor costs and budgets for works under your control

Manage spend across labour, equipment, subcontractors, and materials

Identify opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce costs without impacting service quality

Support accurate job costing, invoicing, and operational reporting

Skills & Experience

Demonstrable experience in scheduling or managing operations ideally within utilities, drainage or logistics

Strong operational understanding of specialist vehicles and plant

Highly organised with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a reactive environment

Confident communicator, able to work effectively with drivers, subcontractors, clients, and internal teams

Calm, solutions-focused approach when dealing with operational pressure

Good commercial awareness with experience managing costs and budgets

Competent with scheduling systems and office software

Personal Qualities

Proactive and well-organised

Practical and detail-oriented

Adaptable and dependable

Comfortable working independently while contributing positively to a wider team

Hands-on, can-do approach to problem solving

Interviews are to be held immediately, so please apply today for immediate consideration!

This role is being handled by Nicole Howe, Business Support Consultants for Pearson Whiffin Recruitment.

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