Position Overview

The Area Manager is responsible for the profitable, efficient and safe delivery of cleaning and associated facility services across a portfolio of client sites. The role provides operational leadership, maintains strong client relationships and ensures that contracts meet agreed service levels, quality standards and financial targets. The Area Manager will lead and develop site-based managers and operational teams, promoting Cirka's 'One Team' ethos and ensuring that employees are appropriately resourced, trained and motivated. The role will drive service improvement, client retention and sustainable growth while maintaining compliance with company procedures, contractual requirements and relevant legislation. Regular travel and flexibility to work outside normal office hours where operationally required are essential.

Experience, Skills & Qualifications - Essential

• Demonstrable experience of managing multi-site cleaning or facilities service operations, including responsibility for contracts, budgets and operational teams.
• Strong leadership and people management skills, with experience of managing, coaching and developing site managers and frontline employees.
• Proven client relationship management skills, including the ability to resolve operational issues, manage expectations and communicate confidently at all levels.
• Strong commercial awareness, with experience of managing labour, materials, subcontractors and other contract costs against agreed budgets.
• Good written, verbal and numerical skills, together with competence in Microsoft Office and online workforce, auditing and document management systems.

Experience, Skills & Qualifications - Desirable

• Relevant qualification in cleaning operations, facilities management or business management.
• IOSH Managing Safely, NEBOSH or equivalent health and safety qualification.
• Experience of working within an ISO-accredited quality, environmental and health and safety management framework.
• Knowledge of workforce planning, payroll, employee relations and recruitment processes within a labour-intensive service environment.
• Full UK driving licence and the ability to travel regularly across the assigned area.

Responsibilities

• Manage the delivery of cleaning and associated services across the assigned portfolio, ensuring consistently high standards and compliance with contractual obligations, client requirements and Cirka procedures.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with clients, acting as the principal operational contact and ensuring that issues, complaints and service requests are managed promptly and professionally.
• Lead, support and hold accountable site managers and supervisors, setting clear expectations and ensuring that operational objectives are understood and achieved.
• Ensure each contract is appropriately resourced, with effective workforce planning, recruitment, retention, succession planning and contingency arrangements in place.
• Monitor contract performance against budgets, labour targets, productivity measures and agreed financial objectives, taking corrective action where required.
• Review management information, payroll data, rotas, overtime, agency usage and other operational costs to ensure accuracy, control and value for money.
• Conduct regular site visits, service reviews and performance meetings, maintaining a visible management presence across the area.
• Produce accurate and timely client and internal reports, including performance against service level agreements, key performance indicators, budgets and improvement plans.
• Complete and review operational audits covering service standards, consumables, equipment, uniforms, records and site presentation, ensuring that corrective actions are completed.
• Recruit, induct, develop and manage the performance of managers, supervisors and operational employees in accordance with Cirka payroll and HR procedures.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, enhance service delivery, retain existing business and support the growth or expansion of contracts within the area.
• Participate in mobilisation, transition and change projects, ensuring that new or amended services are implemented safely, efficiently and with minimal disruption to the client.