People Group
Operations Manager
Get notified of more jobs like this · No spam, ever
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Role: Operations Manager – (District Heat Networks/Utilities)
Location: East London (Stratford)
Salary: Competitive + Pension/Healthcare
The Client:
My client is a prominent and forward-thinking energy infrastructure provider in the United Kingdom, specializing in the design, delivery, and long-term operation of large-scale decentralized low-carbon utility networks.
The company focuses heavily on urban district heating, cooling, and power solutions, managing critical assets that supply sustainable energy to thousands of residential and commercial properties. Renowned for its engineering excellence and commitment to the green transition, the business integrates cutting-edge technologies like industrial heat pumps and waste-heat recovery systems to drive urban centres toward a zero-carbon future.
The Role:
The Operations Manager will be accountable for the safe, efficient, and commercially effective operation of multiple district energy centres and associated network infrastructure across 3 energy centres in East London.
The role is responsible for leading both the shift engineering teams and day-based maintenance teams, ensuring consistent high performance, reliability, and compliance across all sites.
The post holder will drive a strong health, safety, and compliance culture, ensuring all statutory, environmental, and permit requirements are met.
In addition to operational delivery, the role plays a key part in supporting future network expansion and development projects, facilitating new customer connections, delivering budgetary (P&L) performance, building a highly capable, motivated, and upskilled team
This is a site-based leadership role with flexibility to work across locations and occasionally remotely.
Key Responsibilities
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
Operational Delivery & Site Management
- Provide day-to-day operational oversight of all energy centres and district network infrastructure.
- Ensure continuity of heat, power, and utility supply to all customers.
- Coordinate activities across shift teams and day maintenance functions. Ensure effective handovers, communication, and operational control across all sites.
- Monitor operational performance and respond to plant issues, incidents, or constraints.
Maintenance Coordination & Asset Performance
- Ensure delivery of planned preventative maintenance (PPM), reactive, and corrective works.
- Work closely with Maintenance Manager/Coordinator to ensure work is correctly prioritized and scheduled. Resources are effectively deployed. Downtime is minimized.
- Monitor asset reliability and implement actions to improve performance.
Health, Safety, Environmental & Compliance
- Lead and promote a strong safety-first culture across all teams.
- Ensure compliance with Health & Safety legislation, Environmental permits, Company, and contractual obligations.
- Act as a key operational responsible person for site compliance.
- Ensure RAMS, permits to work, and safe systems of work are adhered to.
- Lead incident response, investigations, and corrective actions.
Commercial & Financial Performance (P&L)
- Take ownership of site operational budgets and cost control.
- Monitor and manage operational expenditure.
- Identify cost-saving opportunities without impacting performance or safety.
- Contribute to overall contract performance and profitability.
Projects, Customer Connections & Growth
- Support delivery of new projects, upgrades, and network expansion.
- Coordinate operational input into new customer connections.
- Commissioning of new assets and system integration.
- Work collaboratively with project and commercial teams.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Team Leadership & Development
- Lead, motivate, and manage operational teams across multiple sites.
- Ensure teams are competent and engaged and delivering to expected standards.
- Identify training needs and drive upskilling of engineers.
- Promote accountability and ownership at all levels.
- Support succession planning and development pathways.
Stakeholder & Customer Management
- Act as a key contact for operational stakeholders.
- Communicate effectively with Internal teams and Customers, clients, Contractors, and suppliers.
- Support resolution of operational issues, service impacts, or complaints.
Contractor & Supply Chain Management
- Oversee subcontractor activities and performance.
- Ensure all contractors work safely and in line with site requirements.
- Coordinate access, permits, and site logistics.
Skills & Competencies & Technical Skills
- Strong understanding of energy centre operations and district heating systems.
- Knowledge of maintenance planning and asset management.
- Understanding of compliance, environmental permits, and safe systems of work.
- Experience working with operational performance data and reporting.
Experience & Qualifications
- Proven experience in an operational or engineering management role.
- Experience within energy, utilities, or industrial environments.
- Experience managing multi-site or complex operations desirable.
- Strong organisational and planning capability.
Qualifications:
- NEBOSH (or equivalent) desirable.
- Engineering qualification (HNC/HND/Degree) advantageous.
Working Arrangements
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Location