Operations Director

We’re Hiring: Operations Director
Location: Leicester, UK (On-site, 5 days per week)
Travel: Across the UK (with plans to centralize operations in Leicester)
Salary: £80k - £100k DOE

Company Overview:

CTS is leading UK provider of construction materials testing, structural and pavement investigations, calibration services, and subsidence investigations. The organization serves clients across all sectors of the construction industry, delivering technical expertise through a nationwide network of laboratories and site teams. 

Role Purpose:

The Operations Director will lead the centralization and integration of operational teams to transition from a siloed, region-based structure to a single, unified business unit. This hands-on role will drive operational efficiency, support cultural change, and establish robust processes for day-to-day delivery across laboratory and site-based services.

Key Responsibilities:

• Oversee all day-to-day operations, including laboratory services, field testing, and logistics.
• Lead the unification of circa 230 site technicians and 65 laboratory staff from 11 disparate teams into one cohesive team, breaking down regional silos.
• Manage and mentor a large workforce through a significant change program, including staff affected by structural consolidation and redundancy risk.
• Direct scheduling and logistics to optimize customer service and project delivery efficiency.
• Report directly to the MD, supporting their ideas-driven leadership style while maintaining operational discipline; a strong ability to manage upwards is essential.
• Ensure compliance with wide-ranging technical standards (BS EN, ISO, ASTM, Highway Works), health & safety, and quality assurance.
• Address basic operational controls (for example: travel expense management, scheduling improvements, and process robustness).
• Collaborate with other senior leaders to implement back-to-basics operational improvements and drive a continuous improvement culture.

Person Specification:

• Robust, resilient operator with high integrity and visible leadership style; capable of thriving in a dynamic change environment.
• Proven experience overseeing large-scale operational teams; ideally from engineering services or complex B2B technical environments, and comfortable managing laboratory and field-based teams.
• Strong track record in managing business transformation, workforce integration, and culture change.
• Demonstrated ability to manage high-energy, ideas-driven senior leaders while maintaining focus on priorities and deliverables.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, able to build credibility and trust with teams through hands-on leadership and clear communication.

Additional Information:

• The environment is fast-moving and not yet stable, so adaptability and problem-solving skills are essential.
• The role is focused on operational execution, not high-level strategy; candidates should be willing to get hands-on and drive practical change.
• The position is critical to the transformation journey and instrumental in shaping the company's future operational model.