Operations Director - Key Client and Retail

Operations Director - Key Client and Retail

Role Purpose

To lead and motivate a team to successfully deliver business objectives. To demonstrate a level of profile with the client and other stakeholders, commensurate with the seniority of the role. To be accountable for all aspects of the business plan and budgeting process for the region/s of responsibility to ensure the achievement of profit targets and level of service required.

The role is operations-driven and requires the individual to have direct contact on a daily basis and to work closely with clients to deliver the operational, logistical, and strategic goals for the specific portfolios and properties. Working cross-region, the post holder will be adept at working in an environment where staff are both direct reporting and also reporting to other parts of the business.

The Key Client portfolio is a large portfolio offering office, industrial, and retail properties (shopping parks and shopping centres) across the UK. The role requires the individual to immerse themselves in the DNA of the portfolio and to become a trusted partner for the client.

The retail aspect of the role is to work with the largest shopping centres we manage, working closely with the Centre Directors to implement and drive best retail practice in this specific area. The role will include direct client support and the individual will be involved in all aspects of strategic delivery with Shopping Centre Directors.

Key Responsibilities People

1. Ensure cohesive management of remote facilities management teams while creating and maintaining a high-performance culture.
2. Bring teams together on client and portfolio-specific knowledge sessions, ensuring that the teams are abreast of strategies and performance requirements for these specific clients.
3. Provide training and development opportunities for the team, specifically field coaching, to enable them to maximize their performance and be empowered to take ownership of decision-making.
4. Implement plans to ensure the development of the team, including succession planning training.
5. Coach and mentor the team to ensure that they operate at the required level of competence in all matters facilities management.
6. Conduct regular performance reviews with the direct team, including setting and reviewing objectives and development plans. Where relevant, ensure performance management processes are implemented in a timely manner.
7. Provide feedback to other Operations Directors on the performance of team members within their regions, who perform within these specific portfolios.
8. Recruit and select employees to ensure that the team structure and capability meet the current and future needs of the business and the achievement of budget and business plan targets.
9. Ensure adherence to policies, processes, and procedures across the region/s.
10. Successfully manage the TUPE of employees in and out of the business in conjunction with HR (People) and surveying colleagues.
11. Act as the key point of escalation for people issues within the region/s, reporting and taking steps to address any apparent trends.
12. Develop and nurture a positive team working environment with Property Management and Asset Services colleagues. Advise and regularly update relevant Property Management and Asset Services colleagues regarding general team performance, recruitment challenges, and developing issues.

Commercial

1. Develop successful working relationships with key stakeholders, providing support and guidance on the development of the region/work area.
2. Ensure the team maintains high visibility with clients to enhance the region/s position through the creation of appropriate business development plans for each property.
3. Ensure all budgets are set accurately, reviewed on an ongoing basis, and delivered on target.
4. Promptly negotiate and agree fee requests in line with company policy and the Property Management Agreements.
5. Ensure that fee income is monitored accurately, updated with the finance team, and debt levels reduced, taking proactive steps to explain shortfalls and working with finance and other colleagues to mitigate risk to the business.
6. Explore opportunities to provide superior service to clients, e.g., consistent high level of tenant liaison visible.
7. Create and implement a business plan for the region/s in line with the overall business strategy.
8. Work with the Regional Head of Property Management to explore and generate new business opportunities/channels within the marketplace to ensure an increase in the commercial performance of the region/work area.
9. Build and maintain a successful working partnership with Property Management and Asset Services colleagues to support the achievement of their commercial targets.
10. Manage employee costs within the region/work area and ensure best allocation of resource versus cost. Ensure that where decisions are to be taken to manage costs, all senior colleagues are involved and in agreement with changes.

Customer Service and Quality Control

1. Actively assess where changes to processes and procedures can be implemented to create an improvement in general management, ensuring a cohesive approach nationally at all times.
2. Offer strong facilities management advice and guidance to clients that demonstrates a full understanding of the modern facilities management business.
3. Successfully manage the operational transition of client/properties in and out of the business in conjunction with surveying colleagues, Central Support Team, and Transition Management.
4. Deal with service partners at a senior level, working with them to execute process, strategy, and demonstrable delivery for the benefit of the client, occupier, and CBRE.
5. Provide technical support specialist input for Facilities Management centred operations.
6. Act as liaison with talent management and training colleagues, providing mentoring, support, training, and experience to colleagues in all aspects of the FM business.
7. Act as a point of escalation for all operational issues within the work area and report and take steps to address any apparent trends.
8. Act as direct escalation point to the client for all Major Incident Management (MIM) matters (in and out of hours), ensuring follow-up reporting, compliance, and lessons learned documents are provided.
9. Operate in a shared environment where skillsets and roles differ, ensuring clarity is brought to the fore to allow colleagues to develop and flourish.

Compliance

1. Ensure full compliance with all Health, Safety, and Environment policies and adherence to corporate and legal responsibilities.
2. Ensure appropriate contracts are in place, monitored, and reviewed for all properties regarding services provided by third parties.
3. Ensure the team is competent in the use of the electronic invoicing system (e.g., Yardi & P2P), Meridian (Health and Safety monitoring tool), Elogs (CAFM), Deepki (ESG), and consistently review outputs from all systems to verify that the team targets are being achieved, as well as providing formal and ad hoc training and support to the team.
4. Full attendance at client meetings for operational and periodical senior leadership needs, along with H&S, ESG, and Insurance review meetings, managing all key actions that arise from within CBRE and from the client.
5. Take full responsibility for all direct client periodic reporting, and lead on all informal and ad hoc reporting and advice.
6. Take active steps to ensure all financial management processes are adhered to, e.g., service charge, electronic invoicing, variation order database compliance, CAFM, review all compliance through dashboards and liaise with other stakeholders accordingly.

Person Specification/Requirements

1. Education to degree level, or with a vocational qualification or equivalent, is desirable.
2. Proven track record of effectively managing a team within a facilities management sector in a senior role for a large client/region. Multi-site experience is a must.
3. Previous senior facilities management experience with responsibility for multiple properties within a complex estate environment, including line management responsibility for a sizeable number of company employees.
4. A demonstrable experience in the retail environment, demonstrating an understanding of the skills required to lead a retail-specific group of colleagues.
5. Significant contractor management skills, and management of multiple service agreements and service charge budgets is desirable though not mandatory for the role.
6. Excellent customer service, interpersonal, communication, and people engagement skills.
7. High degree of knowledge reference of Health and Safety legislation, and ESG requirements.
8. Strong IT skills, with the ability to learn and develop those skills to suit the needs of the business, together with an understanding and experience of industry-specific IT applications.
9. Good analytical skills, planning, and organisational skills.
10. Experience of delivering financial targets around service charges and other financial matters.
11. Proven ability to understand and interpret the local market environment and formulate business development plans in terms of identifying new business opportunities.
12. Customer experience record, with the ability to implement CX and use of wellbeing space across the portfolio. Attendance at key events across the portfolio to ensure the contractual delivery.
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