Senior Manager (Operations) Inspection, Maintenance & Field Services

Job description

Senior Manager, Inspection, Maintenance & Field Services (Operations)

This is a hybrid role with a minimum of 2 days per week in a Central Reading office as well as occasional supplier and site visits.

Lead the people. Own the delivery. Set the standard.

As Senior Manager, Inspection, Maintenance & Field Services, you will have end-to-end accountability for the delivery of inspection, maintenance, and field services across the telecom’s passive infrastructure estate. This is a highly visible leadership role at the heart of Operational Services—balancing safety, quality, cost, and pace while driving continuous improvement at scale.

This role blends hands-on operational leadership, supplier assurance, and strategic improvement, with regular time spent in the field validating standards and behaviours.

Why this role matters

This role directly safeguards the availability, safety, and longevity of passive infrastructure—underpinning network performance for millions of end users. You’ll shape how inspection and maintenance is delivered today while building the capability, culture, and partnerships needed for tomorrow.

What you’ll be here to do:

You’ll lead a team of six Delivery Managers, with full responsibility for their performance, development, engagement, and wellbeing. You will also own the Company’s relationship with the primary Managed Service Provider and ensure seamless integration across all suppliers involved in inspection and maintenance delivery. You’ll:

Operational Leadership & Delivery

• Own the end-to-end delivery of inspection, proactive maintenance, reactive maintenance, and field services across all passive infrastructure.
• Provide leadership, coaching, and prioritisation to Delivery Managers, ensuring consistent execution of their allocated programmes.
• Dynamically adapt plans to respond to urgent priorities, such as storm events or emerging network risks.
• Resolve delivery exceptions, blocked sites, and changes in scope to keep work on track.

Health, Safety & Standards

• Lead Health & Safety management in line with Company policies and CDM Regulations.
• Ensure Delivery Managers and suppliers consistently demonstrate safe working behaviours, escalating any unsafe practices immediately.
• Spend regular time in the field alongside suppliers and Delivery Managers to validate safety, quality, and workmanship.

Supplier Performance & Assurance

• Assure supplier delivery against KPIs, standards, and policies (including HS001, I&M manuals, regulatory and engineering standards).
• Hold suppliers to account for performance, behaviours, and outcomes—intervening directly where delivery falls short.
• Foster strong collaboration between Managed Service Providers to ensure clear accountability and seamless integration.

Data Quality & Governance

• Ensure inspection and maintenance data is accurate, complete, and supported by appropriate evidence (e.g. Photos, condition scores).
• Drive strong governance discipline across planning, execution, and reporting.
• Use data and insight to challenge performance, identify risk, and drive improvement.

Continuous Improvement & Leadership Culture

• Partner with suppliers to improve service quality, drive innovation, and reduce cost and rework.
• Challenge the status quo, stay connected to external best practice, and embed continuous improvement.
• Be a visible role model for the Company Way—coaching managers to give regular feedback and develop their teams to shine.
• Build a high-performing, engaged leadership team aligned to Company values and objectives.

Who we’re looking for:

You’re a confident operational leader with a strong track record of delivery through suppliers and teams in complex infrastructure environments (rail, utilities, highways, telecoms etc). You’ll have:

• Proven experience driving delivery across third-party suppliers at scale.
• Background in infrastructure asset management, construction, or engineering environments.
• Experience working with Operations / Service Management frameworks (e.g. ITIL).
• Strong knowledge of Health and Safety and CDM regulations.
• Proven capability in governance-led delivery, process adherence, and assurance.
• Experience managing high-volume delivery programmes.
• Ability to manage project financials and engage confidently with Programme and Finance teams.
• Excellent communication, influencing, and negotiation skills.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to adapt rapidly in dynamic situations.

If you also have the following, we’re especially interested in talking to you:

• Background or knowledge in MEICA engineering.
• Experience using Remedy and SiteTracker.

If you’re motivated by ownership, leadership, and making a visible impact at scale, this is a role where you can truly set the standard.

Extra information

Status

Open

Education Level

Secondary School

Location

Reading

Type of Contract

Full-time jobs

Published at

01-03-2026

Profession type

Logistics jobs

Full UK/EU driving license preferred

No

Car Preferred

No

Must be eligible to work in the EU

No

Cover Letter Required

No

Languages

English