Operations Manager

Location: Dublin or surrounding areas

Salary: Competitive

Contract Type: Permanent

Working Hours: 40 hours per week, Monday-Friday

Lead operations. Develop high-performing teams. Drive growth across Ireland.

You thrive on building strong teams, improving performance and creating operational excellence. You enjoy balancing people leadership, customer relationships and commercial performance, while maintaining the highest standards of safety and service delivery.

At Ground Control, we're looking for an Ireland Operations Manager to lead our growing Grounds Maintenance operation across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

This is a high-impact leadership role with responsibility for operational performance, customer satisfaction, compliance, financial performance and continuous improvement across a rapidly expanding business. You'll work closely with Contract Managers, Supervisors, field teams and subcontractors, ensuring our contracts are delivered safely, efficiently and to the standards our customers expect.

What you'll do:

In this role, you'll provide operational leadership across Ireland while supporting future growth and developing a high-performing operational team.

• Lead operational delivery across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, ensuring contracts are delivered safely, efficiently and in line with customer expectations.

• Provide leadership, coaching and support to Contract Managers and operational teams, building capability, accountability and succession plans within the business.

• Drive consistency across all contracts, ensuring KPIs, service standards and contractual obligations are consistently achieved.

• Act as the escalation point for operational issues and customer concerns, supporting complaint resolution and maintaining strong customer relationships.

• Support the mobilisation of new contracts and service expansions, ensuring resources, processes and operational plans are in place for successful delivery.

• Develop capacity and workforce plans, ensuring adequate labour, subcontractor and operational coverage across Ireland.

• Lead health, safety and compliance performance, driving audits, inspections, corrective actions and a positive safety culture throughout the operation.

• Review contract performance and financial results, supporting forecasting, budget management and margin improvement activities.

• Drive quote conversion, additional works and revenue growth opportunities, working with operational teams to maximise value across existing contracts.

• Identify opportunities to improve systems, processes and ways of working, helping create a more efficient and scalable operation for future growth.

What you'll get:

• Company vehicle.

• Significant autonomy and ownership.

• Opportunity to lead operations across an entire country.

• Direct exposure to senior leadership.

• The opportunity to shape and influence a rapidly growing business.

• Development within a dynamic and entrepreneurial environment.

• The chance to build and develop high-performing operational teams.

• A role where your leadership and decisions will have a visible impact on business success.

What we're looking for:

• Proven experience within Grounds Maintenance, Landscaping, Environmental Services, Infrastructure Maintenance or a similar multi-site operational environment.

• Experience leading operational teams across large geographic regions and managing multiple contracts simultaneously.

• Strong people leadership skills with experience managing Contract Managers, Operational Managers or equivalent leadership positions.

• Demonstrable experience driving operational performance, service quality and customer satisfaction across complex contract portfolios.

• Strong commercial awareness with responsibility for budgets, forecasting, cost control and profitability.

• Experience managing subcontractor delivery models and workforce planning.

• A strong understanding of health, safety, compliance and operational governance requirements.

• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage effectively with customers, operational teams and senior stakeholders.

• Experience implementing process improvements, operational change initiatives or business transformation projects.

• A proactive, resilient and solutions-focused leadership style with a commitment to continuous improvement.

• Full driving licence and willingness to travel extensively throughout the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Why Ground Control?

Ground Control's Ireland business has experienced substantial growth and continues to invest in its future. This role offers the opportunity to join at a pivotal stage, helping shape operational structures, develop people and support the continued expansion of the business.

For an experienced operational leader looking for genuine ownership, the ability to influence change and the opportunity to make a lasting impact, this is an exceptional career opportunity.

If you're passionate about leadership, operational excellence and building high-performing teams, we'd love to hear from you.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary – aligned with your skills and experience

• Performance‑linked bonus: Bonus opportunities aligned to your level and contribution.

• Pension scheme – helping you plan for the future

• Recognition schemes – celebrating and rewarding great work

• Private GP service – fast, convenient access to medical support

• Life insurance – providing added peace of mind

• Holiday buy scheme – purchase up to 5 additional days of annual leave

#INDHP

Equal Opportunities Statement

At Ground Control, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to thrive. We believe that diversity drives innovation and success, and we welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic as defined in the Equality Act 2010.

We actively support and promote an inclusive culture, ensuring fair and equitable treatment throughout the recruitment process and across all stages of employment, including training, development, promotion, pay, and termination. We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for disabled applicants and employees, and to creating a working environment free from discrimination, harassment, bullying, or victimisation.

We expect all colleagues to uphold our values of dignity, respect, and inclusion. We take a zero-tolerance approach to any form of discriminatory behaviour and are committed to continuous improvement through training, inclusive policies, and accountability at all levels. #mainttr