Role Summary

The Operations Manager will lead all operational delivery across The Company's building and civil operations—driving on-time, on-budget, high-quality execution as the business scales from R55M to R400M revenue (FY2026–FY2029). Own end-to-end delivery from contract handover to practical completion, across multi-provincial operations with 10–20+ concurrent projects. This role sits on the Management Committee (ManCo) and helps build the operational infrastructure, capabilities and quality systems needed for sustainable scale.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in construction management, Civil Engineering, or related (essential)

• 10–15 years construction experience, including 5+ years in senior operational leadership

• Proven delivery across multiple concurrent projects (R20M–R100M+)

• Track record scaling construction operations in a growth environment (preferably 2x+ revenue growth)

• Demonstrated experience in leading site teams; operational systems/processes/quality frameworks; large complex projects (R50M+, 12–24 months); senior client management; contract/risk; HSE compliance; subcontractor/supplier management; resource/capacity planning

• CIDB grading & construction regulatory environment knowledge
• Advantageous: Professional registration (Pr.CM / Pr.CPM / Pr. Eng / Pr. Tech.Eng); building + civil experience; multi-provincial/regional ops; education/government/institutional construction sector exposure

What You'll Be Responsible For

Strategic (Board / Manco Level)

• Drive ops strategy aligned to growth targets (R55M R125M FY2027 R250M FY2028 R400M FY2029)

• Build capacity from 8–10 concurrent projects to 25–30+; implement scalable systems/processes/quality frameworks for R400M operations

• Provide input to Business Development on capacity planning, bidding decisions, project selection

• Lead CIDB grading advancement strategy (currently 7GB PE, targeting 8GB+)

• Drive multi-provincial expansion with consistent delivery standards; build the operational leadership team; champion SHEQ culture and operational innovation

Delivery & Project Portfolio Leadership

• Oversee all active projects to deliver on time / on budget / on quality across building and civil portfolios

• Run weekly/monthly project reviews (progress, cost, risk, client satisfaction); ensure strong handover from Business Development to site teams

• Implement project governance (stage gates, reporting, escalation, lessons learned) and track operational KPIs

• Partner with Commercial Manager (variations/claims/disputes) and Financial Director (cost control, cash flow, profitability)

• Manage resource allocation (plant/equipment/key people/subcontractors) and senior client relationships for major projects (R50M+)

• Enforce SHEQ policies; manage subcontractor/supplier performance and operational risk across portfolio

Execution & Compliance

• Approve programs/method statements/resource plans; approve major procurement/subcontractor/supplier decisions
• Conduct regular site visits (minimum 2–3 days per week) to verify progress, quality and safety compliance
• Resolve escalated site issues; approve progress claims; ensure compliance with CIDB, NHBRC and construction regulations
• Ensure project documentation completion; lead practical completion & defects liability; manage plant/equipment strategy and operational reporting to ExCo/Board

Skills & Competencies

• Systems-thinking ops leadership; strong technical construction knowledge (building/civil/MEPF); strong commercial acumen

• Exceptional people leadership; project management expertise; senior client relationship management; strong decision-making and communication

• Quality & safety mindset; tech proficiency (Buildsmart, CCS, MS Project, BIM, ERP/digital tools); entrepreneurial mindset; resilience in high-pressure growth environments

Performance Expectations (KPIS)

Project delivery: 85% on-time; 90% achieve/exceed target margin; 2% defects value at practical completion; client satisfaction 8.5/10

Safety & compliance: zero fatalities/LTIs; LTIFR 1.0 per 200,000 hours; 100% statutory compliance; SHEQ audit scores 85%

Financial: gross margin target 8–12% (mix dependent); forecast vs actual final cost variance 3%; payment cycle 60 days; recover 80% valid claims/variations

Growth & capacity: meet revenue targets (FY2027 R125M, FY2028 R250M, FY2029 R400M); capacity utilisation 75–85%; achieve 8GB by Q4 FY2027; provide capacity assessments for 90% tenders within 48 hours

Team & operational excellence: 15% turnover (Contracts/Site Managers); 100% direct reports with development plans and quarterly reviews; embed 4+ major operational processes annually; lessons learned documented for 100% of projects >R20M