Operations Director – Low Carbon

 

Leeds

 

Permanent

 

Competitive + car/car allowance + Flexible Benefits

 

NG Bailey is committed to creating a low‑carbon future — not only for our clients, but through our own operations. With our market‑leading engineering and built‑environment expertise, we are accelerating the transition to more sustainable, energy‑efficient buildings across the UK.

 

To support this ambition, we are seeking an experienced Operations Director to join our Low Carbon team and lead the delivery of complex, large‑scale decarbonisation projects.

 

The role

As Operations Director, you will take full ownership of high‑value (£10m+) design & build decarbonisation retrofit projects, leading them from early design through construction, commissioning and completion.

 

You will act as Principal Contractor, owning the client relationship, project P&L, and providing clear technical, commercial and construction leadership to both internal and external teams. Many projects will be delivered in occupied, critical environments, requiring careful planning, strong stakeholder management and an uncompromising focus on safety and continuity of operations.

 

This is a senior leadership role with real influence — shaping project delivery standards, supporting business growth and championing a strong culture of safety, quality and collaboration across the Low Carbon business.

 

Some of the key deliverables in this role will include:

Project & Commercial Leadership

• Lead the end‑to‑end delivery of large, complex low‑carbon D&B projects
• Own project commercials, including tender pricing and full P&L responsibility
• Ensure delivery to agreed programme, cost and quality targets, with strong risk management

 

Client & Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain trusted relationships with clients, consultants and partners
• Lead multi‑disciplinary internal and external teams to deliver successful outcomes

 

Low Carbon Growth & Pipeline

• Support growth of the Low Carbon pipeline by identifying opportunities and shaping solutions
• Contribute to bid and tender activity, bringing D&B and decarbonisation expertise

 

Technical & Construction Excellence

• Provide technical leadership across low‑carbon and energy‑efficiency solutions
• Ensure designs are practical, compliant, optimised for funding and deliverable on site
• Maintain oversight of construction activities under CDM Regulations

 

Process & Capability Development

• Help develop and embed robust delivery processes aligned to NG Bailey governance
• Mentor and support teams, building a high‑performing, collaborative engineering culture

 

Safety, Quality & Compliance

• Champion best‑in‑class health, safety, environmental and quality standards
• Ensure compliance with all statutory, regulatory and client requirements

 

About you

You will be a credible senior leader with a strong track record of delivering large‑scale low‑carbon retrofit projects in complex environments.

 

Essential experience

• Proven leadership of £10m+ D&B decarbonisation or major retrofit projects
• Experience operating as Principal Contractor, including on occupied, critical sites
• Strong background in complex M&E solutions and energy infrastructure
• Direct experience with technologies such as:
• Heat pumps, boilers, CHP
• Energy generation and distribution
• Solar PV, LED lighting and energy‑efficiency measures
• Solid understanding of regulatory and statutory compliance in public and private sector projects

 

Qualifications & professional standing

• Degree in engineering, construction or project management
• Membership of a relevant professional body (e.g. APM, CIBSE, IMechE) — desirable

 

Leadership attributes

• A clear, inspiring communicator who brings people together
• Commercially astute, with resilience and tenacity in complex delivery environments
• Emotionally intelligent, collaborative and committed to developing others
• Strong sense of accountability, ownership and continuous improvement

 

Benefits:

We're always evolving our benefits to ensure we're attracting and retaining great people.  Some of what you can expect includes: 

• Pension with a leading provider and up to 8% employer contribution
• 25 days holiday
• Personal Wellbeing and Volunteer Days
• Private Medical Insurance
• Free 24/7 365 Employee Assistance Program to support mental health and well-being (including counselling sessions and legal advice)
• Flexible benefits to suit from Dental Insurance, Gym Memberships, Give As You Earn, Travel Insurance, Tax Free Bikes.
• Personal development programme

Next Steps: 

As a business, we’re on a journey to build on our culture where everyone is included, treated fairly and with respect. This starts with recruitment and how we bring people into the organisation.  

We’ll do our best to outline the recruitment process to you ahead of time with plenty of notice. If you require any accommodations to participate in the application or interview process, please let us know and we will work with you to ensure your needs are met. 

About Us: 

We are one of the leading independent engineering and services businesses in the UK. Founded in 1921, with a turnover of £500m and 3000 employees, we are proud of our history of developing great people through our investment in training. 

Working across a variety of sectors within the building and infrastructure industry, our innovative, responsible and forward-thinking approach allows us to work on fantastic ground-breaking projects, providing solutions using the latest tools and technologies. 

Progression is something we value, and we will make sure that when you join us you have a clearly defined development path, supported by regular reviews, training and ongoing support to enable you to be the best you can be. 

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