Area Manager Home Counties

Serco Canada Inc; High Wycombe; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - GBP 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading services provider is seeking a dedicated Area Manager in High Wycombe to lead high-quality repairs and maintenance services. The role involves managing a multi-disciplinary team, ensuring operational performance, and maintaining health and safety compliance. Ideal candidates should have experience in the Social Housing sector or Hard Services FM, with a focus on leadership and continuous improvement. The position offers a hybrid work structure and competitive benefits.

Benefits

6% employee matched pension contribution

25 days annual leave

Bonus

Company car/car allowance

Life assurance 2x annual salary

Private medical cover for self and partner

Qualifications

• Proven experience managing multi-disciplinary teams in a performance-driven environment.
• Strong background in the Social Housing sector or significant Hard Services FM experience.
• Experience with performance data to inform decisions.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of high-quality repairs and maintenance service.
• Manage operational performance and complex repairs.
• Create a supportive and motivated team culture.

Skills

Leadership skills

Communication skills

Decision-making skills

Knowledge of repairs and maintenance services

Knowledge of health and safety management

Education

Relevant professional qualification (CIOB or RICS)

Tools

Microsoft Office applications

Job description

Overview

We are seeking an experienced and values-driven Area Manager to lead the delivery of a high-quality repairs and maintenance service, ensuring excellent outcomes for customers, stakeholders and the business. This is a senior operational role with full accountability for performance, budget control and health and safety compliance across the service area.

You will lead and motivate a multi-disciplinary team and specialist supply chain partners, ensuring the effective delivery of planned, reactive and out-of-hours services, with appropriate cover in place for holidays and sickness. You will take ownership of operational performance, managing complex repairs, monitoring KPIs and using data and trend analysis to drive continuous improvement and value for money.

You will have profit and loss responsibility, managing delegated budgets through robust financial control, forecasting, exception reporting and remedial actions where required. Working collaboratively with internal teams and external partners, you will proactively identify opportunities to improve service delivery, increase efficiency and support business change while maintaining a strong focus on quality and customer experience.

A key part of the role is people leadership. You will create a supportive, fair and positive culture where individuals are engaged, motivated and able to develop their skills. You will manage performance through effective one-to-ones, appraisals and performance reviews, and address employee matters such as sickness, absence, health and safety, grievance and disciplinary issues in line with policy and best practice.

You will also work closely with stakeholders to build trusted relationships and deliver a first-class service in line with contractual and bid commitments. As part of the role, you will undertake the necessary training to act as the Responsible Person for Legionella and Asbestos.

You will work from our High Wycombe or Brize Norton sites (whichever is closer to you) with hybrid working available once probation has been passed.

Location

Location: High Wycombe or Brize Norton, to cover sites in Oxford, Bicester, Wallingford, Aylesbury & Maidenhead

About you

You will bring strong leadership, communication and decision-making skills, with a flexible and agile approach. You will have sound knowledge of repairs and maintenance services, relevant legislation, regulatory requirements and British Standards. Experience managing multi-disciplinary teams and subcontractors in a performance-driven environment is essential.

It is important that you have a strong background within the Social Housing sector, or significant Hard Services FM experience, and are a confident communicator with proven continuous improvement success.

You will ideally hold, or be working towards, a relevant professional qualification such as CIOB or RICS (or equivalent experience), with a good working knowledge of health and safety management. NEBOSH or IOSH qualifications, and experience as a Responsible Person, are desirable. You will be confident using Microsoft Office applications and comfortable working with performance data to inform decisions.

If you are a trusted, caring and commercially aware leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is committed to delivering high-quality services, we would welcome your application.

What we offer

• 6% employee matched pension contribution
• 25 days annual leave
• Bonus
• Company car/car allowance
• Life assurance 2x annual salary
• Private medical cover for self and partner

VIVO Defence Services

The role you have applied for is with VIVO Defence Services, a joint venture between Serco and EQUANS. By applying for this role, please be aware that information contained within your CV may be shared between VIVO Defence Services, Serco and EQUANS during the recruitment process.

At VIVO, we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that supports the needs of all. Therefore, we will make reasonable adjustments at interview through to employment for our candidates and strongly encourage applications from a diverse candidate pool.

We are open to discussions around flexibility and flexible working and operate a hybrid work structure in many of our business areas. We are proudly a Disability Confident Leader. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at an interview.