Demo

Operations Director

Wates Group
National, MD Full Time
POSTED ON 8/20/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 9/19/2026
Wates seeking an experienced Operations Director to lead and grow our data centre delivery capability.

  • This is initially a site based role, requiring flexibility to operate primarily between two current live projects in the Yorkshire region.
  • The role also carries wider national responsibility beyond these locations.

The role demands a hands on operational leader with proven experience of operating within live data centres and critical environments, with expertise in leading teams to deliver fast track refurbishment projects, particularly within the data centre sector.

The Ideal Candidate Will

  • Come from an engineering contracting background.
  • Have demonstrable experience delivering large-scale, complex MEP (Mechanical, Electrical and Public Health) projects.
  • Have a strong understanding of mission-critical infrastructure.
  • Have the ability to lead multidisciplinary teams in high-pressure operational environments.

The Candidate Will Also Have a Proven Ability To

  • Manage stakeholder expectations.
  • Maintain operational continuity.
  • Ensure projects are delivered safely, on time, and to the highest quality standards.

Key Responsibilities

  • Stakeholder engagement.
  • Leading project teams to deliver the current workload.
  • Expanding the current pipeline.
  • Developing clear business plans to expand Smartspace's capability and market position in the data centre sector.

This role is pivotal to the delivery, growth, and strategic development of our data centre offering and requires a leader who can balance operational excellence with commercial and client-facing leadership.

Functional Leadership Accountability

The Role Will Also Carry Functional Leadership Accountability, Including

  • Providing direction for the wider Operational function.
  • Ensuring appropriate governance.
  • Driving capability development.
  • Ensuring consistent standards.
  • Supporting strong performance.
  • Enabling effective integration with commercial delivery teams.

Our commitments: Do not remove this text

Wates is proud to be an employer where anyone can thrive, and we welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds. We encourage you to apply even if you don't meet every requirement, as we value transferable skills and assess all applications fairly.

We don't discriminate based on a criminal record; all applications are reviewed on an individual basis against the requirements of the role. Some roles may require additional checks, due to the nature of the work. As a Disability Confident Leader, we offer an interview to applicants with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for the role and opt in to the Disability Confident scheme. Reasonable adjustments are available, please contact us at recruitment@wates.co.uk

Salary.com Estimation for Operations Director in National, MD
$176,809 to $201,540
If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution. Compensation Planning
Enhance your organization's compensation strategy with salary data sets that HR and team managers can use to pay your staff right. Surveys & Data Sets

What is the career path for a Operations Director?

Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs on the Operations Director career path by checking the boxes next to the positions that interest you.
Income Estimation: 
$219,423 - $248,819
Income Estimation: 
$280,031 - $485,657
Income Estimation: 
$213,354 - $274,761
Income Estimation: 
$277,105 - $362,555
Employees: Get a Salary Increase
View Core, Job Family, and Industry Job Skills and Competency Data for more than 15,000 Job Titles Skills Library

Job openings at Wates Group

  • Wates Group National, MD
  • At Wates, we're always looking to connect with talented commercial professionals who are passionate about delivering exceptional projects and driving comme... more
  • 14 Days Ago


Not the job you're looking for? Here are some other Operations Director jobs in the National, MD area that may be a better fit.

  • Executive Director, Inc. Milwaukee, WI
  • Operations Assistant CLIENT ASSOCIATION(s): Executive Director, Inc., EDI POSITION REPORTS TO: Mail Services and Operations Manager DIRECT REPORTS: None EM... more
  • 17 Days Ago

  • EDI - Executive Director Incorporated Milwaukee, WI
  • Operations Assistant CLIENT ASSOCIATION(s): Executive Director, Inc., EDI POSITION REPORTS TO: Mail Services and Operations Manager DIRECT REPORTS: None EM... more
  • 19 Days Ago

AI Assistant is available now!

Feel free to start your new journey!