Operations Manager - Cawdor Barracks

Who we are

VIVO provides facilities management and accommodation maintenance for the UK military and its partners. VIVO embodies both experience and innovation.

What we do

We put our Customers and Families First. They are the driving force behind everything we do. We drive forward improvements for them to ensure the service they receive, whether reactive repairs or a major project, is completed safely and on time. In order to achieve this, we have 4 core values: open, caring, agile and collaborative. These are at the heart of everything we do.

Location: Cawdor Barracks, on site role

Permanent, Full time

Salary: Competitive

VIVO Defence is seeking an experienced and dynamic Operations Manager to lead the delivery of maintenance, response works, and small-scale projects across our South Region portfolio. This is a pivotal role, responsible for ensuring that services are delivered safely, compliantly, and efficiently, while building strong and effective relationships with clients, end users, contractors, and the wider team.

The Role

As Operations Manager, you will oversee the end-to-end delivery of maintenance activities, ensuring compliance with statutory legislation, MoD requirements, and Health and Safety standards at all times. You will manage and monitor the performance of the supply chain, making sure operatives are suitably qualified, resourced, and equipped, while consistently driving value for money, quality outcomes, and safe working practices. You will be responsible for reviewing and coordinating risk assessments, method statements, and safety processes, while also maintaining accurate records in the CAFM system, ensuring that all works are properly logged, tracked, and reported.

In this role, you will take on technical accountability for compliance areas such as asbestos and legionella management, as well as working closely with Mobile Authorised Persons to ensure safe systems of work for confined spaces and working at height. You will also provide full project management oversight on a range of small M&E and building tasks, taking responsibility from inception through to completion, including financial and commercial management.

Equally important will be your role in people leadership and customer engagement. You will act as the single point of contact for end users, supporting them with professional and technical advice, resolving issues effectively, and ensuring their operational priorities are understood and supported. You will lead the site teams and supply chain with clear direction, coaching, and supervision, ensuring they perform to agreed service levels and standards. Building strong relationships with Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) personnel and stakeholders will be central to your success, as will your ability to foster a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement across your teams.

Commercial responsibility will also form a key part of this role. You will make sound commercial decisions, manage costs effectively, and balance stakeholder expectations while maintaining a focus on value for money. You will contribute to forward planning of maintenance activities, support risk mitigation, and ensure that operations are delivered efficiently and economically in line with VIVO’s business goals.

What You'll Bring

To be successful, you should hold a Level 4 Facilities Management qualification or an equivalent technical qualification and demonstrate experience in managing day-to-day operational facilities management, including planned and response maintenance. You will bring proven knowledge of project management and compliance requirements, alongside the flexibility and willingness to take on additional responsibilities such as Authorised Person appointments for confined spaces, working at height, asbestos, legionella, and temporary works. A higher qualification such as an HNC or membership of a professional body like the IWFM would be advantageous, as would prior experience in asset management.

This role requires a confident leader with excellent communication skills, capable of motivating teams, building effective stakeholder relationships, and influencing at all levels. You should be highly organised, able to plan resources effectively, and comfortable making timely, sound decisions based on technical knowledge and practical experience. Strong commercial awareness, emotional intelligence, and a commitment to high standards of quality and compliance will be essential.

The Operations Manager role offers an opportunity to take ownership of complex and high-profile estates services, with the chance to drive real improvements in service quality, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction. If you are motivated by challenge, thrive in a fast-paced environment, and want to be part of a contract that plays a vital role in supporting UK Defence, we want to hear from you.

What We Offer

• 6% employee matched pension contribution
• 25 days annual leave
• Single private medical cover
• Life assurance 2x annual salary

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.