Project Operations Manager

Buro Happold has an exciting opportunity for a Project Operations Manager to join the UK Project Operations team. This is a permanent role with hybrid working (minimum of 2 - 3 days in the office) and can be based in one of our UK offices (Bath, Edinburgh, Leeds, London, or Manchester).

The Project Operations Manager is a key role in the Project Operations team. You will be working with engineering teams to support Job Leaders and Project Directors with the planning and financial management of their projects, and the Discipline Leaders with efficient resourcing and utilisation of their groups, under the guidance of the Project Operations Team Leader and support of the wider team.

As a Project Operations Manager you will oversee and implement financial operations within the engineering teams to ensure consistency of approach and to identify, help manage and mitigate exposure to commercial risk., From the projects you will work on to the clients we work with. From career-defining opportunities to an inclusive and diverse practice where we all contribute to a more equitable world. From our reputation to our relationships. Wherever your Buro Happold career takes you, it'll be anything but ordinary.

Your next role

• Join us and be surrounded by exceptional opportunities in an environment alive with innovation and possibility. Your team has a willingness and curiosity to see possibility and potential in everything - from the most iconic projects to our everyday conversations.


• This is an extraordinary opportunity to contribute to our fantastic Project Operations team.


• Buro Happold has a clear strategic plan, strong learning culture and entrepreneurial mindset that will allow you to thrive.


• You'll be part of something bigger than us all where sustainability, equity, social and performance outcomes matter. Buro Happold is committed to doing the right thing, even when that's the hardest thing. This is a genuine opportunity to make impact - and leave real legacy.


Key duties:


• Provide guidance and regular reporting to Job Leaders and to keep jobs on track with planned resourcing and in profit, and to escalate where any risks are perceived.


• Collaborate with the Specialist Consulting Commercial Manager to provide support and regular insight to Discipline Leaders to allow them to maintain an appropriate team for their workload, and to allow the business to understand resource commitment and availability.


• Hold close, trusted relationships with the engineering teams and wider support teams and make sure communication routes are open and conversation is regular in order that appropriate action can be taken as early as possible.


• Provide continuity and a point of contact so a regular cycle of monthly checking, meeting, and reporting is in place and observed by the teams.


• Build commercial awareness and support within discipline drawing on a deep understanding of process, budgets, and approval processes, to create an increasing financially sustainable business proposition.


Leadership:


• Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders within Specialist Consulting discipline and across other business services areas.


• Advocate for best practice, hold position of trusted advisor, strive for, and celebrate excellent performance.


Project Set up:


• Create promotional projects for projects on Single Discipline Low Risk register and convert to live.


• Support Job Leaders with the creation of plans / plan templates and chair/attend the monthly job leader reviews with the objective that the plans are up to do date ahead of the monthly billing cycle.


Project Maintenance:


• Review portfolio performance with Job Leaders in monthly or bimonthly 1-1 sessions particularly in relation to scope/deliverables and planned cost - advise on potential adjustments needed to plan, fee/contingency, and profit targets, and review planned vs actual costs.


• Support Discipline Leads with review in week three of the accounting cycle of planned vs actual costs and look for opportunities to mitigate forecast losses.


• Attend project accounts meetings at month end, support JLs and PDs with plan and fee adjustments, and support conversations around additional fees required.


Job Leader Reviews:


• Hold regular reviews with JLs to discuss job progress, understand deliverables, scope and programme and consider the fee and resource required to deliver the job, advise on any adjustments to be made.


Training:


• Provide ERP support and training to engineering teams, other team members and wider business support teams.


• Provide training to new members of the technical team covering applicable project operations processes (including timesheet entry, consultancy basics, project lifecycle, and JL responsibilities as appropriate).


Discipline Management:


• Establish collaboration with the Specialist Consulting Commercial Manager with a view to:



• Participate in regular group resourcing meetings, supporting, and providing guidance where necessary to Discipline Leader and wider team, and helping them to identify available resources.


• Review utilisation reports and planned vs actual cost reports with Discipline Lead and provide guidance.


• Work with DLs with regular (yearly or six monthly) reviews of utilisation targets and cost rates.


• Support DLs with review of headcount and liaison with HR to set up new starters/other leave/leavers/errors.
  
  Degree or similar qualification in a relevant field (Business Management, Finance, Project Management) or commensurate professional experience in a related sector.


• Highly numerate, able to manipulate large sets of data and provide analysis which can be easily understood.


• Able to understand complex business concepts and explain them to others.


• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.


• Able to produce insightful reporting at a high standard.
  
  Buro Happold values individual's flexible approaches to working patterns as an important part of the way you work and achieve balance. We welcome applications from those who are seeking flexibility in their careers.


Our exceptional portfolio of projects is the result of the diversity of thought, identities, backgrounds and experiences that shape us. Appreciating each other's differences is key, we want employees to feel they don't have to mask elements of their identity to thrive.

We are working to change the lack of representation of marginalised groups in the built environment and are particularly keen to hear from anyone who feels they are underrepresented in the industry. We have much to learn from one another. Embracing difference allows us to develop the most innovative and elegant solutions.

Bring your knowledge and expertise to one of the world's most respected consultancies.

• Hybrid working arrangements.


• Attractive salary and benefits package including, private medical insurance, life assurance and income protection.


• Holiday entitlement of 25 days per annum (exclusive of bank holidays) and flexible holiday arrangements.


• Generous company pension scheme.


• Flexible benefits including cycle scheme, dental insurance, optical cover, travel insurance, season ticket loans, and corporate discounts.


• Enhanced parenthood leave policies.


• 3pm finish on the last Friday of the month.


• A strong commitment to your continuous development. Whatever stage in your career, we have a learning and development programme that will enable and empower you.


• Entitlement to two memberships to professional bodies or subscriptions


• A commitment to your wellbeing through a comprehensive employee assistance programme and wellbeing activities A supportive and inclusive environment that will welcome you through social and outreach activities from the Young Employees Forum to mentoring.


• An international culture that wherever your career takes you at Buro Happold, you won't be far from the exceptional.