Operations Director

Role Purpose

• Lead the successful delivery of CEM's Retirement Living services in line with the company's vision, values and strategic objectives.
• Champion a culture of customer excellence, ensuring residents receive responsive, high-quality and value-driven services.
• Create an engaging and supportive colleague experience that attracts, develops and retains high-performing teams.
• Drive operational efficiency, continuous improvement and robust governance to ensure service charges and operating costs remain fair, transparent and focused on owners' cost of living.
• Support the expansion of new Retirement Living services and innovative business opportunities.

Key Responsibilities Operational Leadership

• Provide inspiring leadership to a workforce of 300 colleagues, including 5 direct reports and their teams, setting clear expectations, coaching talent and creating a culture of accountability, engagement and continuous development.
• Ensure all services are delivered safely, compliantly and in accordance with all relevant legal, regulatory frameworks as well as fully maintaining the Health & Safety standards, with clear ownership, strong compliance and swift resolution of issues.
• Embed CEM's values across all operations, creating a consistently high standard of customer service across every development.
• Use customer insight, colleague feedback and performance data to continuously improve service delivery and satisfaction.
• Lead the preparation of annual service charge budgets, ensuring strong financial discipline, transparency and value for money for leaseholders.
• Drive smarter, more efficient ways of working to help control costs and minimise financial pressures on owners.

Retirement Living - Growth & New Services

• Work closely with the Managing Director and SLT Colleagues to expand service delivery and support business growth.
• Oversee the mobilisation and commissioning of new developments, ensuring excellent customer journeys, operational readiness and delivery to time and budget.
• Build trusted relationships with partners, investors, RTM Directors and stakeholders to generate new business opportunities.
• Lead new and innovative business streams, ensuring scalable processes, effective contracts and sound governance.
• Partner with Churchill Living Sales teams to align services with company sales targets.
• Represent CEM externally with regulators, professional bodies, trade associations and at industry events.
• Lead the development and continuous review of operational policies, procedures and manuals to ensure best practice and consistency.
• Oversee the emergency call-out rota (evenings and weekends) and respond to urgent situations as required.
• Contribute strategically across the wider business, helping shape long-term plans, performance priorities and organisational effectiveness.

Skills & Experience

We are looking for a people-focused senior Operations Leader with a proven track record of leading dispersed teams and delivering excellent customer outcomes.

The ideal person will have:

• Strong experience leading large multi-site operational teams through engagement, coaching and performance management.
• Passion for customer excellence, service improvement and colleague satisfaction.
• Demonstrable success in driving operational efficiency, change programmes and continuous improvement.
• Commercially and financially astute, with experience managing complex budgets and service charge structures.
• Strong strategic thinker, able to balance long-term growth with day-to-day operational delivery.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Highly organised, able to manage competing priorities and make sound decisions.
• Resilient, adaptable and comfortable operating in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
• Strong IT and systems capability.

How You'll Be Rewarded

• Company Car benefit
• 28 days holiday + Bank Holidays
• Day off on your birthday
• Excellent colleague benefits including Family BUPA Cover, Health Screening, Group Personal Pension Plan and Life Assurance
• Colleague wellbeing programmes and ambassadors