General Manager - Operations

Buttress is a UK-wide group of specialist companies, delivering end-to-end services through a connected and collaborative approach. By combining expertise across our businesses, we provide smarter, more efficient and increasingly sustainable solutions across the commercial catering and service industries.

The Group brings together a portfolio of established and growing businesses, including Maidaid (equipment manufacturing), Caterparts (spare parts distribution) and Crystaltech (preventative maintenance services), each with a strong and expanding presence in the market.

We are now seeking a General Manager - Operations to lead and grow the Crystaltech division. This role is accountable for the end-to-end performance of a circa 80 FTE operation (50 field engineers and 30 back-office team), ensuring the delivery of service excellence, operational efficiency and sustainable commercial performance.

Operating within an Operational Excellence framework, you will drive structured improvement across people, process and technology-evolving the service model from reactive to proactive, scalable and performance-led.

Key Responsibilities Service Operations Leadership

• Lead nationwide field service delivery for warewashing equipment
• Oversee scheduling, dispatch, and service execution to ensure SLA adherence
• Optimise engineer utilisation, availability, and geographic coverage
• Own escalation management, including major service failures and complaints

People, Performance & Capability

• Lead and develop:
• Field engineering team ( 50 engineers)
• Service coordination and scheduling team ( 30 staff)
• Implement a structured performance framework focused on:
• First-Time Fix (FTF)
• Productivity and utilisation
• SLA compliance
• Drive workforce planning, training, and capability development
• Build a high-performance, accountable, and collaborative culture

Process & Operational Excellence

• Own and standardise end-to-end service processes:
• Root cause analysis
• Process standardisation
• Improve key operational metrics:
• First-Time Fix rate
• Response and resolution times
• Repeat visits and service efficiency
• Ensure accurate, consistent, and scalable operating procedures
• Drive adoption and optimisation of FSM systems (e.g. NetSuite FSM)
• Ensure data accuracy, compliance, and workflow discipline
• SLA performance
• Parts usage and returns
• Identify and implement system and automation improvements

OPEX & Commercial Control

• Own operational cost base, including:
• Labour (field and back office)
• Overtime and subcontracting
• Fleet and travel costs
• Parts consumption and leakage
• Improve cost-to-serve and operational efficiency
• Deliver against budget and operating plan targets
• Partner with Finance on forecasting, reporting, and cost control

Parts, Supply Chain & Service Interface

• Work closely with parts and supply chain teams to ensure:
• Parts availability and fulfilment
• Returns and warranty processes
• Drive improvements in:
• Time to resolve
• Billing accuracy

Health, Safety & Compliance

• Ensure full compliance with HSEQ standards and regulatory requirements
• Maintain safe working practices across all field operations
• Ensure engineer vehicles, tools, and PPE are compliant and maintained

Strategic & Transformation Contribution

• Support development of a scalable service operating model
• Contribute to ERP/FSM optimisation and operational transformation
• Drive transition toward a proactive, data-driven service model
• Support broader operational excellence and growth initiatives

Key Skills and Experience

• Proven experience leading large-scale field service operations (50+ engineers)
• Strong track record in service delivery, SLA management and operational performance improvement
• Experience in scheduling and dispatch optimisation
• Experience managing operational cost base, productivity and resource planning
• Strong leadership, communication and team development capability
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel to client sites as required

What you'll bring

• Strong leadership and influencing skills, able to engage at all levels
• A results-driven mindset with a focus on performance and continuous improvement
• Strong leadership presence with the ability to engage and motivate large, dispersed teams
• Ability to use data and insight to drive operational decisions and efficiencies
• Confidence managing performance, driving accountability and delivering against targets
• A practical, hands on approach to improving service delivery and customer outcomes
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage complexity at scale
• Experience within commercial catering, warewashing or technical service environments
• Experience using FSM/ERP systems (e.g. NetSuite FSM)
• Exposure to performance-driven or private equity-backed environments

What We Offer

• Company car to support you in the role
• Pension scheme to support your future
• Access to a wide range of discount through our Perks platform via Employment Hero
• The opportunity to represent three of the most respected brands in the industry
• A supportive, down to earth culture where people genuinely enjoy working together
• A social team - from informal get togethers to our summer and Christmas parties
• Autonomy to manage your diary and approach
• The chance to be part of an exciting period of change, with a real focus on innovation - with new benefits, ways of working and development opportunities evolving as we grow.