Contract Services Director

Contract Services Director – Maintenance

Location: UK (Hybrid with National Travel)

Package: £90,000–£110,000 base + bonus + car allowance + full executive benefits

This is a senior leadership role with full accountability for the performance, profitability, and evolution of a national portfolio of maintenance contracts post-implementation.

The appointment exists to create sustained commercial value.

The successful candidate will own contract P&L, lead complex operational delivery at scale, and drive continuous improvement in how maintenance services are structured, priced, governed, and delivered. This role requires an individual who can operate simultaneously as a commercial operator, operational leader, and entrepreneurial value-creator.

This is not a technical asset management or engineering role.

It is a commercially exposed, operationally dominant leadership position, where success is measured by margin, predictability, client confidence, and scalable performance.

Scope & Authority

Executive ownership of all post-mobilisation maintenance contracts

Portfolio-level accountability for revenue, margin, cost-to-serve, and working capital

Leadership of multi-disciplinary operational, technical, and contract teams

Senior client sponsorship and ownership of key commercial relationships

Direct influence over contract evolution, mobilisation learning, and future bid strategy

What This Role is (and Is Not)

This role is for you if you have:

Led large-scale, contract-based technical services with full P&L accountability

Turned underperforming or complex contracts into stable, profitable operations

Operated comfortably at Board, ExCo, and client executive level

Built commercially astute leadership teams in operational environments

This role is not for you if your background is limited to:

Pure asset governance or ISO-led frameworks

Engineering leadership without commercial ownership

Cost-centre maintenance management

Single-site or narrowly technical roles

The role:

Commercial & Financial Ownership

Full P&L accountability across a portfolio of live maintenance contracts

Identification and elimination of margin leakage and operational inefficiency

Rigorous control of scope, variation, pricing, and commercial risk

Delivery of predictable, sustainable financial performance

Operational & Contract Leadership

Ownership of contracts post-mobilisation, driving rapid stabilisation and BAU excellence

Executive escalation point for complex operational or contractual issues

Consistent governance, performance cadence, and accountability across the portfolio

Asset & Lifecycle Value

Strategic oversight of asset performance and lifecycle cost optimisation

Data-led decisions on maintenance strategy, intervention, and investment

Balance of safety, resilience, performance, and commercial return

Entrepreneurial Value Creation

Continuous challenge to existing delivery and cost models

Creation of incremental value through innovation, service evolution, and scalability

Translation of operational learning into improved contract design and pricing

Leadership & Influence

Building and leading operational and contract teams

Setting standards for pace, accountability, and commercial thinking

Acting as senior sponsor for key client relationships

The person:

We are seeking a high-calibre senior leader with:

Degree educated with a robust career trajectory

Proven portfolio-level P&L ownership in contract-based, asset-intensive environments

A track record of optimising, turning around, or scaling complex maintenance or service contracts

Deep operational credibility combined with strong commercial acumen

Experience operating in regulated and/or safety-critical sectors

Gravitas, judgement, and confidence to lead at executive and client Board level

Candidates are most likely to come from senior roles in:

Contract services, infrastructure, utilities, FM, industrial services, or outsourced operations

Multi-site, geographically dispersed operational environments

Personal Style & Leadership Behaviour

Decisive, resilient, and outcome-focused

Commercially sharp; understands precisely how value is created and lost

Entrepreneurial mindset with the discipline to execute at scale

Comfortable operating in ambiguity and complexity

Sets pace, standards, and ambition for the organisation

Why This Role Will Appeal

Enterprise-level accountability with real commercial exposure

Authority to shape, evolve, and improve live contracts

High visibility with senior stakeholders and clients

A platform to create value, not simply manage operations

Confidential Applications & Enquiries

This appointment is being managed via executive search.

All enquiries will be handled in the strictest confidence.

If you recognise yourself in this brief, we would welcome your application

Please email your CV to ne@hprtalent.com