Managing Director
C~urb Property Maintenance
Falkirk / Hybrid
£92,000 – £104,434 + £6,000 car allowance + benefits
35 hours per week
Link Group | C~urb Managing Director - Aspen People
The Opportunity
C~urb is looking for an accomplished operational leader to become the next Managing Director of C~urb Property Maintenance, leading one of Scotland’s largest in-house property maintenance operations through the next stage of its development.
Part of the Link group of companies, C~urb Property Maintenance has grown significantly since its establishment in 2013. Today, it is a mature and successful operation, employing around 300 people and delivering approximately £30m of property maintenance activity each year.
The business is well established, with experienced operational teams, strong customer service and a workforce that takes real pride in the services it provides. The opportunity for the new Managing Director is to build on those foundations, bringing commercial discipline, embracing digital transformation, improving efficiency and productivity, and ensuring the business is ready to take advantage of future growth opportunities.
Reporting to Link Group Executive Director, Commercial and C~urb CEO, you will provide visible leadership across a substantial directly employed workforce delivering responsive and void repairs planned and cyclical maintenance, compliance and wider property investment services.
The Role
At the heart of the role will be the leadership of a large and complex property maintenance operation.
We are looking for someone who understands what it takes to manage a significant directly employed, multi-trade workforce and who can bring immediate credibility to an experienced senior management team.
You will lead an operation encompassing a broad range of trades and technical disciplines, ensuring resources are effectively planned, scheduled and deployed while maintaining high standards of safety, quality and customer service.
C~urb is already a strong and successful operation. The opportunity for the new Managing Director is to build on these foundations and take the business to its next level of performance – driving greater efficiency and productivity while continuing to deliver outstanding service, customer satisfaction and value for money.
You will also play a central role in the next stage of C~urb’s digital transformation. Work has already begun, but there is significant opportunity for the new Managing Director to shape how technology, systems, data and improved ways of working can transform productivity, scheduling, performance information and importantly, the customer experience.
Commercial development will be an important part of the role. Building on C~urb Property Maintenance’s strong position within Link Group, you will ensure the business is well placed to pursue appropriate opportunities for external growth. This will mean strengthening the systems, workforce, ways of working and the commercial approach needed to compete effectively, while continuing to deliver high-quality services and demonstrable value for money for Link and its partners.
About You
We are open-minded about where you have developed your career.
You may currently be working within property maintenance, construction, housing, facilities management or a related contracting environment. What matters most is the scale and relevance of your operational leadership experience.
Crucially, we are looking for someone who has significant experience of leading a directly employed trades workforce at scale. Experience focused predominantly on procuring or managing external contractors is unlikely, on its own, to provide the operational depth required for this appointment.
You will be able to demonstrate:
- Significant senior leadership experience within a large and complex property maintenance, repairs, construction, FM or related operation.
- A strong track record of directly leading substantial operational and multi-trade workforces.
- Experience of improving operational performance, productivity and efficiency while maintaining service quality.
- Commercial acumen and an understanding of how to develop a competitive and sustainable maintenance business.
- Experience of leading meaningful business transformation and continuous improvement.
- An understanding of how digital systems, technology and data can improve operational performance and customer experience.
- Experience of managing significant budgets and using performance information and KPIs to drive improvement.
- A strong understanding of health and safety, compliance and the requirements of operating within a regulated environment.
- The ability to lead, engage and develop experienced managers and frontline teams through change.
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to build credibility with colleagues, customers, Boards, partners and trade union representatives.
Above all, you will have done this before. You will bring practical experience of leading and improving substantial operations and the judgement to understand what should change, what should be protected and how to bring people with you.
Leadership and Values
How you lead will be every bit as important as what you have achieved.
C~urb operates within a strongly values-led environment, and respect is fundamental to the way the organisation works – respect for customers, colleagues, communities and the homes in which its teams operate.
We are looking for a visible and approachable Managing Director who is as comfortable engaging with frontline trades and operational teams as they are presenting to a Board or discussing commercial strategy.
You will bring the commercial focus and operational discipline required to move the business forward, but you will also understand that C~urb exists to deliver positive outcomes for its customers and communities.
This is therefore an opportunity for someone who can combine commercial thinking with purpose-led leadership.
Your Priorities
Your early focus will be on listening, understanding and taking stock of a complex and successful operation, working closely with the outgoing Director to maximise the benefit of a planned handover.
From there, you will develop a clear roadmap for the next phase of C~urb Property Maintenance, with particular emphasis on:
Commercialisation – strengthening the commercial capability of the business and ensuring it is ready to pursue appropriate growth opportunities.
Digital transformation – driving the developing digital programme and using technology, systems and data to improve productivity, decision-making and customer experience.
Customer focus – protecting and building upon C~urb’s strong service culture and ensuring the customer remains at the heart of operational decisions.
Value for money – demonstrating that C~urb continues to provide high-quality, competitive services for Link Group, its partners and other customers.
Efficiency – optimising resources, productivity and ways of working to ensure the business is operating as effectively as possible.
You will inherit a strong platform. Your challenge will be to take it further.
Why C~urb?
This is a rare opportunity to lead a substantial property maintenance business that combines commercial scale with a clear social purpose.
You will take responsibility for an established operation with around 300 colleagues, significant budgets and a strong track record of service delivery, while having the scope to shape its next stage of development.
With an experienced team already in place, digital transformation underway and an ambition to become increasingly efficient and commercially capable, the foundations are there.
C~urb now needs a Managing Director with the experience, credibility and values to build on them.
Remuneration
The remuneration package includes a car allowance of £500 per month for the use of your own car in the performance of your duties (subject to applicable tax and statutory deductions).
Closing date: Monday, 12th October
First interview: Thursday, 29th October
Final in-person interview: Friday, 13th November
For further information or a confidential discussion about the opportunity, please contact Paul Rooney 07460 714 893 or Nigel Fortnum 07786 737 303 at Aspen People.
Link Group | C~urb Managing Director - Aspen People