Operations Manager - Eldon Square, Newcastle

Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom

7/2/2025

Purpose of the Role

The Operations Manager is a senior, high-profile role encompassing the full array of shopping centre operations. You are the deputy to the Centre Director and lead multiple functions on site to deliver operational excellence. The purpose of the role is to lead, support and encourage the Centre teams to drive operational improvement, deliver exceptional customer experience to enhance customer satisfaction and bring delight to every interaction promoting repeat business.

You are responsible for compliance, Health & Safety and two Soft Services managers who each lead on-site teams. You will be working with the on-site team, the asset management team and our brand partners and suppliers to deliver results. You are responsible for the management of Health and Safety for customers, retailers and staff and for upholding the highest level of compliance to policies and procedures.

You will be a very effective people leader who achieves results through team-work and strong relationships. You will be driven by an uncompromising eye for detail every day to achieve world class standards in a unique asset, both in front and back of house areas.

Liaising closely with the Centre Director and Surveyor you will deliver and develop existing and new services in line with the strategic operational objectives, property services agreement, and implicit service level agreement. You will identify and support the development of business opportunities and drive transformational efficiencies proactively and with a strategic approach.

You will be motivated to maximise service charge expenditure through cost efficiency, productivity and be responsible for the delivery of the agreed annual operational budget, along with the non-recoverable budget.

You will be an excellent communicator, a clear decision maker and adept in the development of ideas and opportunities. You will have the ability to adapt to a fast-paced changing environment, and proactively champion brand initiatives.

At Eldon Square we recognise that the growth and success of our company is dependent on the people we employ and the way that they are developed and grow within our organisation.

Key Responsibilities

The role includes a variety of tasks including the following:

• You are an ambassador for the Centre and your area of work and as such you will actively promote recognition for the team, the Centre, and the wider business through your exemplary behaviour. Playing your part in the wider team and leading your team to be the best. Creating a positive environment with a strong personality, actively promoting inclusion and diversity in the workplace. Taking ownership in all you do. Role model leadership presence, providing coaching and feedback, recognising great delivery. Restlessly looks for opportunities to show personality, diversity, and a fresh approach to leading their team. You will promote healthy lifestyles and positive mental health and wellbeing, through workplace initiatives, promoting support and escalating concerns to relevant people
• You have a clear vision for the application of Customer Service in all endeavours. You lead by example, being a role model of exceptional leadership to create an engaging culture within the operational team, uplifting the team, and instilling a passion for excellence in delivering customer service. This not only relates to our customers, but to all stakeholders, including contractors, retailers, and colleagues
• You will promote our operational focus on compliance, communication, consistency, and collaboration in all you deliver. You are focused on leading a safe Centre and complying with legal requirements. You will embed and lead efficient processes with innovation and consistency. You will support the ESG plan and lead objectives, personally supporting community projects and activities
  
  

Leadership

• Manage and develop a team of Centre based managers to ensure excellence in operational delivery. Support Operations Managers in achieving their departmental goals, ensuring alignment with the Centre’s overall business objectives and strategy
• Lead and engage in regular operational meetings/team briefings with managers and staff to deliver clear understanding of business objectives and manage performance against targets. Ensure the effective cascade of information and an open door to feedback and ideas from the delivery teams
• Effective development of the team, in particular managers, to ensure they are empowered at all levels to deliver the Centre objectives. Effective use of personal development plans in the creation of a succession plan for the Centre operations management team
• Effective HR management working in partnership with the HR business partner to ensure compliance with employment legislation, HR policies and procedures. Proactively lead and drive the recruitment of new staff within the team. The completion of scheduled appraisals for the Operations Managers
  
  

Financial and commercial performance

• Leadership of service charge and commercial activity, focusing on non-recoverable income growth and demonstrable operational excellence. Liaise closely with the Centre Director and Operations Managers to identify growth opportunities and income/profit maximisation
• You monitor income and expenditure against departmental budgets, to oversee the team, and to forecast and account for variances
• Development of innovation and best practice standards across all operational aspects of service delivery. Use systems to better understand the Centre requirements and use this knowledge to focus on the opportunity to deliver sustainable savings
• Sign off and acceptance of all tender requirements ensuring technical, operational and commercial objectives are achieved and in line with business objectives.
  
  

Risk management

• You will have a clear focus on operating safely and legally – being proud of the work ethic instilled in the team. Manage and ensure compliance with all aspects of Health and Safety/quality assurance/environmental requirements across the Centre
• Ensure effective duty management and business continuity by fully trained team members in line with the group crisis management policy and the Centre major incident management plan
• Manage the operational functions of the Centre to ensure business continuity, co-ordinating activities of departmental managers, ensuring that management cover is maintained. You will provide duty management cover on rotational basis and act as the responsible person at the Centre for all escalation points where applicable for the centre. Understanding the escalation of incident processes
• Work with the Centre Director to regularly review centre risks, manage and mitigate
  
  

Service delivery management

• Delivery of operational services and agreed objectives on time, and in accordance with the Centre operations plan (which you have designed alongside the senior centre management team), aligned with the company objectives and requirements
• Analyse and communicate performance against targets, including KPI status, service delivery and commercial performance, benchmarking against other Savills centres
• Manage the delivery of services to ensure all people (customers, retailers and staff) are safe and secure
• Statutory compliance must be an absolute priority for you, with the operations team organised and focused to deliver 100% compliance in all areas
• Manage the development of quality assurance best practice leading to ISO9001 and 14001 certification as well as other relevant certifications as required
• Implement and manage Centre based continuous review processes; leading improvement plans and projects to ensure the delivery of exceptional guest experience and brand consistency
  
  

Stakeholder management

• Develop and maintain strong, close relationships with other Centres and senior management teams across the portfolio
• Lead by example in the development of collaborative and mutually beneficial relationships with key supply chain partners
• Foster stakeholder relationships with the HR team, heads of security, environmental services, Health and Safety departments, surveyors, technical services, operational technology team, finance and commercial. Encourage your team to foster a ‘one team approach’
• Support the wider stakeholders including property, asset management, and marketing. Understand their business requirements and work together to deliver centre benefit
  
  

Skills, Knowledge And Experience

Person specification

• Proven success in managing complex operations within retail, leisure, or hospitality, with demonstrated excellence in leading and motivating diverse teams to achieve targets and objectives. Skilled at mentoring and inspiring team members
• Highly developed influencing skills with a strong track record in effective team supervision, leadership, and motivation. Able to communicate clearly and credibly across all levels and work within a diverse environment, adept at building relationships and fostering a team-based culture
• Strong organisational skills with exceptional written and verbal communication, including report writing and presentations. Able to make clear decisions under pressure and approach challenges with an analytical mindset. Energetic, personable, and able to establish credibility quickly
• Experienced in managing change efficiently to maintain service provision, collaborating effectively, and consistently delivering results under pressure. Skilled in project management, fostering partnerships, and applying analytical thinking to complex issues
• Financially astute, with demonstrated experience in managing budgets, monitoring financial performance, and optimising operational efficiencies to meet financial targets in a large organisation
• Proficient in IT systems and operational technology, capable of leveraging these tools to enhance operational performance
  
  

Essential

Qualifications and experience:

• 5 years plus experience working for a high-profile organisation in the facilities, retail, and/or hospitality sector with leadership experience of large teams. Knowledge of strategic-level operations within the retail environment
• Financially astute with a strong commercial focus, demonstrating budget responsibility and achieving targets in payroll, materials, and machinery expenditures
• Proficiency in data analysis to produce accurate trend reports
• Proven track record in contract management and retention
  
  

Desirable

• SIA Licence - Non-Front Line
• IOSH Managing Safely
• Diploma in Shopping Centre Management, or equivalent
• Qualification in economics or business/commerce
• Qualification in hospitality or front of house service excellence
• Qualification in building services
• NEBOSH (certificate or preferably diploma)
• BIFM membership.
• Shopping Centre Management experience
  
  

Working Hours - 40 hrs

Please see our Benefits Booklet for more information.