Area Operations Manager – Aggregates & Asphalt North
Location: North England & Wales
Salary: £75,000 – £85,000 + Bonus + Company Car/Car Allowance + Pension + Excellent Benefits
Lead Operations. Drive Performance. Shape the Future.
This is more than a site leadership role, this is a role with real influence. It’s an opportunity to take ownership of a major Aggregates and Asphalt operation spanning quarries, depots and asphalt plants across Northern England and Wales. Leading a team of experienced operational professionals, you’ll have the freedom and influence to shape performance across safety, production, profitability, people development and continuous improvement. With full responsibility for a diverse and strategically important portfolio, you’ll play a pivotal role in delivering operational excellence while helping to build the future of Heidelberg Materials UK. If you’re motivated by leading large-scale operations, developing high-performing teams and making a tangible impact on business results, this is the challenge you’ve been looking for.
Your Region
You will have responsibility for a diverse network of Aggregates and Asphalt operations across:
- North West England: Wigan, Tuebrook (Liverpool), Runcorn
- Mid Wales: Criggion
- Yorkshire: Horton
Key Responsibilities
Leadership & People
- Lead and develop a regional operational management team across multiple sites.
- Create a high-performance culture focused on accountability, engagement and continuous improvement.
- Coach and develop future leaders while maintaining robust succession plans.
- Ensure teams have the capability, resources and support needed to deliver business objectives.
Health, Safety & Environment
- Champion a world-class safety culture where everyone goes home safe every day.
- Drive continuous improvement in health, safety and wellbeing performance.
- Ensure environmental standards are delivered and exceeded in line with company objectives.
- Maintain compliance with Heidelberg Materials Integrated Management Systems.
Operational Performance
- Deliver optimum production levels aligned with commercial demand.
- Maximise operational efficiency while controlling costs.
- Drive improvements in productivity, plant availability, energy performance and overall operational effectiveness.
- Support network optimisation initiatives across the region.
Business & Financial Management
- Deliver agreed operating profit targets and budget commitments.
- Develop and implement regional operational business plans.
- Ensure management information is accurate, timely and used to identify performance improvement opportunities.
- Evaluate and develop capital investment proposals aligned to business objectives.
- Work collaboratively with commercial and logistics teams to maximise customer service and supply performance.
- Ensure products consistently meet quality specifications.
- Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders and key external partners.
- Create a culture where operational excellence and innovation thrive.
- Drive CI programmes across all sites.
- Utilise KPI data and benchmarking information to identify opportunities for improvement.
- Lead change initiatives and major improvement projects across the region.
About You
We’re looking for an experienced operational leader with a proven track record of managing complex, multi-site industrial operations.
Experience
- Significant leadership experience within aggregates, asphalt, heavy manufacturing, construction materials, mining, quarrying, cement or a comparable industrial environment.
- Experience in a senior operational management role.
- Proven experience managing multi-site operations.
- Strong commercial and financial awareness.
- Experience delivering major capital investment, business transformation or operational improvement projects.
- Demonstrated success in leading teams through change and driving performance improvements.
Qualifications
- Educated to Diploma level or equivalent in a relevant discipline.
- SHE NVQ Level 5 / QCF Level 7 (or working towards).
- Full UK driving licence.
Personal Qualities
- Inspirational and visible leader.
- Strategically minded with strong operational focus.
- Strong decision-maker with excellent influencing skills.
- Passionate about safety, people development and operational excellence.
- Collaborative and commercially focused.
- Driven to challenge the status quo and deliver continuous improvement.
Why Join us?
At Heidelberg Materials, we don’t just offer jobs—we build careers. As a global leader in construction materials, we’re committed to innovation, sustainability, and, above all, our people.
We’re proud to be recognised as an Employer of Choice, with accreditations including:
- Armed Forces Covenant (Gold) | Disability Confident | 5% Club (Platinum) | Mates in Mind | Clear Assured | STEM Ambassador | MPQC Member
- Competitive Package: Salary, bonus incentives, generous pension, and life assurance
- Work-Life Balance: 27 days holiday (plus bank holidays), agile/flexible working, holiday purchase, and sabbatical options, Season and travel ticket loans
- Family-Friendly Policies: Enhanced support for maternity, paternity, adoption, IVF, neonatal care, and menopause
- Inclusive Culture: Paid volunteering day and active employee communities (LGBTQ+, Women in STEM, Armed Forces, and more)
- Wellbeing & Development: Employee Assistance Programme, retail discounts, and continuous learning opportunities
#J-18808-Ljbffr…