Managing Director

Job Description

Managing Director – UK

This is one of those roles that rarely comes to market.

We are supporting a globally backed, infrastructure led organisation in the appointment of a Managing Director to lead a major UK operation at a defining moment in its journey. The platform is already substantial. What happens next is where the real opportunity lies.

The business sits at the intersection of long-term structural growth, importance and mission critical service delivery. It operates 24/7 in a highly regulated environment, with significant ongoing capital investment and a clear mandate to scale, modernise and strengthen resilience over the coming years.

For the right leader, this could be a genuinely career defining chapter.

The Opportunity

As Managing Director, you will have full accountability for strategy, operations, people, customers and financial performance for a complex UK platform. You will sit within a global leadership structure, with genuine influence at group level, and the mandate to shape culture, performance and future capability.

Key elements of the role include:

• Translating group strategy into a clear, site-level vision and delivery plan
• Leading large, multi-disciplinary teams in a 24/7 operational environment
• Owning safety, resilience, risk and regulatory compliance at the highest standards
• Acting as executive sponsor for key clients and partners
• Driving operational excellence, continuous improvement, innovation and digital enablement
• Overseeing significant operational budgets and capital investment decisions
• Building a high-performance, values-led culture with strong succession in place

Who This Could Suit

This role will appeal to senior leaders who thrive in asset-intensive, always-on, mission-critical, digital safety-critical or regulated environments, where uptime, resilience and customer trust are paramount for example:

• Infrastructure, utilities or energy
• Engineering-led real estate or large-scale estates
• Data centres and other or technical infrastructure environments
• Manufacturing, pharma or life sciences
• Defence, secure services or other mission-critical operations

What matters is your ability to lead complex operations where uptime, precision, trust and accountability are non-negotiable.

What We’re Looking For

• Proven experience at MD, GM or equivalent executive level
• Track record of running large, high-capital operations with full P&L ownership
• Strong commercial and financial judgement linked to operational decision-making
• Credibility with demanding customers, regulators and senior stakeholders
• A calm, resilient leadership style with high emotional intelligence
• The ability to inspire, align and develop senior leadership teams
• Engineering, technical or business background (MBA or equivalent desirable)

Why This Role

This is a career-defining leadership position offering scale, complexity and long-term impact. You will be trusted with a nationally significant operation, backed by a highly credible global organisation with a strong balance sheet, long-term investment horizon and clear commitment to sustainability, innovation and operational excellence.