Operations Excellence Director

Heidelberg Materials UK (formerly Hanson UK) is one of the UK’s largest suppliers of construction materials, employing over 4,000 people and operating around 300 manufacturing sites in the UK.

We are committed to building a more sustainable future and recognise that a diverse workforce is vital to our growth and advancement. We aim to promote a culture that values openness, transparency and individual achievement.

At the centre of our actions lies the responsibility for the environment. As the front runner on the path to carbon neutrality and circular economy in the building materials industry, we are working on sustainable building materials and solutions for the future. We enable new opportunities for our customers through digitalisation.

Operations Excellence Director South

Competitive Salary + Bonus + Company Car

Sitting at the heart of business transformation, you’ll lead a high-performing, multidisciplinary function spanning:

• Aggregates, Asphalt & Recycling Performance
• Capital Project Management (CapEx)
• Land Surveying
• Electrical Operations Support
• Heavy Mobile Equipment (HME) Fleet

You’ll bring these capabilities together to drive productivity, efficiency, and innovation setting the benchmark for Operational Excellence across the organisation.

What You’ll Be Doing

Strategic Leadership

• Define and deliver the vision for Operations Excellence aligned to business priorities
• Build a high-performing function with strong governance, reporting and accountability

Operational Performance

• Champion LEAN methodologies (TIMWOODS, Kaizen, benchmarking)
• Lead plant optimisation initiatives to increase efficiency and EBIT performance
• Embed continuous improvement culture across all sites

CapEx Delivery

• Own the delivery of major capital programmes end-to-end
• Ensure projects are delivered safely, on time and within budget

Technical & Operational Support

• Oversee critical support services including surveying, electrical and HME fleet
• Ensure resources are aligned to operational priorities

Stakeholder Impact

• Partner with senior leadership, operations and engineering teams
• Champion Voice of Customer and Critical to Quality (CTQ) thinking

Safety & Compliance

• Lead with a safety-first mindset
• Ensure full compliance with HSE and engineering standards

What Success Looks Like

• Measurable improvement in plant KPIs and operational efficiency
• Consistent delivery of major CapEx projects to time, cost and quality
• Tangible increase in Return on Capital Employed (RCO / EBIT)
• Strong stakeholder confidence and engagement
• High-performing, motivated and collaborative team
• Industry-leading safety performance

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.

  Rewards & Benefits

  We’re proud to be recognised as an Employer of Choice, with accreditations including:

• Armed Forces Covenant (Gold) | DisabilityConfident | 5% Club (Platinum) | Mates in Mind | ClearAssured | STEMAmbassador | 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