Director of Operations – Mechanical & Electrical Hard Services | Ireland | Senior Leadership | €120,000–€130,000 + 20% Bonus
Key Points
- Position: Director of Operations – Mechanical & Electrical Hard Services
- Salary: €120,000–€130,000 per annum, depending on experience
- Performance Bonus: 20%
- Benefits: Pension, 25 days’ annual leave and company car or car allowance
- Sector: Mechanical & Electrical Engineering / Hard Facilities Management
- Operational Responsibility: National engineering and technical services portfolio
- Workforce: Approximately 80-100 mobile engineers, supported by operational management, scheduling and contract support teams
- Reporting To: Managing Director
- Leadership Level: Senior Management / Director
- Core Focus: Operational leadership, commercial performance, engineering service delivery, workforce productivity, contract profitability and business improvement
Job Summary
Hall Recruitment has been engaged to recruit a Director of Operations – Mechanical & Electrical Hard Services for an established engineering and technical facilities management business operating across Ireland.
This is a significant senior leadership opportunity for an ambitious and commercially astute professional who has already demonstrated strong operational management capability within the Mechanical & Electrical (M&E) Hard Services sector and is ready to progress into a director-level position.
The business operates a national portfolio of technical maintenance and engineering contracts, and a workforce of around 80–100 mobile engineers, supported by operational management, scheduling and administration teams.
Reporting directly to the Managing Director, the successful candidate will take responsibility for the overall operational performance of the business, ensuring engineering services are delivered safely, efficiently, profitably and consistently across its customer portfolio.
The operation includes electrical, mechanical, HVAC, planned preventative maintenance (PPM), reactive maintenance, statutory compliance and specialist technical services.
This position requires someone who understands how a substantial M&E services business operates, from the deployment and productivity of engineers through to contract profitability, customer retention, technical compliance and long-term business development.
However, the employer is not simply looking for someone to maintain existing processes.
We are seeking a confident, proactive and commercially focused leader who can challenge established practices constructively, introduce operational improvements and develop a stronger, more efficient and accountable service delivery model.
The ideal candidate may currently be working as a Senior Facilities Manager, Head of Hard Services, Head of Engineering Operations or Senior M&E Operations Manager, with significant responsibility for technical teams, operational budgets and contract performance.
Previous experience holding a Director of Operations title is not essential.
What matters is your ability to demonstrate the technical credibility, commercial judgement, leadership presence and operational achievements required to succeed at this level.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Operational Leadership & Business Performance
You will take overall responsibility for the performance and delivery of the company’s national Mechanical & Electrical Hard Services operations.
Responsibilities include:
- Lead operational service delivery across a national portfolio of M&E and Hard FM contracts.
- Translate business objectives into clear operational strategies, priorities and performance targets.
- Establish consistent operational processes, management structures and service delivery standards.
- Oversee mobile engineering teams, operational managers, contract management functions and support personnel.
- Ensure contracts are delivered in accordance with agreed service levels, KPIs and customer requirements.
- Identify operational inefficiencies and implement practical, measurable improvements.
- Establish clear accountability throughout the operational management structure.
- Develop performance reporting and management dashboards covering service delivery, compliance, workforce productivity and commercial results.
- Identify underperforming contracts and implement structured improvement plans.
- Ensure operational resources and management structures support the continued development of the business.
- Maintain operational readiness for business continuity, emergency response and critical incidents.
What to demonstrate in your application: Senior operational leadership experience within a Mechanical & Electrical or Hard FM services business, including responsibility for multi-site service delivery, operational performance and the management of substantial technical teams.
Commercial Leadership, P&L & Financial Management
You will have significant responsibility for the commercial performance of the company’s operational portfolio.
Responsibilities include:
- Take operational ownership of contract P&L performance and delivery against financial targets.
- Oversee operational budgets, forecasting, cost control and contract profitability.
- Identify opportunities to improve contract margins through better operational performance.
- Monitor engineering labour costs, workforce productivity and resource utilisation.
- Ensure effective commercial management of subcontractors and specialist service providers.
- Maintain control over contract variations, additional works and chargeable activities.
- Work closely with Finance and Commercial teams to monitor financial performance and manage commercial risks.
- Ensure operational managers understand the financial implications of service delivery decisions.
- Support pricing, operational modelling and commercial proposals for new business opportunities.
- Deliver sustainable improvements in efficiency without compromising safety, compliance or customer service.
What to demonstrate in your application: Proven experience managing significant operational budgets and contract P&Ls, with clear examples of improving profitability, labour productivity or commercial performance within an engineering or technical services environment.
Mechanical & Electrical Engineering Operations
You will oversee the effective management and deployment of the company’s technical engineering workforce across multiple customer locations.
Responsibilities include:
- Provide senior operational leadership across mechanical, electrical, HVAC and technical building services.
- Oversee the deployment and productivity of mobile engineering teams.
- Ensure effective coordination between engineering personnel, scheduling teams, contract managers and specialist subcontractors.
- Maintain consistent standards for planned preventative maintenance (PPM), reactive maintenance and statutory maintenance activities.
- Monitor engineering response times, maintenance completion rates and service performance.
- Work with technical leadership to maintain appropriate engineering standards and workforce competency.
- Ensure engineering resources are allocated effectively across customer contracts.
- Identify opportunities to improve engineer scheduling, labour utilisation and operational productivity.
- Oversee the management and performance of specialist subcontractors.
- Ensure appropriate escalation and resolution of significant technical or service delivery issues.
What to demonstrate in your application: Strong professional experience managing M&E engineering services, including mobile technical teams, mechanical and electrical maintenance operations, HVAC services and multi-site maintenance delivery.
Health, Safety, Statutory Compliance & Technical Governance
You will maintain senior operational oversight of health, safety and technical compliance across the business.
Responsibilities include:
- Promote a strong health and safety culture throughout engineering and operational teams.
- Ensure operational activities comply with applicable Irish legislation and contractual requirements.
- Oversee statutory maintenance, inspections and technical compliance obligations.
- Work with technical leadership to maintain appropriate engineering governance and competency standards.
- Ensure effective implementation of risk assessments, permits and safe systems of work.
- Maintain clear visibility of compliance performance through structured reporting and management reviews.
- Ensure specialist contractors operate in accordance with required safety and technical standards.
- Support compliance with relevant ISO management systems.
- Identify operational and compliance risks and ensure appropriate corrective actions are implemented.
- Promote consistent safety and compliance standards across customer contracts.
What to demonstrate in your application: Strong knowledge of Irish health and safety requirements, statutory maintenance obligations and technical governance within a Mechanical & Electrical or Hard FM environment.
Customer Relationships, Contract Retention & Business Growth
You will act as a senior operational representative of the business, developing strong relationships with customers and supporting continued commercial growth.
Responsibilities include:
- Build and maintain relationships with senior customer stakeholders and decision-makers.
- Act as a senior operational contact for strategically important contracts.
- Oversee customer performance reviews and ensure agreed actions are completed.
- Resolve significant operational issues and maintain customer confidence.
- Identify opportunities to improve customer satisfaction and service delivery.
- Support contract retention, renewals and extensions.
- Work closely with Business Development and Commercial teams on major tenders and new opportunities.
- Contribute to technical service proposals, operational solutions and customer presentations.
- Ensure operational capability supports the company’s commercial development.
- Promote a professional, responsive and commercially focused approach to customer management.
What to demonstrate in your application: Experience managing senior customer relationships, retaining significant technical services contracts and supporting commercial growth through strong operational performance.
Operational Improvement, Change Management & Contract Mobilisation
A central part of this appointment will be identifying opportunities to improve how the business operates.
The successful candidate will be expected to bring fresh ideas, challenge inefficient processes and introduce practical improvements that deliver measurable results.
Responsibilities include:
- Review existing operational processes and identify opportunities for improvement.
- Lead initiatives to strengthen engineering productivity, service delivery and commercial performance.
- Introduce more effective workforce planning, scheduling and resource allocation practices.
- Improve the use of CAFM systems, operational data and management reporting.
- Develop clear performance measures and accountability across operational teams.
- Lead the mobilisation of new engineering and Hard FM contracts.
- Ensure mobilisation plans address staffing, assets, compliance, subcontractors, reporting and customer requirements.
- Support the introduction of technology and automation to improve operational efficiency.
- Lead operational change programmes and ensure improvements are adopted across the business.
- Monitor the financial and operational impact of improvement initiatives.
What to demonstrate in your application: A proven record of identifying operational weaknesses, implementing change and delivering measurable improvements in service performance, productivity, profitability or customer satisfaction.
Senior People Leadership & Team Development
You will lead and develop the operational management team, ensuring the business has the leadership capability and accountability required to support its continued growth.
Responsibilities include:
- Lead, mentor and develop senior operational managers and their teams.
- Establish clear reporting structures, responsibilities and performance expectations.
- Build a culture of accountability, professionalism and continuous improvement.
- Ensure effective communication between management, engineering teams and operational support functions.
- Develop management capability through coaching, mentoring and performance management.
- Support workforce planning, technical competency and professional development.
- Identify future leadership requirements and succession planning priorities.
- Promote employee engagement and strong operational communication.
- Work closely with HR and senior management on organisational development.
- Ensure operational teams understand their responsibilities for service quality, safety and commercial performance.
What to demonstrate in your application: Strong leadership experience managing operational managers and technical teams, with evidence of improving team performance, developing management capability and leading people through organisational change.
Essential Experience & Requirements
This is a senior leadership appointment within a substantial Mechanical & Electrical Hard Services business.
Applicants must demonstrate significant professional experience managing technical engineering operations, together with the commercial and leadership capability required to assume director-level responsibility.
Mechanical & Electrical Hard Services Background
Applicants must have:
- Significant senior operational management experience within a Mechanical & Electrical Hard Services, technical facilities management or engineering services company.
- Strong technical understanding of mechanical and electrical building services, including HVAC.
- Experience overseeing planned preventative maintenance, reactive maintenance and statutory maintenance delivery.
- Experience managing complex, multi-site engineering operations.
- Proven responsibility for mobile engineering teams, technical maintenance personnel and specialist subcontractors.
- Strong understanding of engineering workforce deployment, scheduling and labour productivity.
- Knowledge of statutory maintenance, technical compliance and engineering governance.
- Experience using CAFM or computerised maintenance management systems.
A professional background in M&E Hard Services is essential. Applicants whose experience is exclusively within Soft Facilities Management will not meet the technical requirements of this position.
Senior Operational & Commercial Management
Applicants must demonstrate:
- Significant responsibility for operational performance within a substantial engineering or Hard FM business.
- Experience managing operational managers, contract management teams and technical personnel.
- Proven responsibility for operational budgets, financial forecasting and contract P&Ls.
- Experience improving contract margins, productivity and operational efficiency.
- Strong understanding of SLAs, KPIs and commercial service delivery requirements.
- Experience managing specialist subcontractors and technical supply chains.
- Ability to identify commercial and operational risks and implement corrective action.
- Experience supporting contract mobilisation, renewals or business development activities.
Leadership & Management Competencies
The successful candidate will demonstrate:
- Strong leadership presence and the confidence to engage with senior executives, customers and operational teams.
- A proactive, decisive and results-focused management style.
- Ability to challenge existing processes constructively and introduce positive operational change.
- Strong commercial judgement and financial accountability.
- Confidence making operational decisions and taking responsibility for outcomes.
- Excellent communication, influencing and stakeholder management skills.
- Ability to lead experienced technical managers and engineering teams.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving capability.
- Experience developing high-performing operational teams.
- Ability to balance immediate service delivery requirements with longer-term business objectives.
- A proven record of delivering measurable operational improvements.
Compliance & Technology
Applicants should have:
- Strong knowledge of Irish health and safety legislation and safe systems of work.
- Understanding of statutory maintenance and building services compliance.
- Familiarity with relevant ISO management systems, including ISO 9001, ISO 45001 and ISO 14001.
- Experience managing operational risk and contractor compliance.
- Strong experience using CAFM or Computerised Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS).
- Ability to use operational data and management information to improve performance.
- Strong Microsoft 365 capability, particularly Excel, Teams and PowerPoint.
- Experience with Power BI, operational dashboards or workforce management systems would be advantageous.
Qualifications & Desirable Experience
Qualifications
A relevant degree or equivalent senior operational experience is required.
Qualifications in the following disciplines would be advantageous:
- Mechanical Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Building Services Engineering
- Facilities Management
- Operations Management
- Business Management
- Project Management
- Continuous Improvement
- Health & Safety
Chartered status or recognised professional membership within an engineering or facilities management discipline would also be beneficial.
Desirable Professional Experience
The following would be particularly advantageous:
- Experience working within a national M&E engineering or Hard FM services provider.
- Leadership of substantial mobile engineering teams.
- Experience managing complex technical maintenance contracts across multiple sites.
- Experience within pharmaceutical, life sciences, manufacturing, data centre, healthcare, commercial property or public-sector environments.
- Successful mobilisation of major engineering or Hard FM contracts.
- Experience implementing operational improvement or business change programmes.
- Management of complex engineering supply chains and specialist subcontractors.
- A proven record of improving contract profitability through operational efficiency.
- Experience contributing to major tenders, contract renewals or business development initiatives.
Who This Role Would Suit
This position is particularly suited to an ambitious senior operational leader who has already demonstrated strong management capability within a Mechanical & Electrical Hard Services business and is ready to progress into a Director of Operations position.
Relevant current or previous job titles may include:
- Senior Facilities Manager – Hard Services
- Head of Hard Facilities Management
- Head of Mechanical & Electrical Services
- Senior Operations Manager – M&E
- General Manager – Technical Services
- Regional Operations Manager – Hard FM
- Head of Engineering Operations
- National Operations Manager – Technical Services
- Senior Technical Services Manager
- Director of Technical Services
Previous experience holding a Director of Operations title is not essential.
The employer is looking for someone who has already demonstrated the ability to manage substantial technical operations, lead experienced teams, take responsibility for commercial performance and deliver meaningful operational improvements.
The ideal candidate will be ambitious, commercially focused and confident in their leadership abilities.
They will have the presence to engage effectively with senior executives and customers, the technical credibility to lead experienced engineering teams and the judgement to identify where operational changes are needed.
This is an opportunity for a proven senior M&E or Hard FM leader to take the next step in their career, provided they can demonstrate the experience and capability required to operate at director level.
Salary, Benefits & Working Arrangements
Basic Salary
€120,000–€130,000 per annum, depending on experience and suitability.
Performance Bonus
20% performance bonus, subject to the employer’s bonus arrangements.
Pension
Company pension benefit included.
Annual Leave
25 days’ annual leave.
Company Vehicle
Company car or car allowance.
Reporting Structure
Reporting directly to the Managing Director.
Operational Responsibility
Responsibility for a substantial technical workforce of approximately 80-100 mobile engineers, supported by operational management, scheduling and contract support teams.
Location
Ireland – national operational responsibility.
Specific office location, travel requirements and working arrangements will be discussed during the recruitment process.
Location & Right to Work Requirements
Applicants must already hold the legal right to live and work in Ireland on a permanent, full-time basis without requiring employer sponsorship.
As this position involves national operational responsibility, candidates must also be able to meet the role’s travel and attendance requirements.
Apply Now
Hall Recruitment welcomes applications from ambitious and experienced senior professionals with a proven background in Mechanical & Electrical Hard Services, technical engineering operations or Hard Facilities Management.
We are particularly interested in candidates who can demonstrate:
- Senior operational leadership within a substantial M&E or Hard FM services business.
- Experience managing mobile engineering teams and technical service delivery.
- Responsibility for significant operational budgets and contract P&Ls.
- Strong understanding of mechanical, electrical, HVAC and building maintenance operations.
- Proven success improving operational efficiency, contract profitability and service performance.
- Experience leading operational change and developing management teams.
- The confidence, communication skills and leadership presence required to operate at director level.
At Hall Recruitment, we’re dedicated to building diverse and authentic workplaces. We also know that excellent candidates rarely match 100% of a job description. If you meet around 70% of the criteria for this role, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. The essential M&E Hard Services background and senior operational leadership requirements must still be met.
