Area Operations Director – Defence, Soft FM
Aramark
full-time
Posted on:
Location Type: Office
Location: Leeds • United Kingdom
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Job Level
About the role
- Lead operational delivery across multiple MOD establishments, ensuring consistent service standards across catering, retail, cleaning, and hospitality services.
- Provide leadership to a team of Contract Managers and General Managers, creating a culture of accountability, engagement, and operational excellence.
- Act as the senior operational interface with MOD and Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) stakeholders, building trusted partnerships and ensuring contract delivery meets client expectations.
- Drive commercial performance across the portfolio, with accountability for revenue, labour productivity, food cost control, and gross profit delivery.
- Ensure full compliance with contract governance, health & safety requirements, regulatory standards, and audit frameworks across all locations.
- Lead performance reviews, governance meetings, and operational reporting, presenting confidently to senior leadership and client stakeholders.
- Identify opportunities for service innovation, operational improvement, and contract growth, supporting the long-term success of the HESTIA contract.
- Champion a strong safety culture, ensuring best practice in health, safety, and wellbeing across the portfolio.
- Support mobilisation, service transformation and operational change initiatives where required.
Requirements
- Extensive experience leading large-scale multisite FM or hospitality operations, ideally within defence, government, or other regulated environments.
- Demonstrated ability to lead senior operational teams across complex portfolios.
- Strong commercial acumen with responsibility for P&L performance, financial reporting, and cost management.
- Experience managing client relationships at senior stakeholder level.
- Proven experience delivering operational improvement and service innovation.
- Understanding of compliance, governance, and audit processes within regulated contracts.
- Experience working within the MoD or Defence sector (highly desirable).
Benefits
- Competitive salary + package
- Company car/ car allowance
- Hybrid working
- Generous annual leave that increases in line with service, with the opportunity to buy extra
- Life assurance and pension scheme
- Benefits app: access to 100s of discounts, free mortgage advice, cycle to work scheme, health cash plans, online GP appointments, and our Employee Assistance Programme
- Opportunities to attend in-house events and try the culinary genius of our teams (we are a food business after all!)
Applicant Tracking System Keywords
Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.
Hard Skills & Tools
P&L performancefinancial reportingcost managementoperational improvementservice innovationcontract governancehealth & safety complianceaudit frameworksperformance reviewsoperational reporting
Soft Skills
leadershipaccountabilityengagementcommercial acumenclient relationship managementpresentation skillsteam managementstrategic thinkingproblem-solvingcommunication