Operations Manager

Key Responsibilities

Portfolio Leadership and Operational Governance

• Directs the overall execution of all Mawums projects in Ghana and converts corporate objectives into clear operational priorities.
• Establishes consistent governance, reporting, review and escalation arrangements across the project portfolio.
• Chairs regular portfolio and project performance reviews covering safety, programme, cost, cash flow, quality, resources and client matters.
• Provides the General Manager with accurate forecasts, decisions required and recommended corrective actions for final direction.
• Maintains a visible leadership presence at active project sites and operating facilities.

Project Mobilisation and Execution

• Ensures each project is mobilised in accordance with contract requirements, approved budgets, execution strategy and statutory obligations.
• Reviews project mobilisation plans, site establishment, temporary works arrangements, construction methodologies and initial resource deployment, and recommends them to the General Manager for approval.
• Verifies that competent project leadership, plant, labour, systems, permits and supply arrangements are available before major works commence.
• Coordinates support for projects facing complex interfaces, access constraints, delayed approvals or elevated delivery risk.
• Directs recovery planning for underperforming projects.

Programme and Production Management

• Reviews and endorses baseline programmes, production targets, procurement schedules and rolling look-ahead plans.
• Monitors critical paths, productivity, planned-versus-actual progress and key constraints across all projects.
• Challenges unrealistic sequencing or resource assumptions and ensures timely corrective action on programme slippage.
• Coordinates inter-project priorities where equipment, plant, specialist teams or materials are shared.
• Ensures project reporting is timely, consistent and supported by reliable field data.

Financial and Commercial Performance

• Manages the day-to-day operating performance of the Ghana project portfolio and drives delivery of approved revenue, margin and cash-flow targets, while the General Manager retains final financial accountability.
• Reviews monthly cost reports, forecasts, cost-to-complete, earned value, productivity, commitments and exposure to cost overruns.
• Works with Commercial and Finance teams to improve measurement, certification, invoicing, collections, claims and variation recovery.
• Identifies loss-making activities and directs timely operational or commercial recovery measures.
• Ensures project decisions consider both technical requirements and commercial consequences.

Resources, Plant and Equipment

• Consolidates project resource requirements and optimises the deployment of personnel, equipment, vehicles and production facilities.
• Recommends major transfers and allocation priorities between projects for approval by the General Manager.
• Monitors utilisation, availability, downtime, maintenance compliance and operating cost of critical plant and equipment.
• Coordinates quarry, crushing, asphalt and concrete production capacity with project demand and sales commitments.
• Supports decisions on hire, purchase, overhaul or disposal within delegated authority.

Procurement, Logistics and Materials

• Ensures procurement and logistics plans are aligned with construction programmes, approved budgets and required lead times.
• Reviews critical-material schedules, long-lead items, import requirements and supply-chain risks.
• Supports selection and performance management of strategic suppliers and service providers.
• Ensures adequate controls over material receipt, storage, consumption, wastage, fuel and inventory.
• Escalates supply constraints and directs alternative sourcing or resequencing where necessary.

Technical and Engineering Coordination

• Ensures drawings, specifications, method statements, temporary works, technical submissions and approvals support uninterrupted execution.
• Coordinates Project Managers, Technical Office and Engineering teams to resolve design conflicts and constructability issues.
• Reviews significant changes in methodology, scope or sequence before implementation.
• Ensures technical queries, design changes and instructions are documented and assessed for programme and commercial impact.
• Escalates unresolved technical risks requiring specialist or executive intervention.

Quality Management

• Ensures each project implements the approved Project Quality Plan, Inspection and Test Plans, method statements and material-control procedures.
• Works with the Corporate QA/QC Manager to review quality performance, major NCRs, test failures, recurring defects and handover readiness.
• Ensures corrective actions are properly resourced and closed without delay.
• Promotes preventive planning and right-first-time delivery to reduce rework, wastage and client dissatisfaction.
• Supports stop-work or rejection decisions where compliance or structural integrity is at risk.

Health, Safety, Environment and Community

• Provides visible operational leadership for HSE and ensures compliance with corporate standards, project plans and Ghanaian legal requirements.
• Reviews significant incidents, high-risk activities, environmental non-compliances and overdue corrective actions.
• Ensures adequate resources for traffic management, occupational health, emergency response, environmental protection and community safety.
• Coordinates operational responses to community concerns and sensitive stakeholder interfaces.
• Has authority to direct immediate action where unsafe conditions exist.

Risk, Controls and Management Reporting

• Maintains a consolidated register of major operational, programme, financial, contractual, quality, HSE and stakeholder risks.
• Ensures project risks have clear owners, mitigation measures, deadlines and escalation thresholds.
• Standardises portfolio dashboards and validates the reliability of management information before executive submission.
• Conducts risk-based operational audits and special reviews of projects requiring intervention.
• Tracks implementation of management decisions to confirmed closure.

Client and Stakeholder Management

• Acts as the senior operational interface for major client, consultant and government matters affecting project delivery.
• Supports Project Managers during high-level progress meetings, negotiations, audits, disputes and recovery discussions.
• Ensures commitments made to clients are realistic, recorded, assigned and fulfilled.
• Maintains constructive relationships with authorities, utilities, local administrations and key community representatives.
• Escalates issues that could materially affect the company's reputation or contractual position.

Subcontractor Performance

• Ensures subcontract packages are operationally well defined, properly resourced and aligned with project programmes.
• Reviews the capability and mobilisation readiness of critical subcontractors.
• Monitors subcontractor productivity, quality, safety, documentation and compliance with contractual obligations.
• Directs improvement plans for underperforming subcontractors and recommends suspension or replacement where necessary.
• Ensures completed work is measured, accepted and commercially reconciled.

Handover and Project Close-Out

• Ensures handover, commissioning, snagging and close-out requirements are planned from the early stages of each project.
• Monitors progressive completion of as-built drawings, test packs, warranties, manuals, quality dossiers and final accounts.
• Coordinates resources to close outstanding works and defects within agreed deadlines.
• Ensures demobilisation, asset transfer, inventory reconciliation and site reinstatement are properly controlled.
• Conducts operational close-out reviews and captures lessons learned.

People Leadership and Continuous Improvement

• Sets clear objectives and performance expectations for Project Coordinators, Project Managers and senior operational personnel.
• Coaches project leaders and supports succession, retention and development of high-potential Ghanaian professionals.
• Promotes collaboration between projects and eliminates siloed decision-making.
• Standardises effective planning, reporting, production and control practices across the portfolio.
• Builds a disciplined culture of accountability, integrity, safety, quality and continual improvement.

Qualifications

Formal Education

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management or a related engineering discipline.
• A master's degree in Engineering, Business Administration or Construction Management is advantageous
• Professional engineering or recognised construction-management membership is highly desirable.
• Formal training in project management, contract management or financial control is an advantage.

Work Experience

• Minimum 15 years of relevant construction experience, including at least 7 years in senior project, operations or regional management.
• Demonstrated responsibility for multiple concurrent road, civil engineering, building or heavy-infrastructure projects.
• Strong exposure to earthworks, roadworks, drainage, concrete structures, quarries, aggregates, asphalt and concrete production.
• Proven accountability for project budgets, cost-to-complete, programme recovery, plant deployment, subcontractors and client relations.
• Experience delivering projects in Ghana or comparable West African markets is highly advantageous.

Skills

• Executive leadership and multi-project operations management.
• Strong programme, production, cost and resource-management capability.
• Commercial awareness, forecasting and financial-analysis skills.
• Excellent negotiation, decision-making and crisis-management capability.
• Advanced business English and strong management-reporting skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and project planning, ERP or reporting systems.

Knowledge

• Comprehensive knowledge of construction operations, project controls and contract administration.
• Strong understanding of road and civil works, concrete, asphalt, aggregates, quarry operations, plant and equipment management.
• Working knowledge of quality, HSE, environmental and statutory requirements applicable to construction in Ghana.
• Understanding of claims, variations, payment certification, cash flow, cost control and the commercial consequences of operational decisions.
• Knowledge of risk management, stakeholder engagement and project handover.

Abilities

• Ability to lead several geographically dispersed projects and set clear priorities.
• Ability to interpret incomplete or conflicting information and make timely decisions.
• Ability to challenge project teams constructively and intervene before problems become critical.
• Ability to balance safety, quality, programme, cost, cash flow and client expectations.
• Ability to communicate effectively with executives, clients, government officials, consultants, employees and communities.

Behavioural Competencies

• High integrity, accountability and commercial discipline.
• Visible, decisive and hands-on leadership style.
• Calm and structured response under pressure.
• Strong collaboration, negotiation and conflict-resolution skills.
• Commitment to developing people and building sustainable local capability.
• Willingness to travel extensively and maintain a regular presence at all projects.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Safety and Environment Fatality prevention, incident rates, audit closure and legal compliance
• Programme Delivery Milestone achievement, schedule variance and recovery-plan effectiveness
• Financial Performance Revenue, operating margin, cost-to-complete accuracy and cost variance
• Cash and Commercial Certification, invoicing, collections, claims and variation recovery
• Production and Resources Productivity, plant utilisation, downtime and resource efficiency
• Quality Performance NCR recurrence, rework cost, test pass rates and client observations
• Client Satisfaction Commitment closure, complaints, repeat comments and relationship health
• Risk and Reporting Forecast accuracy, risk closure and timely, reliable management reporting
• People Performance Leadership effectiveness, retention, succession and development of project teams
• Handover and Close-Out Snag closure, dossier completion, final-account readiness and demobilisation

Location: Accra (with extensive travel to all project sites, quarries, asphalt and concrete plants, workshops, camps and supplier facilities)

Salary: Attractive