Operations Manager

Zutari is a multinational buildings infrastructure engineering and advisory firm with over 90 years of experience across Africa and the Middle East. We partner with clients across the full infrastructure lifecycle delivering digitally driven solutions that shape schools stadiums dams bridges and the systems that connect them.

We are enablers of progress transforming ambition into impact and infrastructure into opportunity. Every role in Zutari contributes to building sustainable futures that extend far beyond the projects themselves.

What kind of talent do we pursue
We employ people with the right attitude and a positive mindset who are motivated by doing the right thing getting things done and share a sense of urgency. People who have an impact in our teams and broader community. People who think differently and connect with those around them to co-create new opportunities and leave a meaningful legacy.

About this role

Support the Operations Director (or similar) in improving business unit performance profitability and operational effectiveness through analysis insight process improvement and performance management. The role provides operational and commercial visibility across the unit projects clients and portfolios and works closely with senior management to inform decisions and support actions that enhance overall unit performance delivery effectiveness and continuous improvement across the unit.

This role offers strong development potential for a candidate seeking to build capability in operations leadership business performance commercial analysis and continuous improvement within a multidisciplinary consulting engineering business.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Performance and Business Insight

• Analyse utilisation performance across teams disciplines and offices to identify trends constraints and improvement opportunities.
• Analyse project performance against financial operational and delivery targets.
• Evaluate the unit and project profitability health indicators and key performance drivers to support improved decision-making and corrective action.
• Identify performance variances underlying causes and patterns across the business unit and support follow-through on agreed actions.
• Develop and maintain operational dashboards and business performance reporting that provide clear decision-useful insight to leadership.
• Support the preparation of analysis reports and management information for leadership forums and executive reviews.
• Work closely with senior management to interpret performance trends identify priority issues and support interventions that improve operational and commercial performance.

Client Portfolio and Commercial Performance Analysis

• Analyse client project bid and portfolio performance to identify profitability trends risk areas growth opportunities and strategic priorities.
• Support improved visibility of portfolio mix client contribution backlog quality and commercial performance across the business unit.
• Contribute to analysis of revenue margin backlog overheads working capital cash flow and other key performance indicators.
• Assist with annual budgeting forecasting and planning through accurate performance analysis and reporting.

Business Process Improvement and Operational Excellence

• Identify opportunities to improve business processes operational workflows reporting quality and performance visibility across the unit.
• Contribute to initiatives that improve profitability efficiency utilisation governance and delivery consistency.
• Support initiatives relating to the standardisation of documentation such as proposals capabilities reports and project deliverables.
• Support automation digitalisation and continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen operational decision-making and reduce inefficiencies.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of practical actions that enhance profitability utilisation delivery performance and operational effectiveness across the unit.

Resource Planning and Workforce Performance

• Analyse resource allocation utilisation and workforce trends to identify capacity constraints productivity opportunities and skills gaps.
• Track recruitment requirements and resource gaps and support workforce planning discussions with leadership teams.
• Contribute to improved alignment between workload capability and resource planning across the unit.

Governance Quality and Delivery Performance

• Support visibility and compliance across project governance quality management internal procedures and operational requirements.
• Carry out project reviews and track project reviews audit findings and corrective actions to strengthen delivery discipline and risk management.
• Monitor project planning and scheduling information within Vantagepoint (ERP system) to support better performance management.
• Maintain reliable operational records performance documentation and governance reporting.

Minimum Requirements

• Relevant tertiary degree Industrial Engineeringwould be preferred.
• Candidates withCivil Electrical Mechanical Engineering or other suitable qualificationswill be considered where supported by postgraduate or additional qualifications in:
  • Engineering Management
  • Operations Management
  • Business Management
  • Management Accounting
  • Business Performance
  • Project Management
• Professional registration or progress toward registration with a recognised professional body will is preferred.
• Minimum7 to 10 years relevant experiencein a consulting engineering professional services project-based or operational performance environment.
• Experience in analysing business performance project performance utilisation resource planning financial indicators or operational processes will be advantageous.
• Experience in identifying and supporting operational or commercial improvement initiatives will be advantageous.
• Advanced proficiency inMicrosoft Excel and Power BI or similar reporting and dashboard tools is required.
• Experience withVantagepointor similar ERP project-based consulting engineering systems will be advantageous.

We believe that a diverse workforce is key to our business success. We seek the best people for our jobs based on their skills qualifications and experience. We embrace the principle of equal opportunity in employment and we work towards eliminating all forms of unlawful discrimination in our employment support of diversity and the equal opportunity principle preference will be given to individuals from designated groups within South Africa.