We are looking for a hands-on, operationally credible General Manager - UK North to lead and shape our Remote Access & Lifting business line during an exciting period of early-stage growth.
This is a foundational role — the successful candidate will be as comfortable working in delivery as they are stepping back to build the structures, processes, and team capability needed to scale the business sustainably.
This role requires a builder — someone who can bring order and rigour to a growing business line, put the right people and processes in place, and create a platform for long-term commercial success across lifting & rigging, ATV operations, track matting, off-road logistics, and HGV/HIAB services in the infrastructure, grid, substation, and hydro sectors.
A key part of this role will be helping to establish a project management and engineering function within the business line — building the internal capability needed to pursue and deliver larger, more complex work scopes and position the company for the next stage of growth.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Structure & Process Development
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Assess the current state of the business line and design a clear operational framework that supports safe, consistent, and scalable service delivery
- Develop and implement standard operating procedures, workflows, and governance structures across all service lines including lifting & rigging, HIAB/HGV, ATV operations, track matting, and off-road logistics
- Establish clear operational controls around plant, equipment, fleet, and resource management
- Build a culture of process discipline from the ground up, ensuring teams understand and follow agreed ways of working
- Liaise closely with the organisation's Technical Authority to ensure that all relevant compliance requirements, lifting regulations, and technical standards are understood at business line level and consistently implemented in the field
Building Project Management & Engineering Capability
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Work with senior leadership to define the project management and engineering function required to support larger and more complex work scopes
- Lead or contribute to the recruitment of initial project management and engineering roles, helping to identify the right profiles for the business line's growth trajectory
- Establish project delivery frameworks, governance structures, and reporting processes that give the business the rigour and visibility needed to take on bigger contracts with confidence
- Define how the PM and engineering function interfaces with operational delivery, the Technical Authority, and the commercial team — ensuring clarity of roles and responsibilities from the outset
- Progressively develop the function's capability over time, with a view to reducing delivery risk and increasing the business line's capacity to self-deliver increasingly complex scopes of work
- Use the emerging function to support pre-construction planning, programme management, and technical submission requirements on larger tenders and frameworks
Team Building & People Leadership
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Foster a strong safety-first culture and high-performance environment from the outset
- Take ownership of building out the Remote Access & Lifting team, working with senior leadership to define the right structure for current and future demands
- Lead recruitment, onboarding, and development of a multidisciplinary team spanning lifting supervisors, riggers, HIAB/HGV operators, ATV operators, logistics personnel, and — in time — project managers and engineers
- Ensure all personnel are appropriately trained, certificated, and competent, working with the Technical Authority to align the team's competency framework with organisational standards
- Coach and develop emerging leaders within the team to build internal capability over time
Health, Safety & Compliance
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Champion a zero-harm culture across all operations, setting the standard personally and ensuring it is embedded throughout the team
- Act as the key operational interface with the Technical Authority, translating compliance requirements and technical standards into day-to-day operational practice across all projects
- Ensure lifting plans, risk assessments, and method statements developed in conjunction with the Technical Authority are communicated effectively and consistently followed by all field personnel
- Maintain visibility of incident reporting and close-out activity, working with the Technical Authority to ensure lessons learned are embedded across the business line
- Support the upkeep of accreditations and certifications by ensuring the team operates in line with the standards set and maintained by the Technical Authority
Commercial & Client Development
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Work closely with senior leadership to support business development activity, contributing operational expertise to bids, tenders, and client conversations
- Build and maintain strong relationships with key clients across grid, substation, hydro, and wider infrastructure programmes
- Act as the operational face of the business line with clients, ensuring delivery consistently meets or exceeds expectations
Financial Awareness & Budget Monitoring
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Work alongside senior leadership and finance to monitor business line budgets, project costs, and resource expenditure
- Track project-level financial performance, flagging variances or risks promptly and clearly
- Contribute to resource planning and forecasting to ensure the business line scales in a financially responsible way
- Support the commercial team with invoicing, variations, and final accounts where required
Qualifications & Experience
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Proven experience in a senior operational role within lifting, specialist logistics, or related energy or infrastructure services — with a track record of building or significantly improving operational functions
- Demonstrable knowledge of crane and rigging operations, HIAB/HGV logistics, ATV and off-road operations, and/or track matting in demanding site environments
- Experience working on grid, substation, hydro, or wider energy infrastructure projects
- Some exposure to or understanding of project management disciplines — including programme planning, resource scheduling, and project governance — sufficient to help build and shape an emerging PM function
- A solid working understanding of LOLER, PUWER, CDM, and associated compliance requirements.
- Experience developing operational processes, SOPs, or governance frameworks — ideally within a growing or early-stage business
- A natural team builder with a track record of recruiting, developing, and retaining strong operational talent
Preferred:
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Experience establishing or growing a project management or engineering function within an operational services business
- Familiarity with project management methodologies or tools (e.g. NEC contracts, programme planning software, project reporting frameworks)
Key Competencies
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Operational credibility — able to earn respect on site as well as in the boardroom
- Builder mentality — energised by creating structure, process, and capability from scratch
- Strategic awareness — able to look beyond today's delivery and help shape the function the business needs to grow into
- Strong people leadership with a genuine commitment to developing others
- Clear communicator who can translate operational complexity for clients and senior stakeholders alike
- Able to work effectively alongside technical specialists, taking direction on compliance matters and ensuring it lands practically in the field
- Pragmatic and solutions-focused, comfortable navigating ambiguity in a young and fast-moving organisation
- Uncompromising on safety culture and implementation, even when under commercial pressure
- Sound commercial awareness with the ability to monitor budgets and flag risks effectively
Aurora Energy Services is a fast-growing, international energy services company operating across the full lifecycle of energy assets — from construction and maintenance to inspection and decommissioning. With a global footprint and teams working on major projects across multiple regions, we bring scale, technical capability and decades of industry experience to every job. Our reputation is built on disciplined delivery and an uncompromising approach to safety. For our people, that means working in a business that operates with clarity, competence and a commitment to doing things right, every time.
