Contract Manager - Heathrow Airport

The Opportunity

This is an outstanding career opportunity to deliver a strategically important contract offering the full range of services at Heathrow. Primarily focusing on landside maintenance, with occasional airside responsibilities the role will require the management of grounds maintenance, litter collection, and associated services including riparian management, significant conservation maintenance, and landscape improvement projects.

The successful candidate will have a demonstrable track record of managing grounds maintenance and project teams and be able to drive productivity while ensuring the workforce provides a quality service. Candidates should have a strategic outlook to enable continuous improvement and identify efficiencies along the way.

This is a hands-on role involving monitoring the progress of teams on-site and taking quick and effective action to maintain both high productivity and client satisfaction. You will have full responsibility for the Contract accounts and the production of weekly and monthly reports.

Commencing in April 2021, Glendale holds a 5-year contract with London Heathrow Airport Ltd with the option of a 2 year extension in 2026

The contract requires Glendale to deliver regular grounds maintenance (including horticultural and arboricultural work), conservation work, corrective maintenance, planting and other ad-hoc services as may be necessary to maintain Heathrow Airport Ltd’s portfolio of property in and around the airfield. All services are carried out in accordance with Heathrow technical standards and / or  CAP 772 where Airside activities are being undertaken whichever provides the higher standard, Good Industry Practice.

The Heathrow contract entrusts Glendale to deliver the maintenance of over 16.5 hectares of shrub beds, 26.8 hectares of lawns, 170 hectares of biodiversity/conservation areas and 316 hectares of airside grass management. In addition to the significant grounds maintenance services offered, Glendale also maintains high profile sites within the Airport, including the Royal Suite, Compass Centre and Emirates Airbus A380 roundabout. Nature conservation is an important part of the service offering, with meadow and river management delivered to the Biodiversity Benchmark standard.

Employing 20 staff, based at the airport, to deliver landside maintenance. The Airside maintenance is primarily delivered using in-house staff by the client, however there is an increasing opportunity for Glendale to take on maintenance tasks airside.

Heathrow is the premier Airport in the UK and the 2nd busiest Airport in the world, with c62m passengers in 2022. The grounds maintenance service needs to wrap around the primary requirements of the facility with our teams working flexibly to deliver exceptional customer service.

Organisational Structure

The Heathrow contract sites within our North Thames region with the contract manager reporting directly to the Regional Director.

The North Thames region was fully established in 2019 after a restructure of our business and currently delivers c£10m of contract across North London and the Northern home counties,  including our unique business of Civic Tree, which specialises in the supply, plant and relocation of mature trees across the UK. The region operates from 6 offices and a further 3 depots with a management team of 15 and c100 staff and is overseen by our Regional Director, Angus Fraser. The company has plans for 20% strategic, organic growth over the next 3 years.

Role Objectives

The Contract Manager is the most senior member of staff on the contract.

The Contract Manager will take responsibility for all business activities of Glendale in and around Heathrow. Reporting to the Regional Director, the Contract Manager will motivate and lead all staff on the contract and achieve the productivity, sales and financial targets established and approved in the annual budget.

The Contract Manager should take the initiative and continually improve operational activity.  The person requires ambition and a high level of commitment.  The Contract Manager is critical to decision making processes within the business and must gain the trust and loyalty of all stakeholders in the company.

The role will form a significant part of the succession plan for the business with excellent career progression prospects available.

Job Description

The role of a Contract Manager can never be defined fully, but in all matters they must demonstrate leadership and command respect within the business.  All decisions must be communicated clearly both to those responsible to the postholder and to those persons the postholder reports to.

The ability to work closely with all internal and external stakeholders to deliver a seamless service is imperative, ensuring a consistent approach to service delivery, systems and client expectations is of paramount importance.

The Contract Manager should be prepared to take the initiative and continually improve operational activity.  Candidates require ambition and commitment. This role is critical to decision-making processes within the business and therefore the successful candidate must gain the trust and loyalty of all the stakeholders in the contract.

The main responsibilities of the Contract Manager will be:

• Contribute fully to the effective running of contracts and the wider Glendale business

• To provide the leadership required to meet company and client objectives, directing the commercial activity of the contracts under their control to secure a level of financial performance that is at least as good as budgeted.

• To monitor and control the financial performance of the contracts under their control through the company’s financial and reporting procedures, and to assist the Regional Director in the setting of budgets.

• Be technically able and play a proactive role in securing new business for Glendale

• Maintain and build relations with new and existing clients

• Direct the business activity of the office, ensuring that all work is programmed to meet the productivity targets required, costs tendered and progress expected by the company

• Build and maintain a sound organisational structure, recruiting, training and motivating staff based at the office as required

• Monitor the performance of the operation through the field management system (Glendale Live), performance dashboards, client systems and reporting procedures

• Safeguard the company’s image and credibility

• Proactively target additional business

• Take responsibility for health and safety and actively participate in the maintenance and improvement of the overall Company Health and Safety culture

• Ensure the maintenance of Quality, Environmental, Safety & Health Standards and ensure the Quality & Environmental Systems are maintained to CAA CAP 772, ISO: 9001, 14001 & 45001 standard at the office.

In addition to the above roles they will be required to quickly develop an understanding and knowledge of the web-based systems that are required in the management and works at Heathrow such as P2W, Mtrust and Airdat. Training in the use of these systems, in order to become an Authorised Signatory, will be provided.

The Contract Manager will also focus, day-to-day, on the following tasks:

Overseeing the effective commercial running of the contracts under their control, evaluating the productivity of the workforce, vehicle & machinery maintenance, product and services and other requirements to ensure maximum efficiency.

• Meeting, pricing and securing contracts and sales.

• Oversee the smooth running of contracts, projects and operations

• Manage all financial accounting requirements needed by the company including:

• Ensure the office delivers to plan, budget and profit

• Prepare and analyse financial forecasts for the office

• Control operations of individual projects within the budget

• Maintain and update client reporting systems

• Maintain and update internal business systems and KPI dashboards

• Review quotes, forward orders and order completions

• Review stock and work-in-progress

• Take responsibility for the maintenance of Glendale Live across the contract

• Maintain the effective organisational structure for the office

• Determine staffing levels and maintain an effective team

• Recruit employees/subcontractors as necessary

• Ensure that all employees/subcontractors are effectively managed and employee records are kept up-to-date

• Maintaining good employee relations

• Evaluate vehicle and machinery requirements and maintain in accordance with company systems and manufacturers recommendations

• Establish and maintain lists of suitable suppliers

• Effectively implement and monitor the company’s Health & Safety policy and procedures

• Keep abreast of current professional techniques and help establish training programmes for employees

• Liaise with customers to:

• agree programmes of work

• discuss technical matters

• inspect and certify completed work

• agree additional works

• resolve issues

• Any other duties that may arise relevant to the role.