Area Manager, Management Operations Manager

Are you an experienced commercial leader ready to make a significant impact? Veolia is seeking an exceptional Commercial Area Manager to take strategic ownership of an entire operational area, leading a diverse team of 150-300 people across 4-7 sites and driving £40-75M in revenue. As the Area Manager, you'll hold a pivotal leadership position, directly overseeing Business Managers, Operation Managers, and all operational personnel within your geographical region.

This is not just a management role—it’s an opportunity to shape strategy, drive transformation, and embed a culture of excellence across every aspect of the business. You’ll be instrumental in driving business development, identifying growth opportunities, ensuring operational excellence, and delivering superior customer service. Working closely with the Head of Operations, you’ll align your area’s strategy with broader organisational objectives while maintaining an unwavering focus on safety, compliance, and profitability.

• Create and implement short-term (0-3 months) and medium-term (12 months) strategies aligned with Regional and Commercial objectives
• Drive the execution of Inspire 24-27 and multifaceted performance initiatives
• Lead digital transformation and innovation across your area
• Manage P&L, budgets, forecasts, and business models with full accountability

• Build and transform your Area team’s identity, maximising competitiveness, value, and efficiency
• Manage talent strategically with medium to long-term succession planning
• Champion inclusion, drive employee engagement, and embed cultural change
• Develop Business Managers and their depot teams through effective coaching and leadership

• Deliver exceptional customer experience across all regional priorities
• Achieve commercial customer success measures including first‑time collection rates, recovery collections, invoice accuracy, and call handling performance
• Build strong relationships with key customers and stakeholders
• Drive innovation to meet evolving customer expectations and market demands

• Deliver efficiency and growth targets in partnership with Finance and Operations teams
• Drive organic growth in Gross Revenue, Net Revenue, EBITDA, and customer numbers
• Ensure compliance with Veolia Minimum Requirements (VMR) standards
• Optimise asset utilisation, reduce subcontracting costs, and maximise facility usage
• Identify acquisition opportunities and support M&A activities

You’re a strategic thinker who is solution‑focused and creative, with the proven ability to implement strategy and embed it into business operations. You excel at working in ambiguity, breaking down complex challenges into actionable items. Your leadership style inspires teams, drives performance, and creates lasting cultural change.

You bring expert‑level business acumen, advanced financial management skills, and the ability to manage competing priorities with excellent project management capabilities. You lead by example, demonstrating proactive and forward‑thinking approaches to every challenge.

• Proven experience leading and managing Commercial Waste businesses with a demonstrable track record of leading high‑performance, cross‑functional teams
• Experience driving transformation and cultural change
• Strong financial management skills with P&L accountability
• Ability to build relationships and influence at senior leadership level
• Experience leading across large matrixed environments
• NEBOSH General Certificate
• Level 5 Leadership & Management or equivalent work experience

• CPC qualification
• Level 7 Leadership & Management or equivalent
• Degree in a relevant field
• Project management, financial modelling, and business planning expertise
• M&A experience at senior level

Apply today, so we can make a difference for generations to come.

We’re proud to have been named as one of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work for three consecutive years in 2023, 2024 and 2025. This consistent recognition reflects our commitment to our people, demonstrating that Veolia is not just transforming the environment, we’re also transforming what…