• Location: Milton Keynes , Buckinghamshire
• Type: Permanent
• Job #27768

Job Title:                     Head of Delivery
Department:               Delivery UK
Band:                          Band 5 – Head of Function
Location:                     Milton Keynes
Responsible for:         Delivery Team UK

About Foundation Personnel:
Foundation Personnel is a specialist recruitment partner operating across Heavy Civils, Piling & Geotechnical, Tunnelling and Lifting sectors globally. Based in Milton Keynes, we deliver high-quality, compliant and reliable resourcing solutions, supported by a team who operate with pace, clarity and commercial awareness.

Our culture is grounded in our TRUE values — Team Aware, Reliable, Up For It, Entrepreneurial — which guide how we work, collaborate and deliver on our commitments.

Job Purpose:

The purpose of this role is to lead, develop and scale the Delivery function, ensuring high-quality service, operational consistency and strong commercial performance across the UK. The Head of Delivery is accountable for the capability, performance and culture of the delivery team, ensuring that people, processes and systems operate effectively to meet business goals.

The role focuses on building a high-performing delivery organisation that supports business growth, strengthens client relationships, drives operational excellence and develops future leaders. The Head of Delivery ensures that delivery processes are executed consistently by the team, with appropriate checks, governance and escalation. While day-to-day tasks may be carried out by Account Managers, Candidate Consultants and Team Leaders, overall accountability for delivery outcomes, compliance, data quality and performance sits with the Head of Delivery.

Key Responsibilities:
1. Leadership & People Development

• Lead, coach and develop the delivery team, ensuring high performance, capability growth and alignment to TRUE values.
• Set clear expectations, standards and objectives for Team Leaders, Senior Account Managers and Account Managers.
• Conduct regular 1:1s, performance reviews, probation reviews and development planning.
• Build leadership capability within the team; identify and develop future leaders and successors.
• Oversee recruitment, onboarding and training for the Delivery function, ensuring consistency and quality across all new starters.
• Ensure Team Leaders are equipped to manage day-to-day coaching, performance and workflow.
• Maintain a high-trust, accountable and collaborative team culture.

2. Operational Excellence & Process Management

• Ensure all core operational processes, including Check?Ins, Rebooks, compliance checks, vacancy management and quality assurance, are delivered effectively by the team, with clear standards, checks and escalation routes.
• Oversee Bullhorn data quality, ensuring accurate, live and compliant information across vacancies, placements, pipelines and candidate records.
• Use reporting and system insights to monitor activity, identify risks and drive improvements.
• Ensure vacancy pipelines, updates and progress are maintained by Account Managers, with clear visibility and timely communication to clients.
• Lead operational audits to maintain high standards of quality, compliance and operational discipline.
• Ensure delivery operations support wider business strategy, client expectations and commercial goals.

3. Performance, KPIs & Commercial Delivery

• Set, monitor and manage KPIs, budgets and performance targets for the Delivery function, in collaboration with Team Leaders.
• Ensure the team consistently meets or exceeds commercial expectations including revenue, margin, speed, fill ratios and quality metrics.
• Use data and insights to drive decision-making, identify risks early and implement corrective actions.
• Support the Managing Director with forecasting, planning and reporting on delivery performance.
• Ensure delivery activity contributes effectively to company-wide commercial goals and growth plans.

4. Client & Candidate Experience

• Strengthen client relationships through proactive communication, calls and visits, supporting Team Leaders and S/Account Managers with escalations and strategic accounts.
• Ensure the delivery team provides a consistent, high-quality candidate experience aligned with company standards.
• Review and act on candidate and client feedback, including survey responses, ensuring issues are resolved promptly.
• Support Team Leaders and S/Account Managers in managing complex requirements, timelines and expectations.

5. Training, Capability & Continuous Improvement

• Identify training needs across the delivery team and ensure appropriate development is provided through Team Leaders, SMEs and internal programmes.
• Oversee the quality and consistency of onboarding and training for new starters within the Delivery Team.
• Lead initiatives that improve efficiency, quality, compliance or customer experience within the Delivery function.
• Contribute to cross-functional improvement projects with Operations, BD, Finance, HR and the Managing Director.
• Ensure the Delivery function continuously evolves to meet business needs and industry standards.

6. Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with the Managing Director and other functional leads to ensure alignment on company goals, priorities and standards.
• Support marketing activity by providing operational insight, content and collaboration where required.
• Ensure delivery operations support broader business growth across the UK.
• Contribute to company-wide planning, communication and operational alignment.

Skills, Experience & Attributes
Essential:

• Strong leadership capability with experience managing delivery or operational teams.
• Proven ability to drive performance, capability and culture across a function.
• Strong commercial awareness with experience managing KPIs, budgets and operational targets.
• Deep understanding of recruitment delivery processes, compliance and systems (including CRM/ATS).
• Ability to coach, develop and build high-performing teams.
• Strong communication, relationship-building and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to manage change, improve processes and drive operational excellence.
• High levels of organisation, accountability and data-driven decision-making.

Desirable:

• Experience in recruitment within construction, civil engineering or technical sectors.
• Experience working with Bullhorn CRM.
• Experience supporting multi-region operations (UK).
• Exposure to automation, systems improvement or operational scaling.