Purpose of the Role

Operations Manager - Security is a high-profile role encompassing hands-on operational management of the Security Department and facilitating and developing the security and safety of the Centre.

You will oversee and develop the Security team, ensuring consistent adherence to high operational standards that reflect the quality of a leading shopping centre. This role will drive the execution of operational excellence, ensuring alignment with business objectives, while supporting Shift Leaders and Duty Managers to deliver outstanding customer experiences.

In this role, you will cultivate a team culture that reflects our core values and promotes an inclusive, high-performance environment. By fostering engagement, diversity, and accountability within the operational team, you will empower individuals to thrive in their roles. Your leadership will inspire and coach team members to exceed expectations for both customers and brand partners. Additionally, you will leverage strong interpersonal skills to build and maintain productive relationships with key stakeholders, driving collaborative success across the Centre.

With a sharp focus on delivering results, you will manage the Centre’s service delivery, ensuring safety, security, and cleanliness standards are met while driving performance across all areas. Your ability to adapt to a fast-paced environment, communicate effectively, and maintain operational integrity will ensure that your department operates smoothly and efficiently. Ultimately, you will uphold the Centre’s reputation for excellence through clear communication, coaching, and an unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction being pivotal in setting and sustaining high standards.

You will have to work closely with and support your duty management and security team in both delivering the security standards required and following the centres security strategy. You will have an unrivalled knowledge of a control room operation and its capabilities. Having the ability and drive to maintain a high standard of service within the centre CCTV control room ensuring that all company policies and procedures relating to the operational technology and Data Protection are complied with.

Key Responsibilities

The role includes a variety of tasks including the following:

• Act as an ambassador for the Centre and your functional area, showcasing exemplary behaviour and actively promoting team recognition within the business. Lead by example, creating a positive and inclusive environment that values diversity, while cultivating a strong team culture. Take ownership of your role with a visible leadership presence, providing ongoing coaching, constructive feedback, and recognition for outstanding contributions. Continuously seek ways to infuse energy, personality, and innovation into your leadership approach to inspire your team.
• Set a clear vision for customer service excellence, demonstrating a passion for creating exceptional experiences. leading by example as a role model for high standards of service, inspiring the team to deliver outstanding service to customers, contractors, retailers, and colleagues. Cultivate a culture of excellence where each team member feels empowered to deliver outstanding service at every touchpoint.
• Champion operational excellence through a focus on compliance, clear communication, consistency, and collaboration. Prioritize a safe and legally compliant environment within the Centre, embedding streamlined processes that drive both operational efficiency and consistency. Foster a proactive approach to risk management and innovation, ensuring the Centre meets the highest standards for safety, functionality, and service quality.

Main duties:

Leadership

• Provide structured coaching, be comfortable with honest conversations and adept in performance management to elevate team standards, addressing performance gaps promptly and ensuring any complaints or concerns are documented and resolved per Centre policies. Support continuous assessment and development of team members, working with HR on hiring, vetting, and ensuring compliance with employment regulations and training standards.
• Lead talent development by setting clear role expectations, fostering high performance, and collaborating with HR for training, licensing, and retention efforts. Take ownership of HR functions, including objectives, performance reviews, and disciplinary actions, to maintain a committed and capable team.
• Identify training needs and ensure needs are met and results evaluated to assess business impact for all staff and ensure accurate site records are always maintained. To ensure toolbox talks are completed as per company policy. Provide team support, coaching, development and training. To monitor Duty Managers training levels within department. Raising where appropriate. To assist with the identification of training needs to support the manager in development and training of staff.
• Proactively champion the ongoing development of centre-based delivery teams to ensure confidence and excellence in customer service and operational delivery. Support recognition programme by ensuring team members’ efforts are being recognized and nominations processed. Support and encourage participation in staff initiatives and events.
• Facilitate clear communication by ensuring full and active participation in the daily huddles and departmental briefings with all teams. Ensuring relevant and business critical information and objectives are communicated to the teams.
• Ensure full and active participation in the daily huddles and departmental briefings with all teams. Ensuring relevant and business critical information and objectives are communicated to the teams. Aligning performance with business objectives, strategic plans, provide KPI status, service delivery and commercial performance. Develop strong relationships with retailers through varying forms of engagement to ensure we are supporting.
• In co-operation with the Head of Security and Data and Duty Managers, you will maintain and review employee standards, ensuring all staff receive fair and consistent treatment. You will keep the Head of Security and Data aware of any possible unrest or welfare/discipline problems and work with management.

Financial and commercial performance

• Strategically deploying your team, ensuring correct manning levels are always maintained. You will manage staffing levels to maximise productivity and to minimise costs. Maximising the utilisation of internal manpower whilst minimising dependency on use of agency staff. In co-operation with HR you will reduce labour turnover by proactively managing people issues within your team.
• Embrace change and innovation, support the team through uncertainty and have a transformation plan. Identify centre improvements and ensure ideas are escalated through correct channels.
• Manage all subcontracted and brought in services for security.

Risk Management

• You will have a clear focus on operating safely and legally – being proud of the work ethic instilled in the team. Manage and ensure compliance with all aspects of health and safety / quality assurance / environmental requirements across the centre.
• Ensure daily quality audit checks are completed in line with agreed schedules. Report all defects in the centre through the appropriate channels making sure they are followed up and checked. Delivering a safe, clean and attractive environment for customers, retailers and team members, ensuring all the building and malls and car parks are fit for purpose. Be the ambassadors for the reporting platform used by the Centre.
• Lead in the co-ordination of emergency situations and crisis management to ensure business continuity is retained. You will maintain regular contact with centre management team and deal with any issues efficiently and in a professional manner. Lead in the co-ordination of emergency situations and crisis management to ensure business continuity is retained. Ensure all accident and incidents are reported and recorded correctly and accurately.
• Ensure excellent Duty Management through setting unambiguous clarity and routine with supported processes. With day-to-day control and management of the security of the Centre. You will thrive on creating strong process, routine and excellent execution of the operational deliverables. You will provide duty management cover on rotational basis and act as the responsible person at the centre for all escalation points where applicable for the centre. Understanding the escalation of incident processes to the Operational Duty Manager Team where required and relevant agencies.
• Ensure compliance with security requirements as set down by the Security Industry Authority (SIA). Ensure security standards are maintained in accordance with the assignment instructions and SOP’s. Support and drive the quality assurance best practice in line with ISO 9001 and OHSAS 18001 qualifications.

Operational excellence

• Set objectives for direct reports and review quarterly. Ensure same approach and mechanisms for all staff within area of responsibility. Keep all site-based company information manuals up to date and available.
• Be the lead duty manager on site and the go to person for incident management and escalation procedures. Have an enhanced understanding of the Centre’s Major Incident Management Plan and business continuity plans. Keep all site-based company information manuals up to date and available. Liaise with the Head of Security and Data to ensure the Centre’s crisis management plans and crisis communications are up to date and relevant. Ensure to keep up to date with wider trends that will affect the business.
• Run regular training exercises for duty managers and managers to keep relevant skills up to date. Provide guidance and mentoring to junior managers. Work with all departments on initiatives to enhance Centre performance
• Contribute and support corporate responsibility goals, including active involvement in community projects. Participate in at least one day of volunteering annually in alignment with the Foundation pledge.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

Person Specification:

• Proven Leadership with demonstrated success of managing complex operations in retail, leisure, or hospitality. Skilled in leading, motivating, and achieving objectives with multi-functional teams.
• Exceptional influencing and motivational skills with a record of supervising teams effectively. Able to inspire and drive high performance.
• Strong communicator with the ability to interact at all levels, respecting workplace diversity. Effective in briefing, networking, and fostering a team-oriented culture. Polite, approachable, confident, and self-motivated with high personal presentation standards.
• Outstanding organisational and problem-solving skills with the ability to balance priorities. Adaptable, calm under pressure, and efficient in managing change to ensure service continuity.
• Strong oral and written communication, report writing, and presentation skills. Analytical mindset for navigating complex situations, maintaining energy, and building credibility quickly. Technical literacy and proficiency with operational technology to maximize business efficiency.
• Knowledge of safe working practices aligned with HASAW and Health & Safety policies. Willing to work flexible hours and extra shifts as required.

Qualifications and experience:

Essential:

• Minimum 3 years of front-line security management, leading large teams.
• IOSH qualified
• Front-line SIA Security Door Supervisors Licence. Front-line SIA CCTV Public Space Surveillance Licence. First Aid at Work trained or higher
• Security specific training. CT Awareness training (ACT and/or SCaN). Crisis Management Training by recognised provider

Desirable:

• Background in a retail/hospitality company recognized as an Employer of Choice.
• Management qualification and/or NEBOSH General Certification.
• Experience in designing and aligning service delivery with strategic business goals.
• Knowledge of communication planning for management teams and the development of enhanced data reports
• Knowledge of the building infrastructure and operations

Salary: £45,257 per annum

Hours: 40.25 hours per week 

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Please see our Benefits Booklet for more information.