Service Delivery Manager (HEMS)

Permanent | Oxford | Aerospace / Helicopter Maintenance

The Opportunity

Our client is a leading organisation within the aerospace and helicopter sector, providing specialist maintenance, engineering and support services across civil and specialist aviation operations.

They are seeking an experienced Service Delivery Manager (HEMS) to provide leadership across the delivery of Civil Helicopter Maintenance Projects, with a primary focus on Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS), Private & Business Aviation and National Resilience programmes.

This is a key operational leadership position responsible for ensuring the successful delivery of base and off-site maintenance contracts against schedule, cost and quality requirements.

Reporting into the Head of Service Delivery, you will take ownership of the end-to-end delivery process, from customer contract through maintenance execution to the successful handover of the aircraft back to the customer.

You will lead a multi-functional matrix delivery team incorporating expertise across MRO, Material Management, CAMO, Customer Support, Commercial, Finance, Technical Support, PMO and Aircrew.

Key ResponsibilitiesOperational & Project Performance

Take responsibility for the end-to-end delivery performance of assigned maintenance contracts and projects, ensuring agreed schedule, cost and quality requirements are achieved.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Managing project-level budgets, including labour hours and materials, for individual aircraft maintenance inputs.
• Managing the allocation of budgeted man-hours, commitments and forecasts at maintenance-module level.
• Monitoring daily project progress against agreed baselines.
• Identifying delivery risks, bottlenecks and emerging issues and driving appropriate corrective actions.
• Monitoring live operational data and performance metrics as part of daily and weekly operational routines.
• Supporting the Cost Controller with cost reports, dashboards and performance metrics.
• Ensuring costs are accurately booked and allocated in accordance with contractual requirements.
• Managing additional and emergent maintenance requirements, including aircraft defects, ensuring associated costs are captured appropriately for customer invoicing.

Cross-Functional Leadership

Lead and coordinate a multi-disciplinary delivery team, ensuring effective collaboration and synchronisation across all functions involved in aircraft maintenance delivery.

You will work closely with teams including:

• MRO / Maintenance
• Material Management
• CAMO
• Customer Support
• Commercial
• Finance
• Technical Support
• PMO
• Aircrew
• Production Planning

Operational Reviews & Reporting

Conduct regular operational reviews with the Delivery Team to monitor performance against contractual commitments.

You will:

• Lead daily progress and delivery meetings.
• Monitor performance using Safety, Quality, Cost, Delivery and People (SQCDP) principles.
• Identify operational constraints and ensure appropriate actions are taken or escalated.
• Analyse work in progress across the overall programme and individual aircraft projects.
• Monitor and report against KPIs and project performance indicators, including CPI/SPI.
• Use historic project information to identify recurring cost, performance and delivery trends.
• Support improvements in profitability, competitiveness and future bid development.

Customer & Stakeholder Management

Working closely with Customer Support, maintain effective communication with customers throughout project delivery.

Responsibilities will include:

• Supporting regular customer reporting.
• Monitoring performance against contractual commitments.
• Participating in customer conference calls and meetings.
• Supporting in-person customer visits where required.
• Ensuring issues affecting aircraft delivery are communicated and resolved effectively.

Continuous Improvement

Drive operational excellence and continuous improvement across the delivery function.

You will identify opportunities to:

• Improve customer satisfaction.
• Increase maintenance delivery efficiency.
• Reduce unnecessary cost and non-value-added activity.
• Improve adherence to contractual performance metrics.
• Implement Lean and other continuous-improvement methodologies.
• Improve the use of operational data to support decision-making.

Knowledge & ExperienceEssential

• Successful operations management experience within a complex technical environment.
• Strong understanding of MRO (Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul) operations, support contracts and/or complex project delivery.
• Significant experience within the aerospace or aviation industry.
• Strong leadership and stakeholder-management capability.
• Ability to lead and influence multi-functional teams within a matrix environment.
• Experience managing complex projects and competing priorities.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability with a data-driven approach.
• Commercial awareness and experience managing budgets, costs and project performance.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Knowledge of aviation regulations and safety standards would be highly advantageous.

Experience with operational excellence methodologies such as Lean or Six Sigma would also be beneficial.

Education & Qualifications

Candidates should have either:

• Extensive technical and/or commercial experience within the aerospace industry;

and/or

• A degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Business Administration or a related discipline.

A relevant Master's degree would also be advantageous.

Desirable Experience

Particular interest will be given to candidates with:

• Experience managing helicopter customers and/or aviation support and service programmes.
• Direct experience within HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Services).
• Private or Business Aviation programme experience.
• Experience delivering complex aircraft maintenance programmes.
• Experience working commercially with helicopter operators, OEMs or MRO organisations.

Personal Attributes

The successful candidate will be:

• Results-oriented with a strong focus on delivery.
• Highly organised with excellent attention to detail.
• Commercially aware.
• Resilient and adaptable within a fast-paced operational environment.
• Comfortable managing competing priorities.
• A collaborative leader with strong relationship-building skills.
• Confident working across multi-functional and international teams.
• Committed to continuous improvement.

Security & Eligibility Requirements

This position is subject to National Security Vetting.

Candidates must be capable of obtaining SC clearance, which will typically require an appropriate period of UK residency. Successful applicants will also be required to complete relevant pre-employment security screening.

Applicants must meet applicable Export Compliance Regulations.

Candidates must possess the current legal right to work in the United Kingdom. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Location

Oxford

This is a permanent opportunity with a well-established organisation operating within the aerospace and helicopter maintenance sector. Further information regarding the client, package and wider opportunity will be provided to suitable candidates during the recruitment process.