General Manager

Note for Recruitment Agencies:

We prefer to hire directly and we will be in touch with our PSL Agencies if this role is eligible for release.

We do not accept speculative CVs from agencies. If speculative CVs are sent, no fee will be applicable - please direct all queries to the relevant Resourcing Partner.

Role Title: General Manager

Business Unit: Facilities Management - Small Works

Location: Nationwide, with travel across the UK as required

Role Overview

Galliford Try is seeking an experienced and commercially driven General Manager to lead its Small Works business across the UK. This is a key leadership role with full responsibility for the commercial performance, operational delivery, and sustainable growth of a diverse project portfolio.

The successful candidate will be an accomplished leader with a strong background in construction, contract management, and commercial governance. They will have a proven track record of maximising profitability, managing commercial risk, and driving financial performance while maintaining the highest standards of safety, quality, and client satisfaction.

Working closely with Project Managers and the senior leadership team, the General Manager will provide clear commercial direction, robust challenge, and strategic oversight to ensure all projects deliver against financial and operational targets.

What You Will Be Doing:

• Take overall accountability for the commercial performance and profitability of the Small Works business.
• Drive revenue growth, margin improvement, cash generation, and financial predictability across the project portfolio.
• Lead, develop, and manage a team of Project Managers, creating a high-performance culture focused on accountability, commercial awareness, and operational excellence.
• Ensure robust commercial controls are embedded throughout the project lifecycle, including tender review, procurement, forecasting, variation management, cost control, and final account settlement.
• Provide strategic oversight of project financial performance, challenging assumptions and implementing corrective actions where required.
• Manage contractual risk and opportunity, ensuring projects are administered in accordance with contract requirements and company governance procedures.
• Review and approve project forecasts, CVRs, cash flow projections, and business performance reporting, ensuring accuracy and transparency.
• Drive commercial consistency and best practice across all regions, improving efficiency, governance, and profitability.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, consultants, and supply chain partners, acting as a senior point of contact for commercial matters.
• Support business development activities by identifying growth opportunities, securing repeat business, and enhancing client relationships.
• Ensure projects are delivered safely, on programme, to the required quality standards, and in line with agreed commercial objectives.

About You:

• Significant leadership experience within the construction industry, preferably in a multi-project environment.
• Proven track record of delivering strong commercial results, improving margins, and managing business profitability.
• Extensive knowledge of construction contracts, commercial management, procurement, and risk management.
• Strong financial acumen with experience managing budgets, forecasts, cash flow, and project reporting.
• Demonstrable ability to lead, motivate, and develop high-performing operational teams.
• Excellent negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to balance strategic business objectives with hands-on operational leadership.
• Strong understanding of project delivery, construction methodologies, and client management

Desirable

• RICS or CIOB (or working towards)
• Degree in Construction / Engineering
• Strong NEC and JCT contract knowledge
• Strong commercial and financial acumen

Leadership capability

What We Can Offer in Return:

With an impressive order book of over £4.1 billion we are one of the industry’s leading principal contractors, affording you the opportunity to work on some of the UK’s most exciting projects offering you stability as well as the chance to stretch your capabilities and realise long held career goals. You will be joining diverse teams working at a high professional level with exceptional levels of commitment. With an ambitious strategy, we’re poised for further growth and success, so if you’re committed, talented and enthusiastic, Galliford Try is the right place for you.

We are committed to maintaining the physical and mental wellbeing of all our people, through our ‘Be Well’ programme which offers discounts on certain products, advice and support for a range of issues.

We invest in high-quality training for employees of all levels, from our leadership development framework to our apprenticeship programmes. Through our Career Paths initiative, individuals receive tailored training and support to fulfil their potential.

Our industry is all about creating talented teams that excel in their areas of expertise. As an employer, we know you are most motivated to give your best when you feel valued and engaged.

Our Agile Working programme empowers you with flexibility in when, where and how you work. Where appropriate, site and office-based employees can take advantage of a wide variety of working practices, offering different amounts of structure, regularity and flexibility to suit your needs as well as those of your wider team.

Our benefits:

We put our people first and our benefits package reflects that by offering a comprehensive range of attractive options to help support your career on top of a competitive salary.

• Generous holiday entitlement, increasing with years of service, plus the opportunity to purchase further holidays
• A wide range of corporate discounts
• Cycle to Work schemes
• Comprehensive pension plan
• Competitive family leave policy
• Regular Save as You Earn share purchase scheme
• Private medical scheme options are available for all salaried employees, and our employee assistance programme also provides free 24/7 support to those who need it
• Paid for yearly membership to one recognised professional association relevant to your role

About us:

Galliford Try is one of the UK’s leading construction groups with a vision to continuously be a people-orientated, progressive business, driven by our values to deliver lasting change for our stakeholders and the communities we work in.

Our purpose is to improve people’s lives through building the facilities and infrastructure that communities need, providing opportunities for our people to learn, grow and progress, working with our supply chain to promote the very best working practice and caring for the environment in which we work.

We do this by holding true to our values, delivering excellence for our clients and the community, being passionate about our role in providing vital services, putting integrity at the heart of our business by doing the right thing, and collaborating with our clients, supply chain and stakeholders to deliver lasting change and long-term value.

Galliford Try is a leading UK Construction group. The business is split into four distinct divisions,

Infrastructure, Building, Environment and Specialist Services, covering a range of specialist work in water, highways, telecoms, security, commercial, custodial, education, health, interiors, and leisure, across both public and private sectors. Listed on the London Stock Exchange and a member of the FTSE 250. Our vision is to be leaders in the construction of a sustainable future.

For more information on this role or to enquire about other positions available within our business please contactChloe Wharton - [email protected]

Additional Information:

Galliford Try welcomes applications from candidates who would like to work full-time, reduced hours or flexibly and this will be discussed in more detail as part of the recruitment process.

We encourage, and would be grateful if, you could confirm any requirements we can reasonably fulfil to make this application a positive experience for you.

Don’t meet every requirement of the role? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Galliford Try, we are committed to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every requirement of the role, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

As a Disability Confident employer, we have committed to offer an interview to any candidate with a long-term health condition or disability that meet the essential criteria for the advertised position. Please contact the Resourcing Partner listed within the job advert if you believe this applies to you. We will also take the opportunity to discuss any adjustments required for your interview.”

A full job description for this role is available upon request.