About the role
Balfour Beatty is seeking an experienced Lifting Operations Manager to join our team in Derby, playing a pivotal role in leading and assuring the safe delivery of lifting operations across a major programme. This is an excellent opportunity for a highly competent lifting professional to provide technical leadership, establish lifting strategy, and ensure the highest standards of safety, compliance and operational excellence are maintained across all lifting activities.
In this role, you will oversee the planning, coordination and execution of complex lifting operations, ensuring all activities are managed by competent personnel and delivered in line with legislative requirements, programme standards and Balfour Beatty procedures. Working closely with Appointed Persons, Crane Supervisors, Slinger/Signallers, lifting teams and supply chain partners, you will drive best practice, promote a strong safety culture, and ensure lifting operations are delivered safely, efficiently and effectively, whether self-delivered or undertaken by subcontractors.
If you are a proven lifting specialist with significant experience and a passion for driving safe, compliant and high-performing lifting operations, we’d love to hear from you.
What you’ll be doing
- Lead and manage the Programme lifting function, providing expert technical guidance and oversight across all lifting operations.
- Develop, implement and continuously improve the Programme lifting strategy, procedures and arrangements in line with Balfour Beatty standards.
- Ensure all lifting operations are properly planned, risk assessed, coordinated and delivered in compliance with legislation, industry best practice and client requirements.
- Prepare, review, approve and oversee lift plans for routine, complex and high-risk lifting activities, ensuring appropriate controls and contingency measures are in place.
- Verify that cranes, lifting equipment and lifting accessories are correctly selected, certified, inspected and maintained for their intended use.
- Provide leadership and direction to Appointed Persons, Crane Supervisors, Slinger/Signallers, crane operators and wider lifting teams.
- Monitor workforce competency and training requirements, maintaining accurate records and arranging development opportunities where required.
- Coordinate lifting activities with construction, logistics, temporary works, client and supply chain teams to ensure safe interfaces and avoid conflicting operations.
- Carry out lifting assurance inspections, audits and site monitoring activities to promote compliance and continuous improvement.
- Intervene when necessary to stop lifting operations that are unsafe or not being carried out in accordance with approved lift plans.
- Support investigations into lifting-related incidents, near misses and non-conformances, ensuring lessons learned and corrective actions are effectively implemented.
- Maintain accurate lifting registers, inspection records, approvals, competency records and assurance documentation.
- Produce and provide lifting performance information, reports and assurance updates to support programme-wide decision making.
- Champion a strong safety culture, promoting best practice and ensuring lifting operations are delivered safely, efficiently and to the highest standards.
Who we’re looking for
- Recognised Appointed Person qualification (such as CPCS A61 or equivalent) with demonstrable experience managing complex lifting operations.
- Extensive knowledge of LOLER 1998, PUWER 1998, BS 7121, HSE guidance and lifting industry best practice.
- Strong experience planning, reviewing and approving lift plans, risk assessments, method statements and contingency arrangements for routine, complex and high-risk lifts.
- Ability to interpret crane duty charts, load charts and manufacturer data, with a detailed understanding of lifting radius, crane capacity, stability and environmental constraints.
- In-depth technical knowledge of cranes, lifting equipment and accessories, including safe working loads, sling configurations, de-rating factors, certification and inspection requirements.
- Experience assessing site constraints and lifting interfaces, including access routes, exclusion zones, overhead and underground services, adjacent structures and simultaneous operations.
- Proven leadership skills with the ability to coordinate, mentor and manage Appointed Persons, Crane Supervisors, Slinger/Signallers, crane operators and supply chain partners.
- A strong safety-first approach, with the confidence to challenge unsafe practices, exercise stop-work authority and drive corrective actions when required.
- Demonstrable experience undertaking lifting assurance inspections, audits and compliance reviews to ensure the highest standards are maintained.
- Experience supporting incident investigations, identifying root causes and implementing lessons learned and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Strong organisational and administrative skills, with experience maintaining lift plans, equipment registers, certification records, competency records and assurance documentation.
- Ability to monitor workforce competence, identify training needs and support the ongoing development of lifting personnel.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to clearly explain technical requirements to operational teams, clients and senior management.
- Sound judgement and attention to detail when assessing risks, reviewing lifting documentation and making decisions in a fast-paced operational environment.
- Ability to build strong working relationships across logistics, temporary works, construction delivery, health and safety teams, clients and supply chain partners.
- Competence using digital systems to manage lifting documentation, approvals, equipment certification, inspections and performance reporting.
- Relevant site access and competency cards required to operate within a major project environment.
Desirable Experience
- Experience managing lifting operations on major infrastructure, construction or other large-scale safety-critical projects.
- Experience working within live operational environments where multiple activities and complex interfaces must be carefully managed.
- Knowledge of crane management strategies, lifting assurance programmes and audit processes.
- Understanding of temporary works, logistics planning, ground-bearing assessments and other disciplines that influence lifting operations.
- Experience coaching, mentoring and developing Appointed Persons and wider lifting teams to build capability and improve performance.
- A passion for promoting best practice and championing Balfour Beatty’s lifting standards, procedures and safety culture.
Why work for us
Day in, day out, our teams deliver some of the UK’s most ambitious, exciting and meaningful projects; developing, building and maintaining the vital infrastructure that supports national economies and strengthens communities.
Why join us?
As if contributing to and supporting work that makes life better for millions wasn’t rewarding enough, we offer a full range of benefits too. You’ll have the freedom to shape the package that’s right for you and your life. Here are some of our key benefits:
- Smart working, giving you more flexibility such as staggered start and finish times, with up to 40% remote working, where roles allow.
- 25 days paid annual leave (pro rata)
- Family friendly policies which include 28 weeks full pay for maternity/adoption leave and four weeks full pay for paternity/partners leave
- Pension, share incentive plan, volunteering leave, recognition schemes and much more…
About us
Operating across England and Wales, our buildings teams create places where people live, are cared for, work, learn, meet and have fun, with a focus on the aviation, health, defence, education and development sectors.
Diversity and inclusion
At Balfour Beatty, we want everyone to be able to thrive and achieve their full potential, regardless of their identity or background. We’re making great progress through our Value Everyone DEI Action Plan, but we know we’ve got more to do. Find out more about our values and DEI initiatives.
As a Disability Confident Employer, we ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this role will be offered an interview.
We are committed to our processes being barrier-free and will support adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process. Please let the recruiter for this role know if you require any adjustments.
We’re looking to continually improve our recruitment process, so if you have any feedback, please share this with us via candidaterecruitmentenquiries@balfourbeatty.com
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