Operations Director Recruitment for a Utilities Wholesaler

Utilities Executive Search Case Study

Douglas Jackson was retained by a growing Utilities wholesaler to appoint an Operations Director during a significant period of operational and technological change.

The assignment followed three successful retained searches for the organisation’s Retail business and a subsequent referral from the Chief Executive. Douglas Jackson had already supported business-critical appointments across Operations, Workforce Planning and Operational Support before being introduced to the Wholesale sister company.

The new Operations Director would play a pivotal role in supporting rapid growth while leading teams through major process improvements and the implementation of new billing and CRM technology.

Search at a glance

Sector: Utilities
Role: Operations Director
Level: Senior Leadership
Search Type: Retained Executive Search
Business Context: Scaling Utilities wholesaler
Key Challenge: Operational growth, systems migration and transformation within a regulated environment
Search Outcome: Successful appointment, with the chosen candidate starting within two weeks of accepting the offer

The Challenge

The organisation was scaling rapidly while simultaneously implementing significant process and technology improvements.

A new billing and CRM system formed part of that change, meaning the successful Operations Director needed to combine strong people leadership with analytical thinking, data-led decision-making and experience of leading teams through complex systems migration.

The brief required someone able to take ownership across several business units while operating autonomously within a highly regulated Utilities environment.

The business was also operating during the disruption of the global pandemic, increasing the requirement for resilience, accountability and reliable leadership.

Defining the Role and Benchmarking the Market

Before beginning the search, Douglas Jackson worked with the Managing Director to ensure the role and package accurately reflected what the business required.

Holly Beeston initially benchmarked the salary for the Operations Director position, helping the hiring manager establish an appropriate budget.

The role profile was also refined through a series of conversations to ensure the responsibilities, required capability and eventual search criteria aligned with the organisation’s growth plans.

This meant the search did not begin simply with a job description.

It began with a clearer understanding of the capability the organisation needed and the market required to deliver it.

Our Search Approach

Once the brief and budget were agreed, Douglas Jackson undertook a targeted search across the Utilities market.

The campaign combined:

• Douglas Jackson’s existing Utilities network and relationships
• direct approaches to relevant senior leaders
• recommendations and referrals
• extensive market research to identify additional talent
• detailed qualification around experience, culture and leadership style

The initial market mapping identified more than 80 potential candidates.

Following initial engagement and screening, candidates progressed into more detailed conversations exploring both technical capability and cultural alignment.

Behavioural Assessment

Ten individuals were selected to complete behavioural profiling and psychometric assessment against the job profile already created with the client.

The strongest matches were then assessed alongside their experience and career evidence.

A shortlist of six candidates was presented to the hiring manager, supported by behavioural reports and a tailored interview guide designed to help the client explore both competency and broader leadership fit.

Five candidates progressed to remote interview.

Throughout the process, Douglas Jackson maintained regular dialogue with the hiring manager, discussing shortlisted candidates and helping interpret the assessment information.

This created a more open and evidence-led decision-making process rather than leaving the client with CVs alone.

Final Selection

Three candidates progressed to final-stage face-to-face interviews.

These meetings allowed the client to explore each individual’s operational experience, leadership approach and cultural fit in greater depth.

The preferred candidate was selected and an offer made and accepted.

Outcome

The search concluded successfully, with the appointed Operations Director able to start the new role within two weeks of accepting the offer.

The business secured a leader with the operational, analytical and regulated-sector experience required to support its next phase of growth and transformation.

The assignment also continued an established relationship between Douglas Jackson and the wider organisation, following successful searches across Operations, Workforce Planning and Operational Support.

Candidate Feedback

“Holly has been brilliant! She has helped me find the ideal role for the next step in my career. Holly kept me informed every step of the way with regular calls and emails. I felt she had a genuine interest in me as a person. I highly recommend Holly. It’s been a pleasure working with her.”

Jennifer Sena – Operations Director, SES Business Services Ltd

What This Demonstrates

This search demonstrates the value of combining Executive Search with market intelligence and behavioural assessment.

The requirement was not simply for somebody who had previously held an Operations Director title.

The organisation needed a leader capable of:

• scaling operational performance
• leading through technological change
• making decisions using data and insight
• operating autonomously in a regulated environment
• managing multiple business areas
• fitting the culture and leadership team

By defining those requirements before going to market, benchmarking the package and assessing candidates beyond their CV, the client was able to make a more informed leadership decision.

Hiring an Operations Director or senior Utilities leader?

Douglas Jackson works with Utilities and Infrastructure organisations appointing senior leaders across Operations, Transformation, Customer, Strategy, Data, Insight and Workforce Planning.

We combine targeted market mapping, sector expertise and detailed assessment to identify leaders capable of delivering against business-critical priorities.

Talk to us about your next Utilities leadership appointment →

Hiring an Operations Director or senior operational leader in Utilities?

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Utilities Recruitment and Executive Search

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