Sarah Grange
Nottingham
Summary
Accomplished professional with expertise in operational efficiency and team leadership, driving cost reduction and P&L performance through strategic planning and process improvement. Proven track record in risk management, budget management, and performance evaluation, ensuring continuous improvement and customer satisfaction. Adept at supplier negotiation, project & programme management, and employee mentoring, leveraging creative thinking and decision-making skills to optimise workflow. Skilled in KPI tracking, customer relationship management, and sales forecasting with a focus on relationship-building and client engagement. Committed to enhancing technical delivery experience through agile project management and data analysis for superior delivery scheduling efficiency.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
5
5
years of post-secondary education
1
1
Certification
Work history
Chief Delivery Officer
Lightspeed Broadband
02.2024 - 09.2025
- Leading our fantastic Networks division with multifunctional teams across serving Local Authorities, Businesses, Residential customer with full fibre and MOJ, MOD and Social Housing migrating them from copper to fibre
- Led a team of five senior managers, achieving a 15% improvement in team performance and reducing operational costs by £250K annually through efficiency initiatives overseeing and delivering projects in our workstreams, reporting on project progress through Salesforce, PowerBI, Sharepoint, and NetAdmin.
- Developed details project plans via Microsoft Project which detailed project timelines, resource allocation, dependencies, milestones risk and capex management to ensure full alignment against project objectives risk, scope creep and change, whilst identifying project risk and proactively addressing this and providing solutions to not effect project timelines.
- Led project teams being the main point of contact for key internal and external customers, including C-Suite, investors, technology and vendors and leading cross functional teams including both business and technical teams.
- Managed the operational budget for the Networks division, achieving a 15% cost saving through supplier negotiations and business process improvements, to ensure processes were streamlined, remove to many touchpoints through the end-to-end delivery of the project and align with the solutions that are being implemented.
- Leveraged data analytics and Field Service Management software to drive a 20% improvement in customer service efficiency, and a 15% increase in customer satisfaction.
- Orchestrated the launch of a new automated warehouse system, reducing fulfilment times by 15% and cutting labour costs by 18%.
- Implemented a routing optimisation tool to decrease travel by field operational staff by 22% within our customer installation field services department.
- Addressed internal and external risks, issues, and dependencies, Established governance frameworks for the project under a defined PID and RACI matrix, establishing a project committee and reporting mechanism to the wider business to align with the business need and programme level governance.
- Provided mentorship and guidance to junior team members, enhancing their skills and fostering professional development.
- Turned corporate mandates into actionable directives for mid- and low-level staff.
Delivery Director
Lightspeed Broadband
08.2023 - 02.2024
- Creation, development and implement of the Networks 3-year business plan for operational acceptance by our investors to enable substantial growth company wide, reviewing suitable short, medium, and long terms plans, in line with contractual outputs and customer requirements.
- Structured a Business Support and Analytics team to build a robust reporting structure onto software platforms valued dashboards for C-Suite and Board Reporting to hold Deployment to account on their deliverables against the Business Strategic model, to drive 'right first-time performance', enable efficient risk mitigation if required, full tracking of our financial position across the portfolio of city builds, projects, network extensions and customer connections to enable and emphasise the use of data to inform on successful delivery.
- Constructed both European deployment and Operations teams covering Austria and Germany.
- Pivotal in assessing business process and delivering a new and robust business and customer journey lifecycle process and implement with the first six months of employment.
- Implemented an internal employee appraisal system with KPI's to enable PDP's and next level career growth to commence.
- Educate the business with reference to PIA modelling and business strategy over the next coming years in terms of capex and opex expenditure as well as deployment deliveries internally and BTOR and assist in implementing a new strategy.
- Full P&L responsibility for UK & USA.
- Foster and unique environment by employee engagement by embracing 'Right First Time' and a continuous improvement programme and culture.
- Drive efficiencies to improve operational performance.
Head of Deployment (UK & Europe)
VX Fibre
04.2022 - 08.2023
- Implementation of operational excellence across UK, Germany, and Austria. Focusing on operational process, design, and implementation across the operating countries, performing audits in country to initiate the design and implementation 'Holistic Change Management Status and Approach', across VX Fiber and subsidiary LilaConnect.
- Spearheaded the UK to implement and deliver: 100% growth through network deployments, 174,000 premises passed in the 18 months, 100,000 premises RFI in the 18 months, 10,000 active subscribers in 18 months.
- Negotiated contracts with vendors reducing costs by 30%.
- Negotiated contracts with suppliers reducing costs by 30%.
- Collaborated with CCO to provide commission-based sales targets v KPI's.
- Supported 100% growth in sales through Q3 2022 – Q3 2023.
- Instilling a new Projects Department – working with Business Development to achieve a forecasted £1,000,000.00 of revenue in a period of 12 months through local authority, municipality engagements and private developments.
- Creation, development and implement of the 5-year business plan for operational acceptance by our investors to enable substantial growth company wide, reviewing suitable short, medium, and long terms plans, in line with contractual outputs and customer requirements.
- Structured a Business Support and Analytics team to build a robust reporting structure onto software platforms valued dashboards for C-Suite and Board Reporting to hold Deployment to account on their deliverables against the Business Strategic model, to drive 'right first-time performance', enable efficient risk mitigation if required, full tracking of our financial position across the portfolio of city builds, projects, network extensions and customer connections to enable and emphasise the use of data to inform on successful delivery.
- Constructed both European deployment and Operations teams covering Austria and Germany.
- Pivotal in assessing business process and delivering a new and robust business and customer journey lifecycle process and implement with the first six months of employment.
- Implemented an internal employee appraisal system with KPI's to enable PDP's and next level career growth to commence.
- Educate the business with reference to PIA modelling and business strategy over the next coming years in terms of capex and opex expenditure as well as deployment deliveries internally and BTOR and assist in implementing a new strategy.
- Full P&L responsibility for UK.
- Foster and unique environment by employee engagement by embracing 'Right First Time' and a continuous improvement programme and culture.
- Drive efficiencies to improve operational performance.
- Collaborative work with HoD of Business Support to set up a Sales Operation team, define the requirements regarding compliance, data structure, reporting requirements, sales commission process and implementation, implement reporting on SAC, ARPU, sales plan and strategy.
Head of Delivery (UK & Europe)
VX Fibre
04.2021 - 06.2022
- To lead a large (and growing) team of Programme Managers, Project Managers, Build Managers, Site Supervisors, Commercial relationship managers, as well as a back-office project and back-office support team.
- Ensure the timely and to budget delivery of the national VX Fibre construction build.
- Embody a culture of safety through the build teams (both internal and external).
- Manage the internal teams and external relationships to deliver a consistent and high-quality network build, evidenced at appropriate stages to gain confidence and handed over for installations / Customer connections defect free.
- Lead the delivery of a standards led build, covering reporting, auditing, assurance, planning, reporting, and financial controls. Implementing best practice processes and technology to the teams.
- Lead teams to improve and innovate on process, methodology and performance, be that through better ways of working, tools technology, relationships, or approaches.
- Own the senior relationship with the build partners, ensuring they are suited to work with VX Fibre (and vice versa), building the regionalised strategies with the partners and ensuring resilience and flexibility.
- Setting up the MSA and other contracts with suppliers and manage the financial, commercial and day to day operational relationship with the contract suppliers.
- Feed into the overall VX Fibre strategy to drive and direct the business to meet our investment targets.
- Constantly evaluate suppliers and innovative technologies and produce business cases for adoption where appropriate.
- Create, own, and provide reports to the Managing Director and Board as required (weekly, monthly, and quarterly) on the performance delivery to include P&L (circa five hundred million pounds) – Cost Per Premise Passed, Homes Passed, Homes RFI as well as key KPIs, growth rate and expansion.
- Whilst acting as a primary point of responsibility for the specific build and delivery activities I collaborate very closely with other teams (survey, plan, design, wayleaves, Core and network, installation, and marketing) to ensure a smooth end to end Business experience for our Council contracts and end Customers.
- I am accountable for the coaching and mentoring of technical staff within the team and deliver in house training and development on civils, fibre, operational change, defined process, and standards.
Senior Network Operations Manager
CityFibre
10.2020 - 04.2021
- To define Build Strategy, growth plans in-house and externally in line with business commitment, forecasting deliverables over a 12-month period and beyond, to allow tracking delivery against city commitment against business budget and build a reportable, structured, and governed model to enable the business unit to delivery these aspects and align capex budget management through lifecycle of network builds incorporating profit and loss risk.
- I am accountable for the management of national delivery for deploying Customer, Long Distance Network, FTTP and PSN networks aligning all four regions circa 8 direct reports to include Build Managers, Field Managers, Planning Managers into one structured approach across all workstreams ensuring delivery of projects on time and to budget through robust, high quality management processes, covering risk mitigation and forecasting as well as direct management responsibility for the Field Service team within the regions and through matrix management alongside Planning/GIS and Field Services resources whilst monitoring, reporting and escalation of issues within projects with risk mitigation management and recovery plans in place to minimise any affects.
- I am also responsible for the review of business and LDN connection pipeline nationally and working with the Regional Service Operations team to identify the priorities, whilst working closely with contract management to ensure accurate timely forecasting and cost management, to effectively manage change and risk mitigation to minimise cost uplift whilst working with various internal stakeholders on sustainable strategic growth year on year.
- I have overall responsibility as contractual Senior Network Operations Manager in the operation of the contract in place with all suppliers. Preparation and issuing of contractual notices and correspondence as required under the terms and conditions and alignment within the NEC 3 Framework Contract, with support from Contract Management to ensure that all required contractual obligations are met regarding CityFibre obligations in administering the contract to our external supplier covering both civils and fibre architecture across the UK to include third party asset where required.
- Provide accurate weekly reporting on progress, risks encountered and/or forecasted, costs incurred to date, capturing WIP including Risk estimations and forecasted Cost to Complete to directorate level as well as managing the operational relationship with all suppliers and have monitoring in place to ensure contractual KPI's and technical specifications are adhered to and met. Through a close working relationship with Contract Management the completion of KPI measurement to a regular precise timetable and formal notification.
- Establish and maintain an effective relationship with key suppliers, internal CityFibre departments and customers as necessary to deliver projects as well as establish, manage and weekly or as required report of project Highlights, Risks, and Issues throughout the project lifecycle both internally (within a matrix environment) to CityFibre management team and to client stakeholders.
Senior Field Service Manager
CityFibre
04.2019 - 10.2020
- I am accountable for the management of multiple work streams for deploying Metro and LDN, FTTP, LDN and PSN networks aligning all four regions circa 8 direct reports into one structured approach across all workstreams ensuring delivery of projects on time and to budget through robust, high quality management processes, covering risk mitigation and forecasting as well as direct management responsibility for the Field Service team within the regions and through matrix management alongside Planning/GIS and Field Services resources whilst monitoring, reporting and escalation of issues within projects with risk mitigation management and recovery plans in place to minimise any affects.
- I am also responsible for the review of business and LDN connection pipeline for the city and working with the regional Service Operations team to identify the priorities, whilst working closely with contract management to ensure accurate timely forecasting and cost management, to effectively manage change and risk mitigation to minimise cost uplift whilst working with various internal stakeholders on sustainable strategic growth year on year.
- I have overall responsibility as contractual Senior Field Service Manager in the operation of the contract in place with all suppliers. Preparation and issuing of contractual notices and correspondence as required under the terms and conditions, with support from Contract Management to ensure that all required contractual obligations are met regarding CityFibre obligations in administering the contract to our external supplier covering both civils and fibre architecture across the UK to include third party asset where required.
- I provide accurate weekly reporting on progress, risks encountered and/or forecasted, costs incurred to date, capturing WIP including Risk estimations and forecasted Cost to Complete to Stakeholder Management as well as managing the operational relationship with all suppliers and have monitoring in place to ensure contractual KPI's and technical specifications are adhered to and met. Through a close working relationship with Contract Management the completion of KPI measurement to a regular precise timetable and formal notification.
- Establish and maintain an effective relationship with key suppliers, internal CityFibre departments and customers as necessary to deliver projects as well as establish, manage and weekly or as required report of project Highlights, Risks, and Issues throughout the project lifecycle both internally (within a matrix environment) to CityFibre management team and to client stakeholders.
Regional Field Service Manager
CityFibre
05.2018 - 04.2019
- I managed a portfolio of clients and projects delivering physical fibre connectivity to the public and private sectors, mobile operators and communication providers across the North and Scotland in terms of Field Service deliverables, with a key focus on providing accurate delivery forecasting for the connections to ensure that the business and customer expectations are being achieved, whilst providing leadership, direction and development of all facets in the management of the Field Service Team.
- I was responsible setting priorities for the programmes of work, to achieve successful completion of set milestones, whilst ensuring that KPI's such as Time, Cost and Quality are being achieved as well as responsibility of the P&L for the business unit.
Head of Engineering and Service Delivery
Flomatik Network Services
10.2013 - 05.2018
- I was part of the existing Greenwoods team that approached Flomatik in October 2013 regarding implementing a new engineering and service delivery workstream within their business with circa ten direct reports.
- My role was to develop the strategy for the Service Delivery function, leading strategic initiatives and embedding a culture of continuous improvement through the function with full financial profit and loss accountability.
- To enable and champion a Service Delivery culture, promote on-going service improvements to improve quality and customer satisfaction into a 10-million-pound year on year business unit.
- To maintain ongoing ownership of all incidents and facilitate the communication of incident updates to customers provided by the support teams.
- Team leadership, management and mentoring of the Service Delivery teams.
- Management of the Service Delivery function through clearly defined, and agreed, SLAs and KPIs for all services.
- Track major / recurring problems and hold teams to account for performance of their services.
- Create and maintain detailed reporting on IT and Product Support tickets, SLAs and KPIs.
- Understand the administrative overhead and user experience of our systems. Initiate and manage projects through to delivery to improve the function.
- Manage and monitor the Technology budget, licensing agreements, procurement and approve expenditure.
- Work to improve budget efficiency and administration overhead.
- Develop and maintain relationships with stakeholders across the business.
- Develop and build an installation and commissioning train school for new talent aligned with strategic growth and build a successful 12-week programme.
- Implementing and building a sixty strong field delivery management and field based I&C team to deliver services to blue chip customers through the UK and Europe collaborating with school leavers, job seekers, homeless members of the public to bring them back into work and create a sustainable career.
Education
Master of Business Administration - Business
Oxford University
01.2021 - 09.2025
GCSE - English Language - B, English Literature - C, Maths - C, Information Technology - C, French - C, History - D, Geography – D
St Bede's Secondary School
NVQ Level 3 - Business and Finance Administration
St Brendan's College
Skills
- Operational efficiency
- Team leadership
- Cost reduction and P&L Performance
- Data analytics
- Process improvement
- Risk management
- Budget management
- Performance evaluation
- Continuous improvement
- Supplier negotiation
- Project & programme Management
- Employee mentoring
- Strategic planning
- Workflow optimization
- KPI tracking
- Customer satisfaction
- Leadership skills
- Creative thinking
- Decision making
- Technical delivery experience
- Customer relationship management
- Relationship-building
- Customer engagement
- Client Relationship Management
- Sales forecasting
- Negotiation expertise
- Critical-thinking
- Financial reporting
- Agile Project Management
- Data analysis
- Negotiation
- Delivery scheduling efficiency
Accreditations
- NEC 3/NEC 4 Contract and Programme Management
- IOSH Managing Safely
Custom Section
- Category B auto
- Category B+E
- Category C
- Category B1
Hobbies and Interests
- Coach for the under 11 Clifton All Whites Girl football team
- Keen Chelsea supporter
- Country walks with family pets, Baxter, and Eva
- Getting back into running and cycling
Affiliations
- I like country walks with my dogs, watching football, cricket and rugby and spending quality time with family
Certification
IOSH Managing Safetly
Agile Foundation Project Management
Certified Project Management Association
Timeline
Chief Delivery Officer
Lightspeed Broadband
02.2024 - 09.2025
Delivery Director
Lightspeed Broadband
08.2023 - 02.2024
Head of Deployment (UK & Europe)
VX Fibre
04.2022 - 08.2023
Head of Delivery (UK & Europe)
VX Fibre
04.2021 - 06.2022
Master of Business Administration - Business
Oxford University
01.2021 - 09.2025
Senior Network Operations Manager
CityFibre
10.2020 - 04.2021
Senior Field Service Manager
CityFibre
04.2019 - 10.2020
Regional Field Service Manager
CityFibre
05.2018 - 04.2019
Head of Engineering and Service Delivery
Flomatik Network Services
10.2013 - 05.2018
GCSE - English Language - B, English Literature - C, Maths - C, Information Technology - C, French - C, History - D, Geography – D
St Bede's Secondary School
NVQ Level 3 - Business and Finance Administration
St Brendan's College