Operations Lead - Education
16 days ago
Lancaster
At Salutem Care and Education, our aim is to empower people to live a life they choose, regardless of the care or support they need. We are proud to provide a range of care and support across our schools, day centres, and residential homes for children and adults. Just like any strong community, we want the very best for the individuals we support. We’re proud to be recognised by the Top Employers Institute as a Top Employer United Kingdom, reflecting our exceptional culture, care, and commitment to our people. In addition, we’re honoured to be named among the 2025 Top 100 Global Inspiring Workplaces, and to have achieved Top 10 in the 2026 UK & Ireland Inspiring Workplaces Awards. We’re passionate about developing and supporting colleagues for the future. Through a culture of continuous learning and reflective practice, we create opportunities for personal and professional growth — helping our people build meaningful and rewarding careers in care. Operations Manager Beaumont College Make a Meaningful Difference Through Operational Excellence Beaumont College is seeking an experienced and dynamic Operations Manager to join our Senior Leadership Team. This is a pivotal leadership role responsible for providing strategic and operational oversight of business support services, workforce planning, HR operations, and compliance across the college. Working closely with the Principal, Assistant Principal, Head of Care and Divisional Business Manager, you will help create a positive, compliant and high‑performing culture that enables both staff and students to thrive. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced operational leader who is passionate about people, continuous improvement and delivering outstanding outcomes in specialist education and care. As Operations Manager, you will provide leadership across workforce planning, recruitment, employee relations, attendance management, compliance, business administration and operational systems. You will play a key role in ensuring the smooth and effective running of the college, driving improvements in workforce performance, operational effectiveness and regulatory compliance. • Lead the day‑to‑day coordination of business support and operational services across the college., • Be an active member of the Senior Leadership Team and support delivery of the College Development Plan., • Translate strategic priorities into practical operational plans, clear responsibilities and measurable actions., • Maintain oversight of operational risks, service pressures and dependencies, escalating significant concerns promptly., • Lead cross‑college operational improvement projects and establish consistent, effective ways of working., • Coordinate responses to urgent operational issues, minimising disruption to education, care and support services., • Monitor the quality, responsiveness and value of operational support arrangements., • Oversee the effective operation, presentation and upkeep of the college estate, buildings, grounds and shared facilities., • Coordinate planned preventative maintenance and reactive maintenance, ensuring priorities are risk assessed, recorded, progressed and communicated., • Maintain a clear schedule of maintenance requirements, statutory checks, remedial actions and planned improvement works., • Oversee minor works, refurbishments and building projects from initial scoping through to completion, working with Property and other specialist teams as required., • Coordinate access, permits, safeguarding controls and safe working arrangements for contractors on site., • Monitor contractor performance, workmanship, timescales, disruption, completion records and value for money, escalating concerns where needed., • Ensure building works are planned around college activity and that staff, students and stakeholders receive timely information about disruption or access changes., • Confirm that completed works are handed over appropriately, with defects, documentation and outstanding actions recorded and followed through., • Maintain oversight of utilities, cleaning, waste, security, access control and other facilities services where these sit within the local remit., • Coordinate local health and safety arrangements in partnership with the organisation’s competent advisers and responsible managers., • Maintain oversight of local compliance schedules, inspections, risk assessments, action plans and records relating to the estate and operational services., • Ensure operational concerns, hazards and defects are reported, prioritised and resolved through the appropriate route., • Support emergency planning, evacuation arrangements, drills and business continuity activity., • Provide clear evidence and assurance for audits, inspections and internal governance reviews., • Promote a practical culture in which staff understand and act on their responsibilities for a safe environment., • Oversee local operational contracts and service arrangements, including service standards, review meetings and issue resolution., • Support procurement and tender activity by defining operational requirements and contributing to evaluation and mobilisation., • Monitor delegated operational, maintenance and facilities expenditure against budget, identifying pressures and opportunities early., • Check that orders, invoices, approvals and supporting records are accurate and completed in line with organisational controls., • Plan the effective use of space, equipment, vehicles and other operational assets within the role’s remit., • Contribute to capital and revenue planning by presenting clear evidence of condition, risk, priority, cost and operational impact., • Lead and develop effective administrative and operational support systems., • Ensure records, trackers and management information are accurate, current and suitable for audit and decision making., • Produce concise operational reports covering areas such as maintenance, works, compliance actions, contracts, budgets, incidents, workforce pressures and service performance., • Use data and feedback to identify recurring issues, improve processes and strengthen accountability., • Coordinate implementation of new operational systems and processes, including communication, training and follow-up., • Ensure sensitive information is handled appropriately and in line with data protection requirements., • Work closely with HR and the Senior Leadership Team to align workforce capacity with operational and service requirements., • Coordinate local recruitment activity and onboarding logistics for operational support roles, using organisational processes and specialist HR or Resourcing advice., • Provide managers with practical support to implement people processes consistently, referring employment law, policy interpretation and complex employee relations matters to HR., • Monitor agreed workforce indicators, such as vacancies, absence, mandatory learning and agency use, to understand operational impact and agree action with managers and HR., • Support workforce change projects by coordinating operational information, implementation plans and communication, with HR leading formal consultation and specialist people advice where required., • Promote positive engagement, wellbeing, inclusion and effective communication across operational teams., • Ensure that safer recruitment, right to work, DBS and Single Central Record activities are completed by the appropriate teams and that identified gaps are escalated and followed through., • Lead, support and develop assigned operational and business support teams, creating clear priorities and standards., • Hold regular one‑to‑ones, supervision and performance conversations in line with organisational expectations., • Build effective relationships with college leaders, central functions, families, external agencies, suppliers and contractors., • Communicate clearly about operational plans, risks, service changes and building works., • Role model Salutem values, constructive challenge, ownership and continuous improvement. Degree‑level qualification, relevant professional qualification, or equivalent senior operational experience. GCSE English and Mathematics at Grade 4/C or above, or equivalent. You will possess strong knowledge and experience in: • Employment law and HR best practice., • Workforce planning and resourcing strategies., • Employee engagement and retention., • Attendance management., • Safer recruitment requirements., • Safeguarding within education settings., • GDPR and data protection requirements., • Health and Safety legislation. You will also demonstrate: • Excellent communication and influencing skills., • Strong investigative and report‑writing capabilities., • Excellent organisational and project management skills., • Strong analytical skills and experience interpreting workforce data., • High levels of discretion and professionalism., • The ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment., • Confidence in challenging constructively and driving improvement., • Significant operational management experience., • Experience managing HR functions within education, health or social care., • Experience leading recruitment and retention initiatives., • Experience managing employee relations cases., • Experience working within regulated environments., • Experience producing workforce reports and management information., • Experience leading teams and driving organisational improvement., • Improve staff retention and reduce vacancies., • Maintain HR and safeguarding compliance above organisational targets., • Increase supervision and appraisal completion rates., • Reduce agency expenditure through effective workforce planning., • Deliver timely and effective employee relations outcomes., • Improve attendance levels and staff wellbeing indicators., • Strengthen workforce capability through recruitment and development strategies., • Contribute positively to inspection readiness and overall college performance. This role provides a unique opportunity to become a key member of the Senior Leadership Team, working alongside the Principal, Head of Care and Assistant Principals to ensure workforce stability, operational excellence and regulatory compliance. By providing dedicated operational and people leadership, you will enable educational and care leaders to focus on delivering exceptional outcomes for our students. Join us and help shape a culture where people can thrive, grow and achieve their full potential. • Supportive: Helping everyone reach their full potential., • Ambitious: Striving for the best outcomes., • Loyal: Prioritising our staff and the people we support., • Unique: Innovating without compromising quality., • Transparent: Fostering openness and mutual respect., • Engaging: Partnering with everyone involved., • Meaningful: Offering fulfilling opportunities., • Emotional Support: 24/7 Employee Assistance, mental health resources, meditation apps, and bereavement support., • Medical Support: Free Online GP access, Health Cash Plan, Cancer Cover, and Menopause support., • Financial Support: Flexible pay with Wagestream, utility bill savings, Money Helper, and Life Assurance., • Physical Support: Online workouts, Cycle to Work scheme, gym discounts, and National Trust activities. Still not convinced? Recognised as a Top Employer United Kingdom 2026 by the Top Employers Institute. Named among the Top 100 Global Inspiring Workplaces by Inspiring Workplaces. Proud to be a Disability Confident Committed employer. Salutem Care and Education is dedicated to protecting and promoting the well‑being of children, young adults, and vulnerable individuals. As part of our safer recruitment process, the successful candidate will be required to complete thorough pre‑employment checks, including an enhanced DBS and, where applicable, overseas criminal record checks #J-18808-Ljbffr
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