Senior Operations Manager

We are looking for a dynamic, experienced and people-focused Senior Operations Manager to oversee, drive and improve business processes across our Community directorate and ensure our delivery teams receive the first-class back office support needed to enable lives to be changed.

This is a diverse role which encompasses operational oversight of a busy 84-place day nursery, a full programme of family support including one-to-one support and group work, a growing number of youth programmes including sport, informal education and social action, and work with seniors and adults encompassing training, employability, volunteering, peer support and wellbeing.

The post holder will be responsible for effective resource allocation (including staffing and budget), internal and external reporting including to trustees and funders, managing our data, organising administration support for front line workers and managers, developing and maintaining business systems, policies, procedures and processes, securing fees and optimising income for the work we do, and management of a small support team.

Based in the Coin Street neighbourhood centre, minutes from Waterloo and Blackfriars stations and at the heart of a thriving local community, we are proud to have been judged as an outstanding family and children’s centre by Ofsted and to have built a national and international reputation as a leading social enterprise.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Financial planning and management

• Lead on planning and managing organisational and project budgeting and forecasting, in collaboration with the Director of Community and heads of function (including Head of Early Years Education)
• Prepare monthly and quarterly budget reports for finance and operational meetings and supporting staff to manage their budgets
• Oversee and implement day to day financial transactions including invoicing, payments, reconciliation, maintaining accurate accounts and drawing down grant and voucher payments
• Ensure financial controls and procedures are appropriate and implemented correctly across the Community directorate
• Optimise income streams and effective use of resources. This includes claiming relevant grants and funding streams, maximising current and future nursery occupancy via pipeline management, and effective cost control including stock management and supplier relationships

Operations management and compliance

• Working with the Director of Community and heads of function to support our strategic planning process and monitor delivery of key performance indicators as part of internal reporting and management
• Be responsible for ensuring compliance with relevant legislation and for implementation of organisation’s policies and procedures across the Community directorate
• Lead on day to day risk management working with the Director of Community and maintain an accurate and comprehensive risk register across the Community directorate
• Develop and implement administrative, data and operational systems and processes to enhance organisational efficiency and improve delivery of our objectives
• Manage effective admissions and referrals into our provision, including nursery places, creche, family support, holiday play schemes, and youth and community programmes. To include management of waiting lists, registration and data collection, completion of any necessary checks or requirements, and effective onboarding working closely with the relevant teams
• Ensure all data, financial and non-financial, is accurate, comprehensive and up to date. This includes maintaining accurate accounts (with support from our finance team), record keeping for parents, carers, children and programme participants, maintaining an efficient filing system and ensuring secure storage of all confidential data
• Support our Learning and Impact Manager to develop monitoring and evaluation tools to effectively demonstrate the impact of our work and oversee reporting on levels of engagement and satisfaction
• Lead on operational reporting to internal stakeholders and external funders and partners. This role acts as an interface between the Community directorate and Coin Street finance team and systems, as well as taking responsibility for compiling and updating on progress against key performance indicators for internal management reporting. Prepare reports for external funders (including local authority and government) based on take up of specialist funding streams
• Take responsibility for the day to day management of the premises and services used by the Community directorate, maintaining high standards of presentation and liaising with the Head of Properties and Group Facilities to ensure essential repairs and maintenance of the setting are carried out within budgetary limits
• Ensure the highest standards of safety and security within the nursery and family centre and offsite provision, providing up to date accident audits and quarterly Health and Safety reports, attending Health and Safety working groups and Business Continuity Plan meetings as required

People and relationship management

• Lead the administration and operations team across the Community directorate. This includes administrative support for our youth and community, family support and early years education teams as well as the housekeeping function for our nursery
• Work with heads of function (including the Head of Early Years) to organise staff rotas and staff cover across our nursery, creche, holiday play schemes, family support and youth and community programmes. This will include use of permanent, casual and bank staffing deployed in such a way as to maximise efficiency and maintain high standards
• Support heads of function in the recruitment, induction and overall management of staff and volunteers across the Community directorate in liaison with the HR team
• Ensure timely and clear communications to parents, carers and participants in relation to our service provision (including centre closures, fees, trips and meetings). Dealing effectively, courteously and speedily with queries and investigate and respond to complaints relating to the Community directorate
• Manage all supplier contracts and their delivery, ensuring best value and the relevant quality standards are achieved

Other duties

• Represent the Coin Street group generally, based on a good understanding of the work of colleagues across the organisation and acting as an ambassador when undertaking public facing work
• Attend Board meetings and subcommittee meetings and report on progress from time to time
• Deputise and provide cover for colleagues when needed
• Undertake any other reasonable duties, as may be required, as consistent with the scope of this role.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

Essential
• Minimum of four years’ experience of managing finance and/or operations at a senior level

• Good standard of education to degree standard or equivalent

• Proven track record of leading day to day operations and project planning in a complex environment on a tightly managed budget

• Experience of setting up, managing and maintaining data and administrative systems, financial and non-financial

• Highly financially literate with extensive experience of budget management, forecasting and working with accounting systems

• Experience of reporting to stakeholders (internal and external) providing clear written reports and analysis

• Experience in managing and allocating resources to meet organisational objectives (for instance staffing rotas, budget allocations, stock control)

• Strong IT skills with advanced Excel skills and minimum intermediate level skills across other Microsoft packages

• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to build and maintain relationships with a range of stakeholders

Desirable
• Experience of working in a childcare or school setting and understanding of OFSTED registration requirements and early years funding context

• Accountancy and/or project management qualification

• Experience of contractual performance management.

• Line management experience.

• A working knowledge of safeguarding, child protection and the policy and procedural context for early years and community work.

• Experience of leading business improvement and/or developing from scratch or remodelling of operational systems and processes to maximise efficiency.

• Experience in collecting and handling fee payments and following up on unpaid invoices with customers.

SKILLS AND PERSONAL QUALITIES

• Results-driven approach with an ability to meet deadlines and juggle a range of tasks at one time

• Highly organised, reliable and dependable

• Strong emotional intelligence and an ability to adapt to different cultural settings

• Ability to work effectively in a matrix structure

• An understanding of the importance of confidentiality and the ability to deal sensitively with difficult situations

• The ability to provide a high standard of customer care and to promote our work with the community in a positive way

• High accuracy and attention to detail

• Self-directed. Willing to take responsibility, make decisions and be held accountable

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

• Ability to work under pressure and adapt to change

• Flexible with a problem-solving skillset and a “can do” attitude

• A personal commitment to, and enthusiasm for, Coin Street’s ethos and mission

Coin Street Community Builders is a leading social enterprise working across Waterloo and North Southwark to make our neighbourhood a great place to live, work and visit.

We are looking for a dynamic, experienced and people focused Senior Operations Manager to oversee, drive and improve business processes across our Community directorate and ensure our delivery teams receive the first-class back office support needed to enable lives to be changed.

Working across our nursery and creche, youth and senior’s programmes, family support, and employability and training this busy role leads a diverse portfolio. This will include managing resources, internal and external reporting, organising administration support, developing and maintaining business systems, policies, procedures and processes, securing fees and optimising income for the work we do, as well as management of a small support team.
Coin Street Community Builders strives to be an equal opportunities organisation and all staff are expected to share this commitment.

Our values are:
•Creative: By looking for solutions rather than problems I will find better ways of doing things
•Collaborative: By respecting the views of others we will learn, grow and achieve more together
•Committed: I do what I say I am going to do and do the best job I can.

The 3 Cs are lived by all staff at CSCB. You will be expected to demonstrate your understanding of the behaviours associated with these values during the recruitment process