- Salary £32,910 - £36,992 per year
- Location Camden Town, Greater London (On-site)
- Job Type Permanent, Full-time
- Category Senior Management , Operations
- Sectors Social Welfare
- Job Reference : OPSM Sept21
Job Description
Operations Manager – Job Description
Responsible to: CEO and Board of Trustees
Hrs of employment: 35hrs per week, Mon-Fri with a one-hour unpaid lunch break per day. Some weekend and evening work required, for which time off in lieu will be granted.
Annual Leave: Annual holiday entitlement is 25 working days, of which 5 will be allocated to the Christmas period when we are closed, in addition to statutory public holidays.
Staff benefits:
- A Staff Automatic Enrolment Pension
- Flexible & Hybrid Working
- Annual Public Transport Travel Card Scheme
- Bicycle Purchase Scheme
- 24-hour Counselling Support Line
- Regular Team Building Activities and Socials
- Personal Development & Training
- Free parking on site
About us:
The Castlehaven Community Association is an award-winning community-led charity that manages a 4-acre campus of community buildings and facilities (a community centre, horticultural hub, community park, multisport pitch & an under 5’s nursery) in the heart of Camden Lock. Using a mixture of public and charitable funding Castlehaven provides services and activities across the age spectrum to residents within the immediate neighbourhood and in the wider district. Castlehaven also uses its position of trust, built up over 35+ years, to network and build partnerships between various sectors (e.g. Local authority, local schools and businesses, tenants & residents, private developers) for collaborations on positive social change. Castlehaven works inclusively for the benefit of the whole community but prioritises services for those most disadvantaged e.g. young people, isolated elderly and families. Castlehaven has a friendly, hard-working, and committed staff team, who have made Castlehaven the success it is today.
Purpose of Post:
The primary purpose of our Operations Manager post is to ensure our amazing staff team & volunteers are looked after and supported, our facilities are well maintained, and contract compliance is managed.
The new Operations Manager will take the lead in identifying and developing systems to ensure contract compliance and keep staff morale and retainment high. Whist developing new plans and effective promotional campaigns.
This post is both an operational and strategic role which requires the holder to represent Castlehaven at a senior level to partners, customers and stakeholders. The postholder will be accountable for their decisions, must protect the Castlehaven brand and will work towards challenging targets.
The Person:
We are looking for a positive creative thinker with a bright and bubbly personality. Our ideal person loves a challenge and finds innovative solutions to problems and thrives on encouraging and supporting others to do the same. They will have at least 2 years’ experience and a sound track-record of Operations Management. They are a skilled communicator, presenter, and relationship builder with an understanding of contract compliance and financial management. Also highly organised and have a plethora of administration skills together with a talent for working in partnership at an operational & strategic level. We are not expecting our ideal candidate to know everything about this role right away, we do expect professionalism and a willingness to learn, to attend regular internal and external training to improve knowledge & skills, whilst not being afraid to ask for guidance to help them grow within this fantastic role.
Key Responsibilities:
Operational Leadership
- Provide staff with professional leadership and expertise, keeping up to date with relevant professional developments, technical and legal information and best practice and applying this knowledge to the management of Castlehaven’s service delivery and the development of our staff.
- Providing Castlehaven’s service delivery staff with clear direction and vision. Ensure that each project has clearly stated aims and objectives and ways of demonstrating the outcomes it achieves. Ensuring that these are regularly reviewed to keep them in line with best practice, the needs of our community, funders, partners, and the objectives of Castlehaven as a whole.
- Build a strong working relationship with the CEO and board of trustees
- Take an organisational lead role in Human Resources.
- Take an organisational lead role in contract compliance.
- Take an organisational lead role in HR and Operational policies & procedures and the implementation of these across Castlehaven.
- Understand the charitable funding and contracting environment in which Castlehaven operates.
- Manage a range of contracts and service level agreements and negotiate agreements to cover new activities.
- Ensure that complaints and incidents are recorded and dealt with fairly and efficiently.
- To manage all aspects of our sports pitch facility, maintenance, contracts and bookings.
- To oversee the management of our emergency Covid 19 foodbank.
- Take an organisational lead & delivery role in our amazing annual events such as our community WinterFEST festival etc.
Quality and Compliance
- Ensure that all data is collected, collated, and submitted in line with our annual contracts and funders requirements.
- Ensure Project Managers and core staff develop annual objectives and maintain appropriate performance and quality measures and monitor performance against them through regular appraisal and reviews. Take appropriate action to ensure that agreed standards are achieved and improved on.
- Represent Castlehaven professionally and effectively in dealings with external stakeholders and ensure that it can take advantage of any opportunities which may arise to develop new projects and/or Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) partnerships.
- Ensure that statistics and monitoring information on service delivery are regularly collected and collated for all Castlehaven’s contracted projects and events.
- Maintain and build on the network of relationships with other agencies & partnership organisations.
Performance and Audit
- Ensure that forward planning of staffing requirements takes place and that volunteer and temporary staff to cover staffing gaps (e.g. sickness, annual leave) are provided at an agreed level.
- Review and formulate operational and HR policies where appropriate and ensure wide consultations and the free flow of information when doing so.
Financial Management
- Liaise with the Director of Finance and Project Managers in the preparation and management of budgets.
- To monitor project income and expenditure and to ensure that budget holders manage their budgets in line with Castlehaven’s financial policy and procedures.
- Work with the CEO and Director of Finance to manage staff salaries and NEST pension contributions and employment legalities.
- Work with the Director of Finance and admin staff to manage petty cash, donations and facilities hire fees.
- To produce financial project reports/budgets for CEO, Director of Finance or Fundraiser as and when required.
Planning and Service Development
- Take a full and active part in Castlehaven’s Senior Management Team.
- Contribute to the development of Castlehaven’s corporate planning and implementation processes.
- Produce clear, relevant and well-argued project proposals, reports and other written materials as necessary.
- Work with the CEO to identify any gaps in provision of services.
- Contribute to business planning for developing Castlehaven’s services and proposals for new projects aimed at meeting the needs of its client group and partners.
Staff Management
- Induct, supervise, support and appraise the Project Managers and core staff members directly reporting to you.
- To ensure that all staff and volunteers delegated to work with children or vulnerable adults are DBS checked and trained in accordance with Castlehaven’s Safeguarding and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policies
- Evaluate the performance of the staff reporting to you and their teams and take appropriate action.
- Take the lead in recruiting project and core staff coordinating assistance from the relevant Project Managers.
- Operate Castlehaven’s recruitment, grievance, disciplinary, absence management and other policies and procedures as required.
- Manage contracts with our HR partners and disseminate information to senior team and staff as and when required.
- Develop and deliver 4 staff training days per annum in identified operational areas of day-to-day work (e.g. First Aid, Safeguarding etc)
- Organise exciting and inventive staff & volunteer team building and social events.
Health & Safety, Premises Management
- Undertake regular Health & Safety inspections of all Castlehaven facilities.
- Ensure Health and Safety policy and procedures are up to date.
- Carry out Risk Assessments of all facilities, employees, volunteers and for all Castlehaven activities.
- Ensure that all facilities maintenance is completed.
- Management of all Castlehaven contractors when they are on site.
- Advise CEO and Trustees of any urgent repairs and health and safety issues.
Communication and Partnership
- Promote and maintain effective communication between the projects and all other parts of the organisation.
- Lead on all communications with our external stakeholders
Marketing and Promotion
- Support the Marketing & Social Media Officer to maximise Castlehaven’s online presence.
- Regularly review and check the Castlehaven web and social media sites and other online presence – including noticeboards, newsletters etc for accuracy and oversee the management of external reviews/posts by public.
- Support the production of materials for project & service promotion.
Other
- Co-ordinate and take part in staff meeting and discussion days.
- Perform any other duties consistent with the role.
- Offer occasional out of hours cover over evenings & weekends.
- Follow all Castlehaven’s policies, procedures, performance expectations and code of conduct.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
The Castlehaven Community Association is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.
It is the responsibility of every member of Castlehaven staff to ensure the practical application of this policy.
We encourage individuals of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds to apply – Castlehaven is committed to ensuring our workforce is reflective of our diverse community and is therefore committed to increasing representation of staff of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds across all roles and at all levels.
Health & Safety
All staff have a responsibility to look after the health and safety not only of those people who use our services but for themselves and their colleagues and should follow the Castlehaven’s Health and Safety Policy and Procedures.
All staff are ambassadors for Castlehaven and as such may be required from time to time to assist managers and fundraising in the promotion of its work.
Person Specification
Data & Barring Service Check:
An enhanced Data & Barring Service Check (DBS) clearance is an essential requirement for this role.
Essential skills / experience / qualities:
- At least 2 years Operations /or HR management experience
- At least 2 years of hands-on experience managing a staff team in a similar setting
- Excellent written, spoken and IT communication skills (especially with MS Office and CRM systems)
- Knowledge of HR and Operational policies & regulations
- Experience of financial management including setting & managing budgets
- Experience in organising external and work-based training for individuals and staff teams
- Experience of health and safety procedures and writing risk assessments
- Experience of safeguarding policies, procedures and management
- A proven ability to engage positively and professionally with people at all levels
- An understanding of the diverse needs of socially excluded people
- Experience of working with the public
- Have an energetic, engaging and positive can-do attitude
- Ability to use your own initiative and work to an agreed action plan
- Able to work alone and as part of a team
- Have a flexible and collaborative approach to work.
- Knowledge of General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)
- Demonstrate patience and an ability to be positive and supportive in the workplace
- Ability to respond calmly to emergencies
- Strong interpersonal skills
- Trustworthy
- Reliable
- Punctual
Desirable skills / experience / qualities:
- Experience &/or training in First Aid
- Experience &/or training in Mental Health First Aid
How to apply for this position:
Please send your CV and a covering letter (up to 3 sides of A4 only) highlighting your experience and skills relevant to this position; please use the person specification as a guideline. We are an equal opportunities employer.
Data Protection:
By applying for this role and sending your covering letter & CV you consent to Castlehaven using and keeping information about you or by third parties, e.g. referees relating to your application or future employment. This information will be used solely in the recruitment process. For unsuccessful candidates the information will be destroyed within 6 months unless you have consented to extend this period.
Closing Date for Applications: Sunday 17th October 2021
If you have been shortlisted our Interviews will take place on: Friday 22nd October 2021
If you have not been shortlisted you will not hear further from us.
We look forward to receiving your application.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.