Operations Manager

Job description

The Entrepreneurship Institute (EI) at King’s College London supports students, staff and alumni to develop entrepreneurial mindsets by learning entrepreneurial skills. Some go on to form start-ups and spinouts with their ideas. Our work is delivered through an array of programmes, from masterclasses to accelerators and the Operations Manager co-ordinates and supports their delivery.

The Operations Manager is also responsible for our space, how it works and the communities that exist within it.

Areas of oversight for the Operations Manager will typically include programme operations and logistics, office management, finance, annual planning and budgeting, data, sustainability, evaluation and team culture.

The post-holder will work in close collaboration with programme leads at the EI to agree the operational support for the delivery of their programmes, co-ordinating a team of Student Ambassadors. The Operations Manager will also proactively build relationships relevant to the success of internal improvement projects with the King’s central function, to shape King’s-wide improvements and externally to bring-in best operational practice.

The position will be based at Bush House - Strand Campus, London. The post holder will be expected to work across every campus at King’s. They will report directly to the Director of the EI and will work collaboratively across the team.

This is a full time role.

This role will be offered on an indefinite contract.

  Key responsibilities

Improvement Projects

• Identify areas for improvement in processes and systems across the Institute’s operations and take the lead in new process design and implementation
• Maintain compliance with internal procedures and raise any areas of concern with all budget holders to help manage any potential risks
• Develop and maintain relationships with key internal and external stakeholders to enable smooth and best-practice operations

Finance and Planning

• Set and manage the EI’s operations annual plan and budget with responsibility for forecasting and reconciling against spend
• Coordinating financial logistics including raising POs, invoice payments, journaling and record-keeping on behalf of budget holders, keeping oversight of Institute’s overall financial position and processes
• Provide operational support and guidance throughout the Institute’s strategic planning and budgeting cycles for the whole team working with the Director
• Lead procurement exercises and management of key contracts e.g., Experts in Residence

Sustainability

• Maintain the Institute’s sustainability approach, completing the annual Green Impact Award Submission
• Support programme leads to embed sustainability across our programmes and in the way we ‘teach’ entrepreneurship / entrepreneurial skills

Relationships and Community

• Support the Institute with internship recruitment and lead on the co-ordination and management responsibility for Student Ambassadors
• Provide administrative support for the EI’s ambassadors including recruitment for events and providing on-event operational briefings with direction from the relevant programme lead
• Support and maintain a ‘digital first’ mentality across all operational delivery and the EI staff team
• Champion and design initiatives that foster an inclusive and productive working environment for the EI staff team and our communities including day-to-day running of the office and supporting line managers with the onboarding of new staff and King’s 20 ventures
• Be the first point of call for the EI’s audiences via phone, email and in person

Data and Evaluation

• Take a lead role in designing and improving the processes to gather data relating to the Institute’s programmes and impact
• Co-ordinate support from the central Data team on GDPR compliance, working to support the team to improve compliance
• Implementation and maintenance of a CRM system
• Collate data for annual HEBCIS returns as advised by Head of Ventures

General Support

• Ensure that the operational aspects of all programmes are delivered efficiently
• Programmes include accelerator programmes, curricular and co-curricular skills activities, and programmes for our communities of students, entrepreneurs
• Support the Institute’s Heads of Programme and as well as the Director of the EI with day-to-day and one-off project administrative and operational tasks and initiative design
• Manage the Institute’s space at Bush House ensuring it runs efficiently and is welcoming to our communities including our accelerator cohorts and our team
• Draft emails, communications, documents, and other written material for the EI and the team
• Keep up to date with current trends, content and resources available in the start-up and entrepreneurship sector

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

  Skills, knowledge and experience

Essential criteria

1. Organised
2. Team player
3. IT proficiency
4. Financial acumen
5. Project/event management
6. Strong communication skills
7. Networking skills
8. Adaptable and flexible
9. Self-starter

Desirable criteria

1. Operations management experience
2. Financial management
3. Entrepreneurship knowledge