Senior Operations Manager (Deputy Chief Operating Officer)

Applications are invited for a Senior Operations Manager (Deputy COO) to join the Operations Group at the Earlham Institute, based in Norwich, UK.

Are you good at solving operational problems, and motivated by helping others deliver front line services or projects? Do you have a proactive can-do approach and see your career being one where you can progress onto a lead operational role in a multidisciplinary organisation? If so, this role may be for you.

The Operations Division provides support across all our main activities and infrastructure, allowing us to deliver world-class science. Keeping everything running smoothly, Operations brings together specialists from multidisciplined groups to ensure we are well placed and supported to stay at the forefront of the life sciences.

The role:

The Senior Operations Manager (SOM) (Deputy COO) will play a key role in ensuring the smooth operational running of the Institute. They will be first point of call for all enquiries from staff, students, and other external stakeholders across all operations at the Earlham Institute (EI) crossing all areas of operational activity from corporate services to laboratory management.

They will support the Chief Operating Officer (COO) with the management of the Division, with line management of the Communications and Operational and Laboratory Management Groups which including building management and capital projects, as well as the Business Support Team. They will also assist with preparing briefing documents for senior Board and Committees and deputise for the COO on committees when needed. 

The Senior Operations Manager is a busy and varied role, no two days are the same. The post holder will also assist the COO to oversee services provided to the Institute via the shared services (Norwich Bioscience Institute Partnership (NBIP)) providing Estates, Health and Safety, Human Resources, Quality Assurance, Finance, Purchasing and Computing services ensuring they are aligned to the needs of the Institute.

The ideal candidate:

The Senior Operations Manager will have a degree in relevant financial, legal, project management or operational areas of expertise or equivalent qualification.

They will have extensive experience working at Senior Management level, or working in a busy multidisciplined organisation, with involvement in the management of operational activities. They will need excellent leadership and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced changing environment, they will need a strong understanding of health and safety legislation in the workplace, if the post holder has experience in project management it will also be beneficial.

It is critical that the post holder has a natural interest in what makes an organisation successful in its delivery, can see solutions to barriers to success and wants to help others achieve their goals. They also need to be happy to be the front-line support for a variety of enquiries that need to be solved quickly. If you would like to find out more and want to speak to the Institutes COO, please contact nbi.recruitment@nbi.ac.uk to arrange a call.

Applicants must submit their CV as part of their application, along with a covering letter explaining why you are suitable for this role.

Salary on appointment will be within the range £55,500 to £69,250 per annum depending on qualifications and experience, a higher salary may be offered for an exceptional candidate. This is a full-time post for a contract of 54 months.

Interviews will be held on 7 February 2025.

Please note, this post does not meet UKVI requirements to provide visa sponsorship.

For further information and details of how to apply, please click on the ‘Apply’ button above or contact the Human Resources team on 01603 450814 or nbi.recruitment@nbi.ac.uk quoting reference 1004827.

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee to offer an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for this vacancy.

The closing date for applications will be 24 January 2025.