About HES
Holistic Education and Sport Support Services (HES) is a growing organisation delivering a range of education, employability, training, sports, youth and community programmes.
We work with schools, local authorities, government departments, training providers, employers and community organisations to deliver high-quality services that make a positive difference to children, young people and adults.
As HES continues to grow, we are looking for a highly organised, proactive and dependable Operations Manager & PA to the Director to play a central role in the day-to-day management of the organisation.
The Role
This is a varied and fast-paced position combining operational management with executive support to the Director.
The successful candidate will help ensure that projects, staff, administration and internal systems operate efficiently while also supporting the Director with diary management, correspondence, meetings, deadlines and key business priorities.
We are looking for someone who is confident taking ownership, identifying what needs to be done and following tasks through to completion without needing constant supervision.
You will need to be exceptionally organised, comfortable managing multiple priorities and able to communicate professionally with staff, clients, commissioners, schools, partners and other stakeholders.
No two days at HES are the same, so adaptability, initiative and a solutions-focused attitude are essential.
Key Responsibilities - Operations Management
- Oversee the smooth day-to-day operation of HES programmes and services.
- Coordinate operational activity across education, employability, training, sports and community projects.
- Ensure tasks, deadlines, actions and organisational priorities are completed on time.
- Monitor programme delivery and follow up with staff to ensure agreed actions are completed.
- Support the coordination of staff rotas, timetables, venues, resources and programme schedules.
- Maintain accurate organisational records, spreadsheets, trackers and management information.
- Develop and improve administrative and operational systems to increase efficiency.
- Monitor emails, enquiries and operational issues and ensure these are dealt with promptly.
- Support the onboarding of new staff and ensure required documentation is completed.
- Maintain organised electronic filing systems and ensure important documents can be easily accessed.
- Assist with monitoring contracts, programme requirements, KPI's and reporting deadlines.
- Liaise with external partners, schools, commissioners, employers, suppliers and other stakeholders.
- Identify operational problems early and take appropriate action to resolve them.
- Support Delivery when needed.
PA Support to the Director
- Provide high-level administrative and organisational support to the Director.
- Manage the Director's diary, appointments, meetings and key deadlines.
- Organise meetings and ensure the Director has the information and documentation required beforehand.
- Prepare meeting agendas, take notes where required and monitor follow-up actions.
- Draft and respond to professional emails, letters and correspondence on behalf of the Director where appropriate.
- Act as a key point of contact between the Director, staff and external organisations.
- Help prioritise incoming requests and ensure important matters are escalated appropriately.
- Maintain reminders and follow-up systems so that important actions and deadlines are not missed.
- Assist with preparing reports, presentations, proposals and business documents.
- Support the Director with new projects, business development activity and organisational priorities.
- Handle confidential and commercially sensitive information with complete discretion.
Administration & Finance Support
- Prepare invoices and maintain accurate financial administration records.
- Support expense monitoring, purchase records and supplier documentation.
- Maintain accurate data across company systems.
- Prepare reports and management information using Microsoft Excel, CRM and other software.
- Support document formatting, data entry, filing and general office administration.
- Monitor office supplies and organisational resources where required.
- Ensure documentation is professionally presented and completed accurately.
Staff & Programme Coordination
- Communicate regularly with staff regarding priorities, deadlines and programme requirements.
- Support managers and delivery staff to ensure services are running effectively.
- Follow up outstanding actions and provide progress updates to senior management.
- Coordinate meetings and internal communications.
- Help maintain a positive, professional and accountable working culture.
- Assist with staff attendance records, rotas and operational documentation.
- Support recruitment administration and new starter processes where required.
Essential Skills & Experience
We are looking for someone who can demonstrate:
- Previous experience in operations management, office management, executive assistance, administration or a similar role.
- Exceptional organisational and time-management skills.
- The ability to manage several priorities simultaneously without losing attention to detail.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong Microsoft Office skills, particularly Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint.
- Confidence using Google Workspace including Gmail, Google Drive, Docs and Sheets.
- Strong administrative and record-keeping skills.
- Experience managing calendars, meetings, appointments and deadlines.
- Confidence communicating professionally by telephone and email.
- The ability to work independently and use initiative.
- A proactive approach to identifying and solving problems.
- Excellent attention to detail.
- The confidence to follow up with colleagues and ensure actions are completed.
- The ability to work effectively in a busy and changing environment.
- High levels of professionalism, integrity and confidentiality.
Desirable Experience
The following would be advantageous:
- Experience working within education, training, employability, youth services, sports, community services or a similar sector.
- Previous experience supporting a Director, CEO or senior manager.
- Experience managing staff, rotas or programme delivery.
- Experience working with schools, local authorities or government-funded contracts.
- Experience with QuickBooks or similar accounting software.
- Experience preparing reports, monitoring information or performance data.
- Experience supporting tenders, contracts or funded programmes.
- Experience improving administrative or operational systems.
The Person We Are Looking For
This role would suit someone who is:
- Highly organised – you enjoy creating structure and keeping things on track.
- Proactive – you do not wait to be told about every task and are comfortable taking initiative.
- Reliable – when you take ownership of something, it gets completed.
- Professional – you communicate confidently with people at all levels.
- Detail-focused – you notice mistakes and ensure work is accurate.
- Solutions-focused – when a problem arises, you look for ways to resolve it.
- Confident – you are comfortable chasing actions and holding people accountable to deadlines.
- Adaptable – you can move quickly between different projects and priorities.
- Discreet – you understand the importance of confidentiality when supporting senior leadership.
- Ambitious – you want to develop alongside a growing organisation.
What We Offer
- An important role within a growing organisation.
- The opportunity to work directly alongside the Director and senior leadership.
- Exposure to a wide range of projects and areas of the business.
- Opportunities to develop your operational, management and leadership experience.
- A varied role where you can take genuine ownership and make improvements.
- The opportunity to contribute to programmes supporting children, young people, adults and local communities.
Important
This is not purely an administrative or PA position.
We are looking for someone who is comfortable taking responsibility for operational matters, following up with staff, managing priorities and ensuring that things get done.
The successful candidate will become a key member of the HES team and will be expected to develop a strong understanding of the organisation and its programmes.
Pay: From £32,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
