Operations Manager
Location: Hale, Greater Manchester (travel across schools required)
Job Type: Full-time, Permanent
Salary: £30,000 – £32,000 per year
About FIFTH Movement
FIFTH Movement gets children moving across Greater Manchester. We deliver PE PPA cover, Swim:ED (our pop-up swimming programme), active clubs, forest school, CPD, and holiday camps to primary schools and communities.
We're growing, and we need the right person to grow with us.
The Role
This is a no-two-days-the-same operations role. One day you might be coordinating coach cover across schools. The next, you're on site making sure a pool installation runs on schedule. After that, you're back at your desk working through compliance records and making sure everything is logged correctly.
We'll train you on everything you need to know. What we can't train is the mindset, and that's what we're hiring for.
From day one, you'll own real areas of the business. Not shadow someone. Not wait for direction. You'll be given responsibility across multiple parts of our operation, with full support and ongoing training behind you, but the expectation is that you take it and run with it.
If you need someone checking in on you constantly to keep moving, this isn't the right role. If you're the kind of person who gets given a task and gets on with it, it might be exactly right.
What We're Looking For
This role is about character first. We want someone who:
- Gets things done. You don't wait to be chased, you take ownership and see things through.
- Stays calm when it's busy. Things will go wrong. You'll problem solve without drama and find a way forward.
- Communicates clearly. With coaches, schools, and the senior team, you know how to get the right information to the right people at the right time.
- Is genuinely practical. You're comfortable rolling your sleeves up and doing what needs to be done, whether that's on site or at a desk.
- Is organised under pressure. You can manage multiple moving parts, stay on top of the detail, and not let things slip.
- Wants to build something. You're not looking to just fill a role, you want to be a key part of how this business grows.
What You'll Be Doing
The role spans two main areas: coach/delivery operations, and swimming programme operations. You'll be responsible for keeping both running smoothly.
On the coaching side, that means coordinating a team of coaches across partner schools scheduling, cover, communications, and quality checks.
On the swimming side, that means overseeing pool setup and pack-down at school sites, keeping compliance records in order, and being a reliable point of contact when things need resolving quickly.
You'll also carry out regular quality assurance visits to schools, maintain strong relationships with our partners, and support the senior team with operational admin.
You don't need to have done any of this before. We'll train you properly. What matters is that you're the kind of person who picks things up quickly and takes real pride in doing them well.
Requirements
- Full UK driving licence and own car - essential (applications without will not be considered)
- Enhanced DBS check, or willingness to obtain one
- Strong organisational skills and confident communication
Desirable (but not essential):
- Pool Plant Operator qualification (APPO)
- Experience in an operations, coordination, sports, leisure, or education-based role
- First aid qualification
What We Offer
- £30,000 – £32,000 per year
- A genuinely varied role with real responsibility and autonomy from day one
- Time off in lieu for any out-of-hours operational support
- The opportunity to be a key part of a growing organisation doing good work in schools
- A straightforward, supportive team where initiative is noticed and rewarded
How to Apply
Send your CV and a short cover note, tell us why this role appeals to you and give us a sense of who you are. We're as interested in how you think as we are in what you've done.
Pay: £30,000.00-£32,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Health & wellbeing programme
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Altrincham WA14 2UN
