Business Operations Coordinator

Cambridge Fire Research; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

23 days annual leave

Contributory pension

Training and development

Flexible working hours

Job summary

Cambridge Fire Research in Pampisford, Cambridgeshire, is hiring a Business Operations Coordinator to connect customers with the technical team. You will handle enquiries, organise bookings, maintain the testing and activity schedule, and support routine administrative tasks.

The role is primarily administrative and operational, with room for judgment and customer-facing interaction. On-site, Monday–Friday, 40 hours per week, negotiable start time.

Qualifications

• A degree is not required.
• A Level 3 qualification in business administration or related subject would be useful.
• Practical capability, judgement and coordination ownership are more important.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate customer inquiries and communications.
• Organise laboratory bookings and testing schedule.
• Support routine commercial administration.
• Coordinate information, people and resources to keep work moving.

Skills

Organisation skills

Customer communication

Schedule coordination

Attention to detail

Written English

On-site work

Education

Level 3 qualification in business administration

Tools

Microsoft 365

Job description

Business Operations Coordinator

Pampisford, Cambridgeshire CB22

Monday Friday, 40 hours per week (negotiable)

About the Business

We are an independent UKAS-accredited and EGOLF-approved test house based just south of Cambridge. We provide fire-resistance and acoustic testing, primarily for customers in construction, fire protection and the wider built environment. We are making significant investment in our testing capabilities, with completion planned for the first half of 2027, enhancing our offering and giving customers a joined-up testing service.

We are a small, friendly and practical team. The work is specialist, but previous fire-testing experience is not required. Training will be provided, and relevant experience from a customer-focused, technical, construction, laboratory, sales-support or service environment would be an advantage.

The Role In A Nutshell

This role is the coordination hub between customers and the technical team. You will take ownership of customer enquiries and communication, organise laboratory bookings, maintain the testing and activity schedule, support routine commercial administration and coordinate the information, people and resources needed to keep work moving. The role is primarily administrative and operational, but it requires judgement, confidence with customers and the ability to manage changing priorities.

What Success Looks Like:

• Customers receive prompt, clear and professional communication.
• Quotations and customer purchase orders are supported by complete, accurate and timely information.
• The current and forward testing schedule is accurate, visible and realistic.
• People, resources, information and dependencies are coordinated before they become constraints.
• Customer commitments, deliverables and hand-offs are followed through.
• Schedule conflicts and emerging delays are identified and escalated early.
• Routine purchasing, records and trackers are controlled, current and reliable.

The Person We re Looking For

You will be an energetic and dependable organiser who enjoys being the person who keeps customers informed and makes the moving parts fit together. You will be comfortable following up colleagues, working across functions and bringing order to a schedule that changes frequently.

Essential Capabilities:

• Strong organisation and prioritisation, with careful attention to detail.
• Confident, professional customer communication by telephone and email.
• Ability to coordinate schedules, information, actions and deadlines across several people.
• Good judgement about when to resolve an issue and when to escal it.
• Accurate record-keeping and confidence using Microsoft 365, particularly Outlook, Word and Excel.
• Clear written English and practical numeracy.
• Comfort working on site within a small, hands-on technical business.

Useful Experience:

• Customer operations, service coordination, project coordination, scheduling, office management or sales administration.
• Supporting quotations, customer purchase orders, routine purchasing or supplier administration.
• A technical, engineering, construction, laboratory or regulated environment.
• Coordinating logistics, suppliers, goods or document-controlled workflows.
• Reading drawings or familiarity with construction materials is useful but not required.

Qualifications

A degree is not required. A Level 3 qualification in business administration, customer service, operations or a related subject would be useful, but practical capability, judgement and evidence of coordination ownership are more important.

What We Offer:

• 23 days annual leave.
• Contributory pension scheme.
• Ongoing professional development and role‑specific training.
• Flexible working hours may be considered; the role requires on‑site working.

About Us

We are a family manufacturing company specialising in the production of draught, weather, fire and acoustic seals since 1961. We are based on a 4‑acre site in Pampisford with beautiful gardens and ample on‑site parking. We export our products worldwide and supply many projects in the UK recent examples being Wimbledon Centre Court, Spurs new Football Stand, the Thames Barrier and many more. We are a small and friendly team and as a result have low staff turnover.