Head of Non-Spoken Operations

Sign Solutions; Redditch; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

21 days holiday

CPD

Attendance bonus

Health and wellbeing schemes

Employee assistance programme

Discounts from retailers

Mental health support

Team events

Living wage employer

Flexible working adjustments

Job summary

Sign Solutions is seeking an experienced operations manager to lead the day-to-day delivery of non-spoken operations, coordinating booking, translation coordination, InterpretersLive and related admin. You will translate priorities into actionable plans, manage capacity, monitor performance and drive improvements to service quality and efficiency.

You will work with the Group Head of Operations to shape strategy, support tenders and commercial decisions, and ensure compliance with quality, data

Qualifications

• Experience managing a customer-facing operational service with competing priorities and quality requirements.
• Experience leading operational teams and developing colleagues through coaching and performance support.
• Strong analytical skills using management information to improve performance.
• Experience managing performance through service, productivity and quality measures.
• Experience planning resources and using data to support decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day delivery of non-spoken operations with a customer-focused, high-quality service.
• Translate priorities into operational plans, objectives and actions for teams.
• Manage workflow, capacity, scheduling and contingency arrangements to meet service demands.
• Maintain effective handovers and cross-functional working arrangements.
• Monitor performance using data to drive improvements and address risks.
• Coach and develop team leaders and operational colleagues through performance management.
• Support workforce planning, recruitment, onboarding and retention activities.
• Build relationships with customers, service users, suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Oversee complaints, incidents and escalations, ensuring effective resolution.
• Support audits, business continuity and compliance with policies and requirements.
• Drive continuous improvement in service quality, efficiency and data quality.

Skills

Customer service

People leadership

Data analysis

Stakeholder management

Job description

To lead the effective day-to-day delivery of Sign Solutions’ non-spoken operations, including booking and service coordination, translation coordination, InterpretersLive and associated administration, ensuring customers and service users receive a reliable, responsive and high-quality service. The role translates business priorities into clear operational plans, manages people and capacity, controls performance and risk, and delivers practical improvements that support service quality, efficiency and sustainable growth.

This is a hands-on operational management role. The postholder is accountable for implementing agreed strategy, managing delivery and recommending improvements. Working in partnership with the Group Head of Operations, the role helps shape proposals relating to Group strategy, material investment, structural change and decisions outside delegated authority, discussing and agreeing the way forward together, with approval through the Group Head of Operations, Managing Director and relevant governance. The postholder will also create and develop the Group's non-spoken strategy and support its delivery within the Sign Solutions operation.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day delivery of non-spoken operations, ensuring a consistent, customer-focused and high-quality service.
• Translate business priorities into operational plans, objectives and practical actions for teams.
• Manage workflow, capacity, resource allocation, scheduling and contingency arrangements to meet service demands.
• Maintain effective handovers and cross-functional working arrangements to ensure operational dependencies are understood and managed.
• Monitor and analyse operational performance, using data and management information to drive improvements and address risks.
• Lead, coach and develop team leaders, coordinators and operational colleagues through effective performance management and support.
• Support workforce planning, recruitment, onboarding, training, succession planning and retention activities.
• Build positive relationships with customers, service users, suppliers, language professionals and internal stakeholders.
• Oversee complaints, incidents and escalations, ensuring effective resolution and continuous learning.
• Support audit, assurance and business continuity activities, ensuring actions are completed within agreed timescales.
• Maintain compliance with contractual, quality, data protection, safeguarding, health and safety and accreditation requirements.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that improve service quality, efficiency, systems usage, workflow automation, data quality and operational controls.
• Support new customer, contract and service mobilisations through effective planning, training and risk management.
• Contribute operational expertise to tenders, pricing discussions, service developments and commercial decision-making.
• Monitor operational expenditure, resource utilisation and supplier costs within delegated budgets and approved authority levels.
• Work collaboratively with Sales, Account Management, Finance, HR, Technology and wider Group functions to achieve business objectives, identify opportunities for growth and improve commercial performance.
• Represent Sign Solutions in customer meetings, supplier engagements, governance forums and other stakeholder interactions.

About You

Essential — you’ll need:

• Experience managing a customer-facing operational service with competing priorities, service levels and quality requirements.
• Experience leading operational teams and developing colleagues through coaching, performance management and support.
• Strong analytical skills with experience using management information, demand planning and operational data to improve performance.
• Experience managing operational performance through service, productivity, utilisation and quality measures.
• Experience planning resources and managing demand using operational data and management information.
• Experience working with operational systems and using data to support decision-making and service improvements.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to manage complaints, escalations and service recovery effectively.
• Experience improving processes and implementing sustainable operational change.
• Strong organisational skills, attention to detail and experience working within policies, controls, risk and compliance frameworks.
• A collaborative leadership style with the ability to make sound decisions, build relationships and maintain a strong customer focus.

Desirable — it would be great if you also have:

• Experience within language services, accessibility services, interpreting, translation, professional services or another quality-led environment.
• Experience managing budgets, supplier costs or commercial performance measures.
• Experience leading teams through organisational or technology-enabled change.
• Experience supporting tenders, account planning, customer retention or service mobilisation activities.
• Experience supporting audit, assurance or business continuity activities.
• Lean, continuous improvement, project management or change management qualifications/training, or equivalent experience.
• Knowledge of ISO-aligned quality systems, data protection, safeguarding or business continuity practices.
• Experience working across multiple business functions or within a group structure

What's In It For You?

• Working pattern and location to be confirmed in line with business requirements
• 21 days holiday plus bank holidays (Full Time Equivalent), increasing with service
• Training and Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
• Attendance bonus scheme
• Health and Wellbeing schemes
• Policies supporting Mental Health, Menopause and more
• Employee Assistance Programme / Cash Plan
• Access to discounts from hundreds of leading retailers
• Access to mental health specialist support
• Birthday celebrations and gifts
• Team events
• Occupational Sick Pay (OSP) and Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)
• Work for an established company with over 25 years in the industry
• Supportive and flexible employer
• Disability Confident Leader
• Real Living Wage Employer
• Good Business Charter Accredited
• And more!

If you need any adjustments to take part in our recruitment process, please let us know, we’re happy to discuss what would help.

Applicants must be UK residents and have permission to work in the UK. All staff undergo a Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) check, which includes a standard DBS check.