Operations and Strategic Partnerships Manager

Moving Ahead; Reading; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A growing company in Reading is looking for a candidate experienced in operations management to manage daily operations and support business development. Responsibilities include overseeing external suppliers, financial reporting, and ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations. The ideal candidate will have strong communication skills and a proactive approach to improving operational processes. This role offers a great opportunity for those eager to contribute to a dynamic and evolving environment.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in operations management, ideally within a small or growing business.
• Solid understanding of compliance, data protection, and information security.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and refine operational processes.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day operations and support new business activities.
• Oversee company procurement and management of existing equipment.
• Lead the client meeting framework and proposal process.

Skills

Operations management

Financial management

IT systems oversight

HR processes

Compliance knowledge

Stakeholder management

Problem-solving

Communication

Tools

Microsoft Office

CRM systems

Job description

This role supports the smooth running and growth of the company by managing day-to-day operations and supporting new business activities. It ensures our internal processes are efficient and effective, supporting teams across the business. Overall, this role bridges operations and business development to help the company run well and grow sustainably.

Operations and People

• Provide guidance on contractual and compliance matters for colleagues onboarding new clients in a timely and accurate fashion
• Manage all Moving Ahead company policies
• Manage all external suppliers, including onboarding, ongoing relationship management, and contract close-out
• Serve as the primary internal point of contact for IT matters
• Manage the people and operations budget, including related financial activities and reporting
• Play a central role in maintaining internal compliance, information security, and cybersecurity standards
• Carry out internal HR activities, including recruitment, induction, and employee support
• Ensure the company meets all Health & Safety requirements
• Manage the timesheet system and produce regular monthly reports

Strategic Partnerships

• Administer, maintain and audit the CRM, including report distribution, data exports and change requests
• Oversee company procurement and management of existing equipment
• Diary coordination for the Strategic Partnerships team (CEO and Director of Programmes) to maximise time spent on client-facing engagements and revenue-generating activities
• Support the CEO and Director of Programmes with business development-focused activities, including coordinating resources from internal teams to meet objectives
• Lead the client meeting framework including monitoring, liaising with client partners, reporting and action planning when off track.
• Lead the proposal process - mobilising business function inputs, reviewing the proposal for relevance, being the central point of contact for clients and responding to queries
• Monitor, update and report on revenue opportunities
• Continuous improvement of Strategic Partnerships processes

Qualifications

• Proven experience in operations management, ideally within a small or growing business.
• Strong financial management skills, including budgeting, reporting, and collaboration with finance teams.
• Skilled in managing external suppliers, contracts, and business continuity plans.
• Solid understanding of compliance, data protection, and information security.
• Confident overseeing IT systems and liaising with external support providers.
• Familiarity with HR processes such as recruitment, onboarding, and induction.
• Experience managing health and safety in office or hybrid environments.
• Proficient in managing internal systems (e.g. timesheets, procurement, equipment tracking).
• Demonstrated ability to develop and refine operational processes to support growth and efficiency.
• Competent in data management and CRM systems, with strong analytical skills to interpret metrics and provide insights.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, especially Excel, and comfortable with digital tools and IT systems.

Personal skills

• Excellent communicator, able to explain complex concepts clearly to non-technical audiences
• Self-motivated, proactive and possess an ability to work autonomously while also collaborating effectively with leadership and teams.
• Highly organised with the ability to prioritise and manage workload independently
• Flexible and adaptable, responding positively to change and ambiguity in a fast-paced and evolving environment
• Proactive and growth-focused, eager to learn and develop new skills
• Diplomatic, able to manage stakeholder and client relationships effectively
• Strong problem-solving skills, with a structured approach to managing priorities and delivering results.
• A commercial and growth focused mindset, with tenacity and drive to 'win' new clients and business

Moving Ahead have a set of organisational behaviours that inform everything we do. Have a read, we hope they align if your own values.

Diversity, equity and inclusion

Diversity, equity and inclusion first - We aspire to live our purpose. That means we put Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the heart of everything we do, always asking - "is this equitable?" "is it inclusive?" "is there diversity" or 'does it promote diversity?

Committed to excellence

Committed to excellence - We are here to be world-leading. We hold ourselves to standards of excellence in everything we do - from hitting our goals to attention to detail, everything we do should be world class.

Agents of change

Agents of change - We want to shake things up. We are here to revolutionise the world of work, that means we must all be agents of change, constantly driving forward innovation and being receptive and adaptable to change.

One team

One team - We move as one, unified team - we take the time to know each other, care about each other, respect each other and assume positive intent.