Operations & Delivery Manager

Smile Digital; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Smile Digital is seeking an Operations & Delivery Manager in Manchester. The role is hybrid (3 days in the office) and covers operations, delivery and commercial performance with opportunities to broaden remit into profitability and project controls.

The right candidate will understand how a project-based business works, be commercially minded, and take ownership of processes, people, resources and performance to improve efficiency and outcomes.

Qualifications

• Strong Operations background with practical project-based view.
• Commercially minded and able to own processes, people, resources and performance.

Responsibilities

• Maintain key operational activity, reporting, systems, coordination and process.
• Take increasing ownership across Delivery, including resource planning, workflow, utilisation and profitability.
• Identify bottlenecks and implement practical improvements; connect operational activity to commercial performance.

Job description

Operations & Delivery Manager - Manchester, hybrid 3 days per week in office.

We are working with an integrated agency looking for someone to take ownership across Operations, Delivery and commercial performance.

This is a great opportunity for someone with a strong Operations background who wants to broaden their remit and get much closer to resource planning, project delivery, profitability and how work moves through an agency.

You do not need to come from a pure Delivery background. What is more important is that you understand how a project based business works, you are commercially minded, and you are confident taking ownership of processes, people, resource and performance.

For the right person, this could be a really strong step into a broader Operations and Delivery leadership role.

The opportunity

You will work closely with senior leadership, Finance, project teams and specialist delivery teams to help make sure the business is running efficiently and that work is being planned, resourced and delivered in the right way.

Initially, there will be a stronger focus on business operations, with responsibility for maintaining key operational activity, reporting, systems, coordination and process.

Alongside that, you will take increasing ownership across Delivery, including resource planning, workflow, utilisation, recoverability, scope, project controls and profitability.

This is a hands on role where you will be expected to get into the detail, spot where things could work better and make sure improvements are actually implemented.

Your role will include:

• Keeping key operational activity, reporting, meetings and actions running smoothly
• Improving processes, systems and ways of working across the business
• Taking ownership of resource and capacity planning across the Studio
• Giving teams better visibility around workload, capacity and priorities
• Working with project and client teams to make sure work is scoped, planned and resourced effectively
• Monitoring utilisation, recoverability, overservicing and overall project performance
• Identifying areas where margin is being lost and helping put practical improvements in place
• Working closely with Finance to connect operational activity with commercial performance
• Improving management information and reporting so leadership has clearer visibility
• Strengthening project set-up, handovers, delivery controls and project close-out
• Helping teams understand the commercial impact of decisions around time, resource and scope
• Identifying bottlenecks, inefficiencies and recurring delivery issues
• Improving adoption of systems, processes and ways of working
• Bringing greater consistency and accountability to how work is managed and delivered
• Managing and supporting an Operations Executive

What we are looking for:

We are open minded on exact job title and background.

You may currently be working as a Senior Operations Manager, Operations Manager, Head of Operations, Delivery Manager, Resource Manager, Studio Operations Manager or Commercial Operations Manager, Delivery Manager.

Agency experience would be ideal, although experience within consultancy, professional services or another project based environment could also work well.

You are likely to be someone who is:

• Highly organised and confident managing multiple priorities
• Commercially aware and comfortable working with numbers
• Strong on process, systems and operational discipline
• Confident working across different teams and senior stakeholders
• Comfortable challenging where needed and following actions through
• Interested in resource planning, workflow and project performance
• Able to connect operational activity with commercial outcomes
• Proactive and comfortable taking ownership
• Keen to develop further into Delivery and commercial operations

The real appeal of this role is the breadth and the opportunity to grow and shape the direction with it.

You will be joining in a position where you can make an immediate impact on how the business operates, while also building broader ownership across Delivery, resource, project performance and profitability.

It is a particularly good opportunity for someone who has already built a strong foundation in Operations but wants their next role to give them more commercial exposure, more influence and a bigger role in how work is delivered.

You will have the chance to shape processes, improve how teams work together and have a direct impact on the overall efficiency and commercial performance of the business.

If you are looking for a role where you can bring your operational strengths and develop into a broader Operations and Delivery position, this is definitely worth a conversation.