Operations Manager

TrustFlight; England; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading aviation consulting firm is seeking an Operations Manager to oversee day-to-day operations, manage logistics, and ensure high-quality client experiences. The ideal candidate must possess strong leadership skills and experience in the aviation or travel industry. Responsibilities include scheduling consultant engagements, managing a team, and implementing operational improvements. This role demands a commitment to client service and operational excellence.

Qualifications

• Experience in the aviation or travel industry.
• Proven team management and problem-solving abilities.
• Strong leadership and decision-making capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day operations including scheduling and logistics.
• Oversee travel arrangements and course materials.
• Lead and support the Operations Admin Team.

Skills

Strong organisational and communication skills

Ability to lead and manage a team

Knowledge of building and operating a training operation

Ability to improve efficiency and quality

Well-developed interpersonal skills

Client service mentality

Tools

Microsoft Office

Scheduling tools

Job description

Role Purpose

The Operations Manager is responsible for managing day-to-day operations, including scheduling, logistics, and operational support for consultants and internal teams. This role ensures smooth delivery of services, efficient resource utilisation, and high-quality client experiences. Additionally, the role provides operational insight to formulate business strategy and drives continuous improvement across processes.

Key Responsibilities

Operations

• Schedule consultant engagements and manage diaries
• Liaise with clients and internal teams to coordinate delivery
• Oversee travel arrangements, hotel bookings, and course materials
• Support virtual training setup and ensure technical readiness
• Prepare risk assessments and maintain operational documentation
• Manage end-to-end delivery of consulting and training services
• Drive efficiency and improve customer experience
• Develop, refine, and ensure compliance with operational processes to maximise efficiency and consistency
• Monitor and optimise consultant utilisation to achieve client-facing delivery targets
• Implement and enforce fatigue management standards to safeguard consultant wellbeing and service quality
• Determine operational requirements and be responsible for scheduling resources and logistics to achieve success within time and cost

Constraints

• Monitor and track operational activity to ensure preparation, planning and execution is completed in a cost-effective manner
• Delegate and allocate responsibilities effectively and efficiently to manage operational end-to-end delivery
• Set and maintain operational guidelines and policies and ensure these are being followed
• Create opportunities to challenge existing practices and experiment with ideas to find best solutions to improve customer experience, operational efficiency and deliver value
• Effectively manage shortfalls, complaints, findings and observations (NCR or QDR).
• Manage multiple tasks and projects, determining priorities as appropriate; with the flexibility to adapt and adjust to unforeseen circumstances

Financial Management

• Validate supplier invoices and prepare financial schedules
• Provide operational and commercial oversight to ensure profitable delivery and ongoing achievement of utilisation performance
• Authorise Associate Consultant expenditure, maintaining within budget

People

• Lead and support the Operations Admin Team
• Recruit, coach, and manage team members
• Ensure office coverage and smooth running of training logistics
• Build and lead operations team effectively, inspiring others to achieve the required outcomes and goals
• Identify and maintain the appropriate balance of resources necessary to efficiently deliver business objectives
• Promote diversity and encourage inclusivity
• Motivate team to drive high performance
• Celebrate individual and team success
• Exercise full management authority, including recruitment, appraisals, pay proposals, termination and other personnel actions

Suppliers

• Coordinate Associate Consultant engagements
• Manage supplier relationships and assess value for money
• Own relationships with companies supplying the Operations Department
• Assess in line with ISO value on supplier service

Reporting & Improvement

• Provide operational reports and insights
• Identify and implement process improvements
• Provide operational insight to Operations Director

Candidate Requirements

Essential Skills and Attributes

• Strong organisational and communication skills
• Ability to lead, manage, inspire and performance-manage a team
• Knowledge of how to build and operate a training operation in a commercial environment
• Ability to make independent, well thought through decisions
• Capability to improve efficiency and quality of support systems and processes
• Ability to take initiative and drive change
• Able to develop relationships with individuals at all levels throughout the business
• Capacity to read situations, understand environments and respond accordingly
• Capable of prioritising between revenue generating actions and time-consuming tasks with low yield impact
• Well-developed interpersonal, adaptive influencing and supervisory management skills
• Mentality of client service and taking responsibility beyond direct duties
• High level of motivation, determination and commitment

Experience & Qualifications

• Experience in the aviation or travel industry
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and scheduling tools
• Proven team management and problem-solving abilities
• Strong leadership and decision-making capabilities
• Experience in training and consulting operations
• Demonstrable ability to effectively lead both local and remote teams
• Experience of training and consulting resource management within an entrepreneurial business