Operations Manager

Reed Talent Solutions; Greater London; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days’ holiday plus bank holidays

End of year wellbeing shutdown

Extra day of leave for celebrations

Summer Hours in August (3pm Fridays)

HOW Days – paid charity day

Pension Scheme

Private Medical Insurance

Health Cash Plan

Wellbeing Library (MYNDUP)

Mentoring Programme

Season Ticket Loan

Cycle to Work Schemes

Free on-site gym and shower facilities

Free eyesight tests

Free flu vaccination – on site

Job summary

Reed Talent Solutions is seeking an Operations Manager to lead the operational delivery of major events from London, with flexible office-based work and travel to live events. The role requires proactive, highly organised individuals capable of handling multiple priorities in fast-paced environments.

You will oversee budgets, supplier negotiations, safety planning and cross-team coordination to ensure seamless execution and outstanding exhibitor experiences across markets.

Responsibilities

• Support the end-to-end operational delivery of a major launch event in Germany.
• Manage event operations budget, including forecasting, cost tracking, and reporting to the Head of Operations.
• Negotiate supplier and contractor costs to maximise value and cost efficiency.
• Work within defined budget parameters and adapt to changing financial requirements.
• Collaborate with senior ops team, venue partners, exhibitors and internal teams to support build/breakdown with Health & Safety compliance.
• Develop risk assessments and ongoing health & safety planning.
• Maintain Health & Safety file with complete documentation.
• Attend health & safety training and engage with internal programmes.
• Liaise with production, marketing, sales and finance to align all event elements.
• Bring creative, solution-focused thinking to enhance event delivery.
• Prepare exhibitor manuals and communicate technical information to exhibitors.
• Ensure full delivery of exhibitor packages and signage schedules.
• Oversee show build with contractors to meet plans and quality expectations.
• Manage contractors and suppliers before, during and after the event.
• Coordinate build, delivery and breakdown schedules and respond to exhibitor/contractor needs onsite.
• Oversee onsite furniture/equipment orders and maintain organised records.
• Manage event staffing levels and contribute to post-event evaluation and continuous improvement.
• Participate in internal meetings and client discussions and contribute to Operations Group.
• Handle customer data in GDPR-compliant manner and travel internationally as required.
• Represent Clarion Events professionally at all times.

Job description

Operations Manager

Company: Reed Talent Solutions Salary: Not specified Hours: Full-time Location: London, SW6 3JW Job type: Permanent Posting date: 20 Oct 2026 Closing date: 19 Nov 2026

Summary

At Clarion, our people are at the absolute heart of what we do. We’re proud that our core values of

PASSION,

CARE,

IMAGINATION, and

TRUST define the way we carry out our work across all of our teams.

If you share our values and want to be a part of a successful, dynamic, and creative global business then we want to hear from you.

The Opportunity:

We are seeking a dynamic and highly organised Operations Manager to join our Defence & Security Operations team. This is an exciting opportunity to lead the delivery of two core events while also supporting DSEI UK & Germany. The role requires a proactive individual who thrives in a fast-paced environment and can confidently manage multiple priorities.

Based in the UK, the role will be primarily flexi-office based (2 WFH days/week), with some travel required, including significant onsite presence during live events. The successful candidate must be adaptable and confident operating in high‑pressure event environments, ensuring seamless execution and operational excellence across both markets.

We are looking for an individual ready to take the next step into an Operations Manager role, with notable experience in the exhibitions industry.

The Candidate

We are looking for an exceptionally organised and proactive individual who can champion the fulfilment of a broad range of assigned duties. The successful candidate will have a methodical approach, have high attention to detail and be able to simultaneously manage a number of tasks. The role will mainly be flexi-office based however will require onsite work at live events. Here’s who we are looking for:

• You enjoy being organised and anticipating people’s needs
• You love being creative; you dream big, adopt new ways of working and get a thrill from being innovative
• You relish facing new challenges: you react, adapt and welcome change
• You are obsessed with positive customer experiences and outcomes.
• You want to develop your skillset by being exposed to a broad range of experiences and people
• You like to challenge assumptions and make decisions based on customer insight

Key Responsibilities

• Support the end-to-end operational delivery of a major launch event in Germany.
• Manage key elements of the event operations budget, including forecasting, cost tracking, and reporting to the Head of Operations.
• Negotiate supplier and contractor costs to ensure maximum value and cost efficiency.
• Work effectively within defined budget parameters and adapt to changing financial requirements.
• Collaborate closely with the Senior Operations Manager, Head of Operations, venue partners, exhibitors, and internal teams to support all build and breakdown activities in line with Health & Safety regulations and Clarion EMEA standards.
• Manage the development of risk assessments and ongoing health & safety planning.
• Manage the maintenance of accurate and compliant health & safety documentation for the event, producing a complete and verified Health & Safety file.
• Attend relevant health & safety training sessions and engage proactively with internal training programmes.
• Liaise with production, marketing, sales, and finance teams to ensure alignment across all event elements.
• Bring creative, solution-focused thinking to enhance event delivery and contribute innovative ideas.
• Produce and communicate accurate technical information for exhibitors, including the creation of an exhibitor manual/zone.
• Ensure full delivery and fulfilment of exhibitor packages.
• Develop detailed signage schedules and oversee implementation.
• Ensure the show build meets all plans, specifications, and quality expectations working closely with contractors.
• Manage contractors and suppliers before, during, and after the event to ensure seamless delivery.
• Assist with the creation and coordination of build, delivery, and breakdown schedules.
• Respond effectively to exhibitor and contractor needs both in the office and onsite—maintaining composure in high-pressure environments.
• Oversee the ordering and management of all onsite furniture and equipment.
• Maintain organised records, manage meeting schedules, take minutes, and handle follow-up communications.
• Manage event staffing levels to ensure adequate coverage throughout the exhibition.
• Support post-event evaluation and contribute to continuous improvement.
• Participate in regular internal meetings as well as external client discussions.
• Contribute to the company’s Operations Group as an active member.
• Handle customer data confidently and in compliance with GDPR and other data privacy requirements.
• Be available to travel internationally as required.
• Represent Clarion Events professionally at all times.

Knowledge, Skills & Behaviours

• Experience in the conference and exhibition industry or with a background in live events
• Proven Health and Safety experience.
• Organised and methodical with the ability to manage multiple tasks effectively.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Customer focussed mindset.
• Confident communicator – an ability to communicate verbally and/or in writing with a wide range of personalities and levels of seniority.
• Experience managing budget tracking or cost control.
• Willingness to travel internationally as required.
• Self-motivated, enthusiastic, and proactive approach.
• Able to meet deadlines and respond to challenges in a fast-paced environment.
• Computer literate: proficient, versed, and working knowledge of various programmes and systems i.e. MS Office, Outlook. Experience with other web-based platforms like Salesforce, Pardot or Workday would be an advantage.

About Clarion Events

Clarion Events is one of the world’s leading event organisers, producing and delivering innovative and market-leading events since 1947. (

https://clarionevents.com/welcome

)

Clarion Events embrace diversity and equal opportunities in all that we do. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.

Clarion is private equity backed and owned by Blackstone. Blackstone is one of the world’s leading global investment funds, investing capital for the long term in order to build successful, resilient businesses. (

https://www.blackstone.com/

)

Our purpose is to deliver exceptional customer outcomes and experiences, by making every connection count.

Our vision is we want every one of our products to be a market leader in customer satisfaction and delight.

Benefits

• 25 days’ holiday plus bank holidays
• End of year wellbeing shutdown (closed for the last week of the year)
• Employees on a permanent or fixed-term contract are gifted an extra day of leave that can be used for a celebration of your choosing, e.g. birthday, Eid, Diwali, etc.
• Summer Hours in August (3pm finish on Fridays)
• Helping Our World (HOW) Days – one paid day per quarter to carry out charity work
• Pension Scheme
• Private Medical Insurance
• Health Cash Plan
• Wellbeing Library (MYNDUP)
• Mentoring Programme
• Season Ticket Loan
• Cycle to Work Schemes
• Free on-site gym and shower facilities
• Free eyesight tests
• Free flu vaccination – offered on site once a year for all employees

Our Values

PASSION

We deliver all our events with passion for people, the environment and businesses. We form connections with those who are just as passionate about what they do as we are. We always strive to exceed expectations and celebrate success. We love what we do, and it shows.

CARE

We care about our people and our products and work tirelessly to achieve lasting connections and satisfaction for ourselves, our customers and the businesses they support. We really get people - everyone is welcome.

IMAGINATION

Everything is possible. We constantly challenge the status quo and create amazing experiences and opportunities. We take huge satisfaction in solving problems. As open-minded and fun-loving people, the sky is our limit.

TRUST

We trust our skills, people and partners to deliver extraordinary events our customers have come to rely on. We support everyone around us and always learn through our experiences. We are honest and straight forward. You can always rely on us.

Equal Opportunities

Clarion embraces equality, diversity and inclusion and seeks to promote these principles in all of our business activities.

We encourage employees to be open and confident and recognise that every member of the team makes a vital contribution.

When recruiting new employees or providing opportunities for promotion, we will: Recruit, develop and retain the most talented people, regardless of background, and make the best use of their talents; Ensure that no person is unlawfully discriminated against; Select the best person for the role based on their skills, qualifications and abilities.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

About Disability Confident

Disability Confident is a government scheme. It encourages employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with long term health conditions.