Senior Operations Officer

Grapevine Coventry and Warwickshire; Metchley; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Leave: 25 days

Pension 8%

Flexible working

Employee Assistance

Learning culture

Autonomy & support

Job summary

Grapevine Coventry and Warwickshire seeks an operations‑focused individual to keep our charity running safely and efficiently. You will support HR processes, DBS checks, governance, coordinate facilities and team events, and be a reliable problem‑solver who can juggle multiple tasks with warmth and integrity.

Join a values‑driven team that trusts you to make decisions, celebrates initiative, and values continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Experience in operations, facilities management, HR admin, or business support.

Responsibilities

• Conduct risk assessments and manage health and safety.
• Coordinate facilities maintenance and legal compliance.
• Support HR processes from onboarding to exits; manage DBS checks.
• Coordinate team events; liaison with trustees.
• Process applications and board meeting logistics.
• Review and improve internal processes; explore AI/automation.
• Coordinate post, emails, building access and site details.

Skills

Operations experience

Proactive problem solving

Organizational skills

Independent worker

IT literacy

Health & safety

HR systems

Board governance

Charity sector

Tools

MS Office

HR software

HRIS/HR software

Job description

You've mastered the art of making things work smoothly - maybe in charity operations, facilities management, or business support. You know that every compliance checkbox ticked, every system optimised, and every pound saved directly translates into changed lives. You're ready to step up into a role where your attention to detail genuinely matters.

What you'll be doing

• Keep our operations safe and compliant - conduct risk assessments, manage health and safety, coordinate facilities maintenance, and ensure we meet all legal requirements.
• Enable brilliant people to do brilliant work - support HR processes from onboarding to exits, manage DBS checks, coordinate team events, and be the go-to person who solves problems.
• Be the first point of contact for people seeking help - answer calls with empathy, direct clients to appropriate support using your knowledge of local services, and ensure no one leaves Grapevine without assistance.
• Support recruitment and governance - process applications through our system, coordinate Board meetings, and provide key liaison support for trustees.
• Drive continuous improvement - review and enhance internal processes, explore AI and automation opportunities, and negotiate contracts that stretch our resources further.
• Manage the everyday essentials - coordinate post, emails, building access, waste collection, vehicle checks, and the hundred other details that keep a charity functioning.

We need someone who combines operational excellence with warmth, resourcefulness with reliability, and efficiency with empathy.

You'll need

• Experience in operations, facilities management, HR administration, or business support - ideally in the charity or public sector.
• Proactive problem-solving skills - you spot issues before they escalated and find creative solutions within tight budgets.
• Excellent organisational abilities and meticulous attention to detail.
• Confidence working independently while knowing when to elevate or collaborate.
• Strong IT skills and willingness to explore tools that improve efficiency.
• Understanding of health and safety regulations and risk assessment processes.
• Experience with HR systems, DBS processes, or recruitment support.
• Familiarity with charity governance and Board support.
• Knowledge of facilities management, including building safety and maintenance coordination.

At Grapevine, we believe people in communities are the answer to the challenges they face - and we work alongside them to build power and create lasting change. For 30 years, we've been a nationally acclaimed example of community-led transformation.

You'll join a values-driven team that trusts you to make decisions, celebrates your initiative, and recognises that behind every operational task is a person we're enabling to change lives. We're high-trust, human-centred, and built on shared accountability. We repay out-of-hours effort with TOIL, cherish diverse lived experience, and never lose sight of the people behind the work.

Our offer

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata)
• 8% non-contributory pension (we pay it all)
• Flexible working arrangements
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Supportive culture with continuous learning baked in and real autonomy with genuine support
• A management team role where your voice shapes how we operate

Ready to make operations meaningful?

If you're excited by purpose-led work, comfortable with honest reflection, and believe that systems should serve people (not the other way round), we'd love to hear from you.