Workplace Operations Manager

UniHomes; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Great Place to Work certification

Office in Sheffield City Centre

Job summary

UniHomes is seeking an experienced Workplace Operations Manager for our Sheffield city centre office. You will own the daily office running, ensure a safe and welcoming environment, and lead facilities, IT and supplier activities in collaboration with the People & Culture team.

You will drive improvements to processes and colleague experience, manage budgets, and coordinate front-of-house and visitor hospitality while maintaining accurate records and safeguarding health and safety compliance.

Qualifications

• Experience in workplace operations, office management or facilities roles within a fast-moving environment.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail with proactive problem-solving.
• Ability to manage suppliers, budgets and stakeholder relationships effectively.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of day-to-day office running, presentation and maintenance.
• Manage office suppliers, contracts, expenditure and purchase orders.
• Coordinate health & safety plans, audits and training.
• Oversee IT & communications support, onboarding and asset management.
• Support colleague experience, hospitality and events, and welcome visitors.

Skills

Workplace operations

Facilities management

Health & safety

Office management

Supplier management

Budgeting

Stakeholder engagement

Microsoft Office

Tools

Sage

Job description

Workplace Operations Manager

Sheffield City Centre (office-based due to the nature of the role)

Salary: £Competitive

Are you an experienced Workplace Operations Manager looking for a new challenge where you can make a visible impact every day? This is an exciting opportunity to take ownership of the day-to-day running of our vibrant, modern Sheffield city centre office within one of South Yorkshire’s leading digital employers. Working within the People & Culture team, you’ll play a key role in creating a safe, organised and welcoming workplace for colleagues and visitors. This is a hands‑on and varied role covering workplace operations, facilities management, health and safety, supplier management and colleague experience. Success will rely on excellent attention to detail, sound judgement, initiative and a genuine pride in creating a workplace that runs smoothly and supports colleagues to do their best work. As a visible and colleague-facing role, you’ll need to be approachable, proactive and confident in building positive working relationships across the business.

Responsible to: Head of People & Culture

Key responsibilities

Workplace management

• Take ownership of the day-to-day running, presentation and maintenance of the office, ensuring a safe, efficient and professional working environment.
• Balance multiple office priorities, responding to daily needs while keeping planned activity, actions and improvements on track.
• Proactively identify and implement practical improvements to the office environment, ways of working, processes and colleague experience.
• Manage office suppliers, contracts, expenditure and purchase orders, ensuring high service standards, value for money and effective budget control.
• Work with the Head of People & Culture on facilities budgets, supplier relationships and workplace improvement initiatives, escalating decisions in line with agreed approval levels.
• Maintain office procedures, processes and facilities information, ensuring records remain accurate and up to date.
• Act as the key contact for the building management company and facilities providers, coordinating maintenance, building updates and workplace improvements.
• Manage front-of-house activity, including visitors, meeting room bookings, post and deliveries.
• Coordinate travel and accommodation as required across the business.
• Provide responsive ad hoc practical support to the Board when required, using sound judgement to manage urgent requests alongside wider office priorities.

Colleague experience, engagement and hospitality

• Take ownership of workplace refreshments, hospitality and visitor experience, ensuring kitchens, break‑out spaces and refreshment areas are clean, well‑stocked and maintained to a high standard for colleagues and visitors.
• Support the planning and delivery of colleague engagement activities, including charity events, company socials, celebrations and office‑based initiatives.
• Coordinate visitor hospitality, including refreshments, meeting room preparation and a warm, professional welcome for clients, candidates, suppliers and visitors.
• Work with the People & Culture team to create a positive, engaging and inclusive workplace experience.

Health & safety

• Coordinate and manage the operational H&S plan, ensuring actions, audits, checks and training are completed on time and escalated where needed.
• Maintain accurate H&S records, including risk assessments, fire safety checks, incident logs and training records.
• Act as the main H&S contact, working closely with external advisors to maintain a safe and compliant workplace.
• Coordinate and review risk assessments, making recommendations where improvements are needed.
• Support health, wellbeing and compliance activity, including arranging relevant colleague training.

IT & communications

• Coordinate workplace onboarding and offboarding activity, ensuring equipment, access requirements and workspace arrangements are in place for new starters and recovered for leavers.
• Manage the procurement, stock control and distribution of office and IT equipment, maintaining accurate asset records and ensuring colleagues have access to the tools they need to work effectively.
• Work closely with internal and external IT partners to coordinate workplace technology requirements and support the smooth delivery of joiner, mover and leaver processes.
• Act as the main point of contact for the sound system, including maintenance and day‑to‑day operation.
• Share clear and timely office communications, including updates on facilities, visitors, building works, events, office processes and digital display content.

Skills and experience

Essential

• Experience in a workplace operations, office management, facilities or similar role within a fast‑moving scale‑up, growing SME or similar environment, with the flexibility, resilience and sound judgement to manage changing priorities, respond to urgent business needs and maintain high standards in a dynamic workplace.
• Strong organisational skills, excellent attention to detail and the ability to maintain momentum while delivering a consistently high standard of work.
• Proactive and solutions‑focused, with the confidence to take ownership and make practical improvements.
• Comfortable balancing operational responsibilities with hands‑on tasks, taking pride in maintaining a well‑run, welcoming and professional workplace.
• Experience managing suppliers, contractors, workplace services or facilities‑related activities.
• Positive, approachable and professional, with confidence working closely with colleagues, managers, visitors and suppliers.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office.
• High levels of discretion and professionalism when handling confidential or sensitive information.
• Willingness to complete Fire Marshal, First Aid or H&S training.

Desirable

• Experience supporting H&S audits, risk assessments or compliance activity.
• Fire Marshal or First Aid qualification.
• Experience supporting the planning and delivery of workplace events, colleague engagement activities, hospitality or company socials.
• Experience processing invoices, purchase orders or supplier payments, ideally using accounting software such as Sage.
• Full UK driving licence, access to a vehicle and willingness to undertake occasional local business‑related journeys.

About us

At UniHomes, we’re on a mission to transform the entire student rental experience across the UK. As the market‑leading student accommodation advertising platform and utility management service provider, we make finding and securing all‑inclusive student accommodation simple, seamless, and stress‑free. We’re not just another platform. UniHomes is developing innovative technology to deliver one go‑to destination that supports the entire student rental journey. With an unwavering focus on our students, partner letting agents, operators and suppliers, we continually evolve and enhance our products and services to exceed expectations, while tackling market complexity with ease and transparency. Since launching in 2015, we’ve experienced rapid growth. Today, we operate in 60+ cities, partner with 1,000+ agents and operators, and are backed by Macquarie Capital and LDC. Our success has been recognised with accolades from EY Entrepreneur of the Year, Deloitte UK Technology Fast 50, The Negotiator Awards, and Great Place to Work certification. Our 140+ strong team is based in the heart of Sheffield City Centre, where we’re driving innovation, expanding into new markets, and fostering a culture built on collaboration, creativity, and growth.

We are incredibly proud to have been officially certified as a Great Place to Work (GPTW) certification.

We are a team driven and united by our core values:

• Lead the Way
• In it Together
• Customers Matter
• Keep it Simple
• Rise Above Challenges
• Make it Happen

What do you get when you work here?

With people and culture at the heart of our organisation, we are continually enhancing our employee offer and culture. We are incredibly proud to have been officially certified as a Great Place to Work (GPTW) certification. Working in our stunning new office at New Era Square in the centre of Sheffield, you will get complimentary breakfast, hot & cold drinks, snacks, pool table, holidays, length of service days, voluntary day, enhanced pension scheme, pension salary sacrifice scheme, healthcare scheme, Employee Assistance Programme, sick pay, enhanced maternity & paternity pay, career progression, a commitment to personal and professional development, employee awards, refer a friend scheme, staff discounts, mental health and financial support, and company social events.

At UniHomes we are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace where everyone can thrive and which values individuals for their unique perspectives. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

Please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments to make the recruitment process more accessible to you.

Applicants must already have the permanent and unrestricted right to work in the UK. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship as we do not hold a sponsor licence.

We want to hear your unique voice in your application. We love AI, but relying on it solely to write your cover letter and answer the application questions is a missed opportunity to showcase the originality and personality that will make you stand out. Show us the real you.

We do not accept CV submissions from recruitment agencies. Direct applications from individual candidates are encouraged. Thank you for your understanding.