Operations Manager

Zircoe; Longford; On-site; EUR 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

31 days annual leave pro rata

35 hours per week

Job summary

Zircoe Recruitment supports a public sector education and special needs organisation in Longford seeking an experienced Operations Manager. You will lead Transport, Maintenance, Canteen, Facilities and Procurement, reporting to the CEO, and drive governance, compliance and continuous improvement.

With 3+ years in operations, you will manage budgets, people, and projects while ensuring safety, regulatory adherence and effective stakeholder engagement across multiple services.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years' operations or similar experience.
• Proven people management and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Strong planning, organisational and project management abilities.
• Experience managing budgets, competing priorities and deadlines.
• Ability to produce reports and present data.
• Knowledge of Health & Safety legislation, GDPR and regulatory requirements.
• Experience with staff and roster management.
• Full clean driving licence.
• Eligible to live and work in Ireland.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support Operations teams across Transport, Maintenance and Canteen.
• Oversee workforce planning, supervision, performance management, training and development.
• Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Oversee the organisation's fleet of vehicles.
• Ensure transport services operate safely, efficiently and compliantly.
• Manage fleet-related insurance arrangements.
• Oversee maintenance, repair and upkeep of properties.
• Develop and review facilities management, maintenance, security and risk procedures.
• Plan and deliver facilities projects and capital works within budgets and timelines.
• Oversee the canteen service with budget, procurement controls and regulatory compliance (HACCP).
• Drive continuous service improvement.
• Lead procurement, benchmarking and contract management across operations.

Skills

People management

Stakeholder engagement

Planning & project management

Budgeting & reporting

Health & Safety, GDPR

Staff & roster management

Driving licence

Education

Third-level qualification

Tools

MS Office

Office 365

Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Snapfix

Job description

Operations Manager – Education & Special Needs | Public Sector

Location: Longford, Ireland

Job Type: Full-Time | Permanent

Salary: €55,000 – €70,000

Sector: Education & Special Needs | Public Sector | Facilities | Operations

The Opportunity

Zircoe Recruitment is delighted to be supporting an organisation within the Education & Special Needs sector of the Public Sector in the appointment of an experienced Operations Manager.

This is a key operational leadership position with responsibility across Property Maintenance, Transport, Facilities Management, Canteen, Insurance, Procurement and Compliance.

Reporting directly to the CEO, the successful candidate will play an important role in ensuring the effective and smooth running of organisational operations, while supporting best practice, governance, compliance and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

Operations & People Management

• Lead and support Operations teams across Transport, Maintenance and Canteen.
• Oversee workforce planning, supervision, performance management, training and development.
• Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

Fleet & Transport

• Oversee the organisation's fleet of vehicles.
• Ensure transport services operate safely, efficiently and compliantly.
• Manage fleet-related insurance arrangements.

Facilities & Property

• Oversee the maintenance, repair and upkeep of organisational properties.
• Develop and review facilities management, maintenance, security and risk management procedures.
• Plan and deliver facilities projects and capital works within agreed budgets, timelines and quality standards.

Canteen Operations

• Oversee the canteen service to ensure a safe, high-quality and cost-effective service.
• Maintain effective budget, resource and procurement controls.
• Ensure compliance with food safety legislation, HACCP requirements and regulatory standards.
• Drive continuous service improvement.

Procurement & Contract Management

• Lead procurement, benchmarking and contract management across operational functions.
• Ensure compliance with relevant procurement policies and regulations.
• Manage supplier and contractor relationships and monitor performance.
• Work closely with Finance to manage the operations budget and deliver value for money.

About You

We're looking for an experienced Operations professional with a proven track record in managing people, projects and multiple operational functions.

Essential Requirements

• Minimum 3 years' operations or similar experience.
• Proven people management and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Strong planning, organisational and project management abilities.
• Experience managing budgets, competing priorities and deadlines.
• Ability to produce reports and present data.
• Knowledge of Health & Safety legislation, GDPR and relevant regulatory requirements.
• Experience with staff and roster management.
• Strong attention to detail and problem-solving ability.
• Full clean driving licence.
• Eligible to live and work in Ireland.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.

Desirable

• Third-level qualification.
• Experience within the Education, Special Needs or Public Sector environment.
• Strong IT skills, including MS Office, Office 365, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Experience using Snapfix or similar maintenance management systems.
• Knowledge of HIQA regulations.
• Experience with procurement and public procurement frameworks.

What's on Offer

• 31 days annual leave pro rata
• 35 hours per week
• Senior operational leadership responsibility
• Opportunity to lead and develop operational teams
• Responsibility across property, facilities, transport, procurement and service operations
• Opportunity to contribute to continuous improvement, governance and organisational development
• Direct reporting relationship with the CEO