Operations Manager (3 days/week)

THE REFUGEE, ASYLUM, MIGRATION AND POLICY (RAMP) PROJECT

The RAMP Project wants the UK to have a world-class migration system which helps to create a successful and integrated society and is fair to all. We focus on improving the quality of political debate and the policy-making environment on related issues. We were established as an independent organisation 5 years ago and has seen steady growth since. We are about to launch an exciting new programme of work and our agile operating systems need to be developed and improved as we become a bigger and slightly more complex organisation. We are looking for someone energetic and proactive, who has good operational management experience – ideally in the not-for-profit sector – and who shares our passion for our work, to help us on this journey. This will include:

• Updating and helping to manage our financial processes – working with our accountants, Treasurer and team to produce the organisation’s budget, oversee the production of quarterly management accounts, the annual report and accounts, and the audit process. Ensuring that our systems are fit for purpose but agile and flexible.
• Supporting the team with workflow management and monitoring our activity, outcomes and impact – ensuring that we have the right tools in place to plan effectively, to track progress, identify what we are learning and to share examples of our impact with our donors and other interested parties.
• Helping us to identify, manage and report on organisational risks and to implement appropriate mitigating actions – regularly reviewing and updating the corporate risk register, our corporate policies and our compliance with them, and helping the whole team to manage risk sensibly and in a way that supports our overall goals.
• Helping us to manage our data and information well – ensuring that we are complying with GDPR legislation, protecting ourselves from cyber security risks, and that everyone can easily locate the information they need, when they need it.
• Managing recruitment processes – helping to advertise roles, organise applications, supporting managers with shortlisting and organising interviews and feedback etc.
• Helping RAMP to procure the support that we need and to manage contracts with suppliers – ranging from our office rentals, our accountancy firm, ad hoc IT, HR or legal support etc.
• Reviewing our working practices to ensure that they are fit for purpose and helping to find effective solutions and improvements – this will include the ICT and software that we use and the ways that we manage internal communications in the team.

Person Specification

We are looking for someone with:

• High levels of drive, energy and determination and an entrepreneurial attitude.
• Excellent relational and interpersonal skills – able to quickly identify the needs of the RAMP team and board and to develop flexible and responsive systems which meet those needs.
• Good financial acumen with the ability to identify value-for-money services, to develop robust but non-elaborate financial processes, and to explain financial information well to non-finance experts.
• Initiative, good problem-solving skills and an ability to learn quickly, help others to capture and share learning, and to adapt to a rapidly changing context.
• Excellent administrative capabilities and the ability to identify the key tasks and to prioritise ruthlessly.
• Great ICT skills and the ability to use existing software packages and to suggest others that may help the organisation to work more effectively.

Essential experience:

• Experience of developing budgets, working with accountants to produce management accounts, and of managing financial processes. Ideally on Quickbooks.
• Experience of managing recruitment processes
• Experience of developing a risk register and helping others to develop appropriate systems for managing risks.
• Good understanding of GDPR legislation and of supporting organisations to manage their data well.
• Experience of procuring goods and services.
• Experience of using software like Mailchimp, Eventbrite, Trello etc and of working in a variety of environments which have given a broad understanding of different tools that can be used.
• An interest in politics and public affairs, and a desire to see a better public debate on migration in the UK.
• Experience of working in diverse teams and a commitment to finding common ground with a wide range of colleagues.

Desirable Experience:

• Experience of working in the not-for-profit sector.
• Experience of producing financial and activity reports for trusts, foundations or philanthropic donors.
• Experience of working with senior managers and a board of directors/ trustees – and a good understanding of the needs of these different stakeholders.
• Lived experience of migrating to the UK.

Conditions

The role would be responsible to the Executive Director, with a high degree of autonomy and responsibility.

This is being advertised as a 3 day per week role and there would be some flexibility over when hours could be worked. The salary would be £40-42K per year (FTE). This would come with 25 days holiday (pro rata), pension contributions and a standard benefits package.

The RAMP core team is split between London and Manchester. This role would be required to work from a WeWork office in one of those locations at least once per week (more if the candidate would like, but with some home working also possible) and to travel more occasionally to the other location.

To apply

Please send a CV and a separate cover letter as an attachment (no more than 2 sides) to , which demonstrates how you meet the different aspects of the person specification above by 5pm on Wednesday 12th February. Please send any questions that you have about the role to the same address.