Operations Manager

Love spinning plates, solving problems, and keeping things running smoothly? Enjoy jumping between budgets, events, HR, and project delivery, all before lunch? On behalf of a respected organisation in the higher education and research space, Signature Recruitment is seeking an experienced Operations Manager to support a portfolio of centres and institutes delivering impactful academic and engagement work. At a time of change, your contribution will be key to keeping everything on track. This is a hybrid role based in London, typically 2-3 days on-site, offered on a 5-month contract, with a pro rata salary of £41,000-£44,000.

The role offers hybrid working, competitive package and excellent development opportunities. This is a fantastic opportunity to join an organisation that values collaborative working and innovation. As Operations Manager, you’ll play a vital role in enabling the effectiveness of research centres and academic teams. Your work will support the smooth running of complex operations and contribute to the success of a high-performing university environment. In this key role, you’ll be responsible for overseeing multi-centre operations, managing diverse stakeholder relationships, and ensuring seamless delivery across finance, HR, and project management.

• Oversee operations for a group of research centres and institutes
• Manage activity across HR, finance, procurement, and governance
• Coordinate events, workshops, programme delivery, and communications activity
• Support funding strategy, grant applications, and post-award project management
• Liaise with stakeholders across departments and support advisory boards and reporting
• Line-manage a Senior Operations Officer and contribute to wider team projects

• Strong operations or project management experience in a complex organisation
• Excellent organisational and time management skills with proven budget management capabilities
• Confident communicator with strong written and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work independently, take initiative, and adapt quickly to changing priorities

If you are an experienced operations professional with a degree or equivalent experience, ideally from a university or research setting, looking for your next challenge in higher education, we’d love to hear from you. This role offers an excellent opportunity to step into a busy, central position supporting a team that delivers high-impact academic work within a supportive and high-achieving university environment.

While we aim to respond to every applicant, the volume of applications may result in delayed communication. If you do not receive a response within a week, your application may not have been successful on this occasion. However, we will keep your details for potential future opportunities.

Please be aware that Signature Recruitment will never reach out to candidates through WhatsApp, nor will we request sensitive information like bank details, passport, or driving licence data during the application process. For a secure job search and reliable flexible work, we advise consulting Jobs Aware who ensure all workers and work-seekers in the UK have access to free help and advice, as well as provide an option to report a scam or exploitation.

Required skills