Operations Manager

Lead great delivery. Build strong teams. Make a difference across Scotland. 

PeoplePlus, together with our expert delivery partners, is recruiting for a range of roles to support the delivery of the Jobs Guarantee programme across North & East Scotland. 

We are looking for an experienced and driven Operations Manager to provide visible, accountable leadership for the day-to-day delivery of the Jobs Guarantee across Scotland. 

This is a senior leadership role with responsibility for ensuring participants receive a consistent, high-quality service, employers receive effective support and our delivery partners operate to agreed standards. You’ll play a key role in driving performance, quality, compliance and continuous improvement across the programme. 

This is a remote/home-based role, but it is not a fully remote/no-travel position. You will need to be based in Scotland and able to travel regularly across the Scottish region, particularly across North and East Scotland, to meet teams, delivery partners, stakeholders and employers, attend meetings and support programme delivery. 

As part of our coordinated recruitment campaign, applications will be managed by the relevant expert delivery partner based on the area and role to which you have applied. 

As Operations Manager, you’ll lead operational delivery across the agreed Scottish geographies, ensuring that referral, engagement, assessment, job matching, in-work support, progression and exit activity are delivered effectively and within required timescales. 

You’ll provide leadership to Business Managers, Supply Chain Managers and operational support functions, while working closely with employers, DWP, Jobcentre Plus, subcontractors, local authorities, community organisations and internal teams to ensure the programme delivers strong outcomes for participants. 

What you'll be doing 

You will: 

· Lead day-to-day operational delivery across the agreed Scottish geographies, ensuring activity is delivered consistently, effectively and within required timescales. 

· Take accountability for programme performance, using management information, dashboards and operational insight to monitor delivery against contracted volumes, outcomes and performance indicators. 

· Identify performance gaps and emerging issues early, agreeing and implementing appropriate recovery actions to maintain and improve performance. 

· Lead, coach and support Business Managers, Supply Chain Managers and operational support functions, creating a high-performing, inclusive and participant-focused culture. 

· Set clear objectives, priorities and accountability across direct and partner delivery teams, ensuring appropriate resources, caseloads, supervision and colleague wellbeing are maintained. 

· Manage and monitor subcontractor performance, ensuring partners operate within agreed contractual requirements, service standards and KPIs. 

· Review supply-chain performance, quality, capacity and risk, taking appropriate action and escalating concerns where required. 

· Work closely with employer engagement leads to ensure there is a strong pipeline of suitable, compliant vacancies across sectors and locations, aligned to participant needs and labour-market demand. 

· Maintain effective controls across safeguarding, health and safety, UK GDPR, information security, eligibility, evidence, complaints, fraud prevention, audit and records retention. 

· Monitor expenditure against agreed budgets and work closely with Finance and Central Operations to ensure accurate reconciliation, evidence and timely payments. 

· Lead regular operational performance and compliance reviews, ensuring actions are clearly identified, owned and followed through. 

· Prepare accurate performance and operational reports and represent PeoplePlus at DWP reviews, governance meetings and assurance activity. 

· Own and maintain the live programme risk register, ensuring risks have clear owners, mitigations, trigger points and appropriate escalation routes. 

· Build effective relationships with DWP, Jobcentre Plus, local authorities, employers, subcontractors, community organisations and internal support teams. 

· Use participant feedback, employer insight, colleague feedback, quality findings and performance data to identify opportunities for continuous improvement and share good practice across the programme. 

· Support programme mobilisation, workforce ramp-up, operational readiness, process development and change activity while maintaining service continuity. 

· Provide timely coaching, recognition and constructive challenge, addressing underperformance fairly and consistently. 

· Promote equality, accessibility and reasonable adjustments throughout programme delivery. 

· Model PeoplePlus values and maintain high professional standards in all internal and external relationships. 

What we're looking for 

We're looking for an experienced operational leader who is confident managing performance, developing people and working across multiple stakeholders and delivery environments. 

You'll ideally have: 

· Experience in a senior operational management role, ideally within employability, skills, recruitment, government-funded programmes or a similar contract-led environment. 

· Strong leadership and people-management skills, with the ability to motivate, coach and hold teams accountable for performance. 

· Experience of managing performance against contractual targets, KPIs, outcomes or service-level measures. 

· Strong commercial and operational awareness, with experience of managing budgets, resources and financial performance. 

· Experience of managing subcontractors, supply chains or external delivery partners. 

· Strong knowledge and understanding of quality, compliance, safeguarding, data protection and governance requirements. 

· The ability to analyse management information and use data to identify trends, risks, performance gaps and opportunities for improvement. 

· Excellent communication and stakeholder-management skills, with the confidence to work with senior colleagues, commissioners, employers, delivery partners and external stakeholders. 

· Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills, with the ability to remain calm and focused when managing complex or challenging situations. 

· The ability to lead through change, supporting teams through mobilisation, new processes and changing operational requirements. 

· A strong commitment to participant outcomes, service quality and continuous improvement. 

· The ability to work independently while also collaborating effectively across a wider national team and partner network. 

· A full driving licence and the ability to travel regularly across Scotland. 

Experience of working with DWP, Jobcentre Plus, Grant Funding Agreements or similar government-funded contracts would be advantageous. 

The important bit – location and travel 

This role is home-based/remote, giving you the flexibility to work from home. However, the role involves regular travel across Scotland, particularly across North and East Scotland, to meet operational teams, delivery partners, employers and stakeholders, attend meetings and support programme delivery. 

You must live in Scotland and be able to travel as required for the role. 

Because of the senior and geographically diverse nature of the role, you'll need to be comfortable managing a varied diary of virtual and face-to-face meetings and spending time travelling across the region. 

How we'll measure success 

You'll make a real difference by: 

· Delivering against referral, engagement, job-start, retention, completion and progression expectations. 

· Ensuring participants receive a consistent, high-quality service across all delivery areas. 

· Maintaining accurate, complete and timely management information and commissioner reporting. 

· Delivering strong audit, quality, safeguarding, data protection and financial-control outcomes. 

· Ensuring effective subcontractor performance, service consistency and geographical coverage. 

· Maintaining a strong, diverse and compliant employer vacancy pipeline aligned to participant needs. 

· Building positive relationships with participants, employers, delivery partners, colleagues and stakeholders. 

· Identifying risks and underperformance early and taking evidenced action to resolve them. 

· Developing high-performing, inclusive and engaged teams with clear accountability and strong colleague wellbeing. 

· Ensuring programme delivery remains within approved budgets and demonstrates value for money. 

· Driving continuous improvement and sharing effective practice across the programme. 

· Contributing to the successful delivery and continued development of the Jobs Guarantee across Scotland.