Head of Operations

We're on a mission to "Connect the real world with the digital world to improve lives”. To get there, we govern ourselves with a set of simple yet powerful guiding principles:

We believe we make a difference to people’s lives.

We care about each other & our customers.

We challenge the Industry.

We deliver on our promises and have fun doing it.

What you'll be doing:

Here at Connexin Academy we are market leaders in industry-specific training courses, government-funded free skills bootcamps and job-specific apprenticeships. We believe everyone deserves a chance to progress, both personally and professionally.

You will lead and continuously improve the Connexin Academy’s operational processes, ensuring efficient delivery of training programmes and services while maintaining compliance with regulatory and quality standards.

You will support strategic growth by advising senior leadership, managing key projects, and supporting strong stakeholder relationships. Additionally, you will oversee performance management, audits, and quality assurance to ensure exceptional experiences for learners and employers.

Key Responsibilities:

Operational Leadership

Lead, manage, and continuously improve operational processes across the Connexin Academy.

Ensure efficient delivery of training programmes and services, meeting both internal KPIs and external quality/compliance standards.

Develop and implement policies, systems, and procedures to support scalability and efficiency.

Monitor performance metrics and produce reports for the Senior Leadership Team.

Effectively motivates staff to perform to the highest standards. Determines appropriate action with respect to conduct and capability issues to ensure all operational and support staff achieve their full potential.

Strategic Contribution

Act as a trusted advisor to the MD, providing insights to support strategic decision-making, including market dynamics, funding changes and developments in the quality framework.

Support in preparation of monthly and quarterly board reports.

Lead operational projects and initiatives to support the Academy’s growth and innovation plans.

Work closely with the MD, to build and maintain strategic relationship with the DfE and other funding providers.

Works with Operation Managers, community groups and employers to develop suitable programmes to meet stakeholders needs.

Compliance & Quality Assurance

Ensure day to day compliance with DfE, Ofsted, and other relevant regulatory requirements.

Oversee audits, inspections, and funding body requirements, ensuring full readiness at all times.

Maintain quality assurance frameworks to ensure exceptional learner and employer experiences.

Provide support and assistance to the Quality Manager in the maintenance and monitoring of all activity.

Ensure funding claims are processed in line with agreed processes, are accurate and comply with the relevant funding rules.

Contributes to the annual cycle of self-assessment and continuous improvement in accordance with Ofsted.

Essential Skills:

Leadership & People Management:

Strong operational leadership and team management skills

Ability to motivate, coach, and develop staff to achieve high performance

Operational Excellence:

Experience in managing and improving processes, systems, and policies

Strong organisational and project management skills

Ability to monitor performance metrics and produce actionable reports

Compliance & Quality Assurance:

Knowledge of regulatory requirements (DfE, Ofsted, funding rules)

Experience with audits, inspections, and maintaining quality assurance frameworks

Attention to detail and commitment to continuous improvement

Analytical & Communication Skills:

Strong analytical skills to interpret data and inform decision-making

Excellent written and verbal communication skills for reporting and stakeholder engagement

Ability to simplify complex information for diverse audiences

Essential Experience:

Track record of delivering programmes and services efficiently while meeting KPIs, regulatory, and quality standards (e.g., Ofsted, DfE).

Proven experience in operational leadership, managing teams, and improving processes in a training, educational, or similar setting.

Equality & Diversity:

Connexin is committed to ensuring that all candidates for any role at Connexin are treated equally and with respect. We hire based on “the right person for the role” and we never discriminate against any candidate on the grounds of :

Age

Disability

Gender reassignment

Marriage or civil partnership

Pregnancy or maternity

Race

Religion

Sex

Sexual Orientation

We will endeavour to accommodate any request in respect of any disability needs that any candidate may have.

Please note: As part of our commitment to maintaining a safe and secure workplace, all successful candidates will be subject to Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks.