Job description

THIS VACANCY IS OPEN TO INTERNAL APPLICANTS ONLY

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Professional Services team in the Dickson Poon School of Law at King’s College London. The School is recognised globally as one of the best law school’s in the world. Attracting outstanding students, leading academics and highly skilled professional services staff from 87 different countries. The School is a vibrant, diverse and exciting place to work and study.

The Business Operations Manager is a key role within the business team managing the school’s day to day business operations as well as facilitating support for strategic key projects. The role is varied and ranges from managing staff recruitment campaigns, Estate improvement projects to general HR and financial management. You will be managing a small team and work closely with the school’s senior leadership team and central teams across the university. The role takes a lead in implementing new systems, processes and procedures ensuring consistency, quality, and efficacy of service and excellent customer support.

The role will suit someone with experience in business administration, excellent organisation skills, accuracy and attention to detail. Excellent communication skills and the ability to build effective networks and good working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders is essential.

The role is a maternity cover.

The Dickson Poon School of Law embraces equality, diversity and inclusion. We attract students and staff from across the world, from many different backgrounds, with a variety of ethnicities, religions, and sexual and gender identities. We promote flexible working as a key enabler of inclusion.  We particularly encourage and welcome applications from women, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates, and from candidates who are LGBTQ+ and/or have a disability.

This post will be offered on an a fixed-term contract for 9 months

This is a full-time  post - 100% full time equivalent

Key responsibilities

• Manage and co-ordinate the School’s business support ensuring standard operating processes and procedures are in place and are complied with
• Manage School’s HR operations acting as first point of contact for all human resources queries, and to advise colleagues on University policy in consultation with the Human Resources department
• Manage staff-related activity, always maintaining confidentiality and compliance with HR regulations and policies (e.g. visa compliances, staff mobility etc.)
• Managing recruitment campaigns from approval to onboarding; employment of bought-in-staff, fixed-term contracts, contract changes, occupational health matters, etc.
• Responsible for the arrangements of contracts and payment for short term and visiting appointments including with the support from HR and Vice Dean for Academic Staff where necessary
• To maintain appropriate records, data and reports ensuring confidentiality where appropriate
• Providing managerial support to junior roles in the onboarding/offboarding process of staff such as staff induction processes for academic and professional services staff, preparing of business cases, obtaining approvals, job packs, advertising, setting up interviews and inductions, organising access to relevant systems and advising on use of the building and office space etc
• Process managerial requests using central management system, Core HR
• Lead on annual School processes such as Personal Development Reviews, recognition pay, academic promotions etc, delegate tasks where necessary.
• To act as secretary to the School’s Academic Staff Committee, EDI Committee, planning agendas in conjunction with the Vice Dean for Academic Staffing and following-up on agreed actions
• To manage and contribute to ad-hoc projects and deputise for the School Business Manager, Director of Administration and other colleagues at Faculty and University meetings or working groups as necessary.
• To establish and maintain successful working relationships with Finance, HR, Faculty Staff, internal and external stakeholders
• To work with the Deputy Director of Administration and School Business Manager managing the School’s financial resources in compliance with policy and long-term objectives
• To support the DoA with the preparation of strategic planning, reviews and policy development
• In collaboration with the School Business Manager take responsibility for the schools' financial processing including purchasing, invoicing, expenses claim and asset management with support from others
• To take responsibility for the provision and dissemination of relevant policy and procedures, in accordance with College regulations and develop School processes and policies if necessary
• To lead on ensuring compliance with new business systems (e.g. HR, Finance), ensuring that professional services and academic staff are fully briefed and trained (where appropriate) and ensuring that departmental guidance is updated accordingly.
• To be Health & Safety representative for the School, representing the School at appropriate committees and University-wide meetings overseeing and monitoring the health & safety induction and training of students and staff, maintaining information on departmental web pages.
• To act as Fire marshal and First Aider
• To act as line manager, ensuring direct reports receive appropriate training and are inducted as appropriate
• Working with staff to manage tasks and workloads, delegating effectively and providing direction.

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Essential criteria

1. Educated to degree level or relevant experience
2. Substantial experience of a wide range of administrative processes
3. Experience and good knowledge of using management information systems, MS Office etc.
4. Excellent verbal and written communication skills with experience of building an effective network across complex organisations.
5. Experience in Human Resources administration
6. Experience of managing and prioritising a heavy and varied workload often with competing priorities
7. Experience of managing changes, setting up processes and procedures
8. Experience in managing financial operations
9. Proactive approach, natural ability to work independently and solution focused
10. A high level of tact, discretion and able to keep information confidential

Desirable criteria

1. Experience in line management
2. Experience implementing Human Resource processes
3. Experience of working in a higher education institute or research environment

Further Information

The selection will consist of a written test and a panel interview

This role is currently a hybrid role and the role holder will be able to spend part of their working week on campus and part of the week remotely depending on business needs and upon agreement with their line manager.