Up to £36,000 DOE | 12-Month Fixed Term Contract (Maternity Cover), Full Time, Office Based | Dawlish
Cathedral Appointments is recruiting on behalf of a well-established engineering and infrastructure business for an Office and Operations Support Manager on a 12-month fixed term contract, providing maternity cover. Based at the head office in Dawlish, this is a varied and visible role at the centre of a busy operational business, keeping the office, the people and the practical arrangements behind the work running smoothly. An ideal January 2027 start allows for a planned handover with the current postholder.
The Role
Reporting to the Operations Manager, you will be the dependable point of coordination for employees, suppliers, customers and external providers. This is broader than a traditional Office Manager role, combining office and facilities management with fleet, compliance, employee support, timesheets, marketing and IT coordination. It will suit a practical, organised all-rounder who enjoys ownership and variety, can move calmly between planned administration and urgent operational requests, and never loses sight of the detail.
Responsibilities for the Office and Operations Support Manager:
- Manage the day-to-day running of the office and facilities, including maintenance, repairs, supplies, deliveries and supplier, landlord and contractor relationships.
- Oversee fleet administration, including vehicle hire, lease vehicle allocation, insurance records, incident reporting, driving licence checks and fines.
- Coordinate compliance and health and safety records, including fire equipment servicing across offices, yards, vehicles and sites, and client-site security clearance applications and renewals.
- Provide employee support, including holiday records, onboarding requirements and the coordination of monthly and weekly timesheets ahead of payroll deadlines.
- Support marketing and events activity, including social media and newsletter content, case studies, website updates, branded merchandise and staff events.
- Act as a link with IT providers for hardware, software and access requests, and contribute to administrative projects and process improvements.
Requirements for the Office and Operations Support Manager include:
- Previous experience as an Office Manager, Administration Manager, Operations Coordinator or in a similarly broad business support role.
- Strong organisation and prioritisation skills, with a track record of managing competing deadlines and changing priorities.
- Clear, confident communication with colleagues, managers, suppliers and customers.
- Experience handling confidential information and maintaining accurate records, with a confident command of Microsoft Office.
- Experience in construction, civil engineering, infrastructure or another site-based operational environment would be a real advantage, though strong candidates from comparable settings are welcome.
- First Aid trained, or willing to complete and maintain the training.
Benefits:
- Salary of up to £36,000 DOE.
- 12-month fixed term contract, full time, 42.5 hours per week.
- Company-matched pension of up to 10% after probation.
- Private medical insurance after probation.
- Life assurance at three times salary from day one.
- A planned handover period from January, and broad exposure across several business functions.
If you are a capable organiser who enjoys being the person who keeps everything on track, we would love to hear from you.
Note on Sponsorship: We regret to inform you that at this time, we are unable to offer sponsorship for work authorisation for this role. Therefore, candidates must possess valid authorisation to work in the UK without requiring visa sponsorship.
Ref: 11403