Job Description

Job info	Job info details
Job title	Operations Officer
Strategic team/Directorate	Finance
Service	Asset Management
Business unit	Estates Team
Responsible to (day to day issues)	Estates Manager
Accountable to (line manager)	Estates Manager
Salary grade	G
JE ref	TDA114A

1. Key purpose of job

To provide day to day operational management of workspaces within the Torbay area, to include Torbay Innovation Centre, South Devon Business Centre and South West Energy Centre. This will include travel to and from sites.
To ensure the smooth operation of the centres and to deliver front line, high quality customer service at all times.
Management of the full tenant process of recruitment, duration and exit.
To be the primary point of contact for enquiries and customer contact for the centres - this may include existing tenants and prospective tenants in addition to other business centre queries.
Management and reporting of data to the Estates Manager.
To develop a “business aware” culture in Torbay and support the survival and growth of tenant businesses.
To maintain and increase tenant occupancy rates.
To manage relationships with tenants, suppliers and other key stakeholders.
To manage projects as allocated.
To contribute to the successful delivery of relevant management contracts and the business plan.

2. Anticipated outcomes of post

Effective development of the business accommodation and facilities.
To maintain optimal tenant occupancy, over 85%, at all times and ensure KPI information is kept up to date.
Effective management of the accommodation and assist the Estates team in the management and letting of other assets across the Council’s commercial portfolio.
Ensure all services delivered to tenants exceed required standards.
Manage all workspace by liaising with Facilities Management and sourcing, where necessary, third party representatives to solve, repair or replace faults to ensure a rapid return to a normal service.
To ensure that the business centres achieve their annual performance targets.
To maintain good working relationships with partners and suppliers to secure a mutual flow of advice and guidance.
To work with the Estates Manager to ensure that workspace budgets are managed and maintained.

3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post

As an Employee of Torbay Council all roles are expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. The Designated Senior Lead for Safeguarding is the Chief Executive and Director of Children’s Services.
To support the Estates Manager and others in identifying and servicing the needs of new and existing customers, ensuring that the Council is professionally represented at all times.
Ensuring that enquiries from prospective tenants are responded to proactively i.e. arrange for viewings of the space by prospective tenants, providing supporting tenant information as required and updating relevant IT systems and accompanying tenant viewings when appropriate.
Maintaining an accurate database of existing tenants and pipeline enquiries.
To be responsible for ensuring correct documentation and procedures are completed for all new tenancies and liaising with appropriate departments within the process, e.g., Estates, Finance etc. To be accountable for the collection and management of tenant deposits.
Responsible for day to day financial administration and contribute to cost management, budget planning and monitoring.
Raising invoices and purchase orders on the internal financial management system.
Provision of financial data to the Estates Manager.
To maintain up to date knowledge of the range of the Council’s services for businesses and activities in order to advise potential customers.
To show prospective tenants around the centres and provide supporting tenant information as required.
Ensuring centre services are functioning correctly – e.g., consumable supplies are maintained, photocopiers, meeting room supplies, general stationery.
Produce monthly performance reports from across all services contributing to workspace management.
To deputise for the Estates Manager at meetings as required.
To manage suppliers to ensure general services are maintained, e.g., phone line, broadband, grounds
To troubleshoot and manage suppliers when necessary.
To obtain quotations and procure services from external contractors where required for efficient management of building facilities.
To support all office functions including security, health & safety, fire, risk assessment etc.
To be promote and adhere to the Council’s Values.
To be aware of and comply with Financial Regulations and procurement procedures.
To ensure that external works orders are issued when requested and undertaken within the permitted timescale.
To be proactive in identifying areas for process improvement and applying initiative to resolve problems as they arise and to apply creative solutions.
Attend training as and when required to enhance continuous professional development.

4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post

The post holder is expected to support the application of proper financial controls in the centres including providing support to the Estates Manager where appropriate, via the FIMS system.
The post holder is responsible for preparing financial reports for the workspace they are accountable for.
The post holder is responsible for contributing to budget preparation and financial planning.
The post holder is responsible for liaising with suppliers to resolve invoice queries.
The post holder is responsible for undertaking regular cost reviews.

5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post

To train staff as required and to manage them through delegated tasks.

6. Working environment and conditions of the post

Work in the office but there is a requirement arising from the nature of the work to carry out visits to assets and which can include meetings with tenants and clients. The post holder can be called out of the office on short notice, requests for hybrid working will be considered.

7. Physical demands of the post

Standard office duties with site inspections. PPE will be provided.

8. Specific resources used by the post

IT equipment.
Continuous access to transport will be required as the job entails travelling to multiple locations in Torbay and potentially also to other sites, as specified by the client, and the public transport timetabling is unlikely to meet this requirement.

9. Key contacts and relationships

External:

To include, but not limited to tenants, partner agencies, stakeholders, contractors, suppliers, workshop delegates, Council contractors & legal department, contract managers.

Internal:

To include but not limited to business support, economic development, facilities management, asset management, finance, marketing.

10. Other duties

To undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the job.

Other Information

All staff must commit to the Workplace Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Practice and Policy.
Torbay Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo the checks appropriate to the post applied for.
The post holder is expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. And are aware that the Chief Executive and the Director for Children's Services are the Safeguarding Leads for the Council.
The post is eligible for both hybrid and permanent home working.
You will be asked to complete a Criminal Records Self Declaration Form. Criminal convictions will only be taken into account when they are relevant to the post. You will only be asked to disclose ‘unspent’ convictions.
As this post meets the requirements in respect of exempted questions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, all applicants who are offered employment will be subject to a criminal record check (Disclosure) from the Disclosure & Barring Service before the appointment is confirmed. This will include details of ALL cautions, reprimands or final warnings as well as convictions, whether “spent” or “unspent”. Criminal convictions will only be taken into account when they are relevant to the post.
The Council operates a Smoke-Free Policy and the post-holder is prohibited from smoking in any of the Council's buildings (including Council owned and Council leased buildings, but excluding designated areas in residential schemes), enclosed spaces within the curtilage of buildings, and Council vehicles. The Council does not permit smoking breaks within work time, however, in services where the flexi-scheme is in operation, employees may take reasonable break times outside of core hours, in accordance with flexi-time arrangements. Employees should follow the flexi-scheme procedure for agreeing time away from their duties in the normal manner with their immediate colleagues and line manager, with break start and finish times being recorded, as with any other break-time arrangement.
The post-holder is expected to familiarise themselves with and adhere to all relevant Council Policies and Procedures.
The post-holder must comply with the Council’s Health and Safety requirements as outlined in the H&S policy appropriate to the role.
The post-holder must be committed to the Council’s Core Values for employees – “Torbay Council employees are committed to being forward thinking, people orientated and adaptable - always with integrity”. Evidence will be sought during the probation and appraisal processes.
If this post is customer facing, it will require the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.
If you are required to access a government system such as HMRC, DWP or The Public services network (PSN) as part of your role with the Council you will be required to complete a basic disclose with your line manager before you can access these systems. Your manager will be required to complete a verification form that confirms your identity, nationality and immigration status, employment history and unspent convictions (third party).
If you are required to use your own vehicle on Council business or drive a council vehicle you will be asked to provide information on any driving endorsements by accessing gov.uk/view-driving-licence and providing a code to your Line Manager in order to share your driving licence information with the Council.

Person Specification

Note for Candidate

All Candidates

The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement. In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria.

Candidates who consider that they have a disability

Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.

If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.

Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process.

If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.

Job info	Job info details
Job Title	Operations Officer
Strategic team/Directorate	Finance
Service	Asset Management
Business unit	Estates Team

Skills and effectiveness

Essential skills and effectiveness

Ability to be a self-starter and organise/prioritise workload.
Ability to operate as a lone worker.
Administrative skills including well developed customer care and service skills, with the ability to develop good working relationships.
Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
Ability to convey information professionally, accurately and clearly and to develop professionalcredibility with tenants.
Good numeracy skills.
Ability to provide advice and guidance and signpost to prospective tenants/tenants.
Excellent attention to detail.
Team player.
Ability to work on own initiative (the majority of time).
Demonstrable selling and/or negotiating skills.
Ability to see processes through to a successful conclusion whilst meeting challenging.
Meticulous record keeping.
Assertiveness ie to be able to determine and use behaviour which is appropriate to the situation and to exercise tact and diplomacy.
Financial skills including competent understanding of budget management and cost management.
Ability to advocate and demonstrate adaptability.
This role requires the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.

Desirable skills and effectiveness

Clear headed and not easily flustered.
Ability to balance the requirements of a number of projects simultaneously.
Experience of minute taking and event organisation.

Knowledge

Essential knowledge

Comprehensive working ability with Microsoft Word and Excel.
Understanding of health and safety issues in the workplace.
Knowledge of repair and maintenance of buildings and offices.
Knowledge of business support available to prospective tenants/tenants.
Detailed knowledge of solving IT problems remotely.

Desirable knowledge

Working knowledge of Microsoft PowerPoint.
Experience of working with accounting software, raising purchase orders and entering financial information.

Experience and achievements

Essential experience and achievements

Experience of working effectively in a fast moving environment, responding to enquiries promptly.
Working in customer facing organisation/role.
Demonstrable negotiating/sales experience.
Delivering effective, efficient tenant services
Experience of responding quickly and satisfactorily solving tenant issues.
Experience of organising events.
Experience of working within the Workspace and Business Support sectors.

Desirable experience and achievements

Significant experience of working within the Workspace and Business Support sectors.

Qualifications/professional memberships

Essential qualifications/professional memberships

Educated to degree level or equivalent experience.
Experience of managing and building business relationships.
Experience of converting prospective tenant enquiries to live tenants.
Experience of using social media to market as an effective marketing tool.
Experience of provision of advice and guidance to prospective tenants/ tenants on all aspects of business support available from Business Centres South West.

Desirable qualifications/professional memberships

NVQ Level 2/3 Customer Care.

Other requirements

Other requirements of the job role

Ability to travel efficiently around the Bay/South West in order to carry out duties.
Ability to accommodate unsociable hours.
Ability to accommodate home-working.