This role has a starting salary of 61,784 per annum, based on a 36 hour working wee k. This is a fixed term contract until 31/03/2027, with the possibility of extension subject to ongoing Made Smarter Adoption funding into 2027/28 and beyond.
This is a unique opportunity to shape Surreys economy and the wider South East region. Join our dedicated Economy and Growth Team and make a meaningful impact on businesses and residents. If youre an experienced operations leader with a passion for high quality delivery, partnership working, and driving continuous improvement, we encourage you.
This role will work remotely, with regular travel across the South East region to support programme delivery, staff, and partners.
Our Offer to You
26 days holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years service and 31 days after 5 years service Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave A generous local government salary related pension Up to 5 days of carers leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year Paternity, adoption and dependants leave An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing Learning and development hub with a wealth of resources Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents
About the Team
The Economy and Growth team is dedicated to driving sustainable economic development across Surrey, working collaboratively as One Council to support strategic priorities that benefit the countys 1.2 million residents. The team provides key services in business support, innovation, skills, and infrastructure, and works with major employers like Amazon, McLaren, and Samsung to strengthen the regional economy, which is home to 110,000 businesses and contributes 50 billion annually to the UK economy.
Surrey County Council is the accountable body for the Made Smarter Adoption Programme in the South East. The Programme Delivery Team, part of the Economy and Growth team, is responsible for delivering the programme across Berkshire, Brighton, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Kent, Medway, Oxfordshire, Solent (including the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton), Surrey, and West Sussex.
About the Role
Surrey County Council is seeking an experienced and dynamic Operations and Delivery Manager to lead the operational delivery of the Made Smarter South East programme. This pivotal role ensures the programme runs smoothly, meets its performance targets, and provides manufacturing SMEs with a seamless, high quality experience.
Reporting to the Strategic Programme Manager, you will oversee day to day operations, manage a multidisciplinary delivery team, and coordinate people, processes, data, and workflows across the programme. You will play a central role in ensuring operational alignment across workstreams, supporting staff performance, maintaining compliance, and driving continuous improvement.
This role is essential to maintaining delivery quality, ensuring robust governance, and supporting effective stakeholder collaboration across a complex, multi partner environment.
Your Application
To be considered for shortlisting, your application must clearly evidence the following qualifications, skills, experience, and align with our behaviours:
Proven experience in operations management within a complex or multi:partner environment, ideally within a local authority Strong track record of influencing and building strategic partnerships Significant people management and coaching experience, including remote and target driven teams Experience with grant administration, audit processes, or publicly funded programmes Strong understanding of governance, compliance, and reporting requirements Ability to work proactively, manage competing priorities, and solve problems independently
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