Academy Operations Planning Specialist - Thatcham, United Kingdom - Thatcham Research

Thatcham Research
Thatcham Research
Verified Company
Thatcham, United Kingdom

3 weeks ago

Tom O´Connor

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Tom O´Connor

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Description

Academy Operations Planning Specialist | Circa £54,200 negotiable + excellent benefits
| 12-month
FTC
| Thatcham
| Hybrid


Would you like to work for a company that makes a real difference in the automotive industry? The future of collision repair is evolving and as the technologies used in automotive body repair advance, we play an industry leading role in training the automotive repair and insurance industries.

Our state-of-the-art automotive training academy is uniquely positioned to provide training and continuous professional development for both apprentices at the start of their career, or technicians and engineers looking to update their skills.


To support our aspirations for continuous improvement, we are looking for an experienced Operational Planning Specialist with an innovative approach to process improvement, to join our Training Academy on a full time, fixed-term contract for 12 months.

Reporting to the Head of Repair Sector Services, you'll develop plans and strategies to maximise the efficient operational running of the Academy.

You'll observe the as-is and work closely with the commercial team to identify what investments or reductions provide assurance of maximising margins, whilst retaining the highest quality of education services.


What will you be doing?

  • Provide expert and detailed analysis on capacity that considers people, space, equipment and other key operational resources identifying opportunities for process improvement and operational efficiency.
  • Oversee and update planning and scheduling activities to optimise effectiveness and maximise the operations growth prospects.
  • Develop a robust business case for future needs including investment and divestment to maximise profitability from training operations over the course of 3 to 10 years.
  • Work with product and commercial teams to identify future opportunities and develop strategies to ensure these can be realised.
  • Support the academy operations team to improve understanding and transparency of the true resource requirements for each course including preparation, delivery, marking, change over and quality assurance, identifying where efficiencies could be made.
  • Produce a robust optimised schedule of future courses that maximises our facility/capacity/utilisation showing the potential profitability of an efficient operation.
  • Work with the product and business systems teams to identify optimised planning solutions for our blended training provision.

Skills & experience that will set you up for success in this role

  • Demonstrable experience of developing complex delivery plans for services that meet customer requirements and operational efficiencies.
  • Managing and interrogating financial and operational data to maximise cost efficiency and assure service robustness.
  • Lean, six sigma or other business efficiency tools
  • Proven experience proactively managing multiple deadlines and resources within a challenging project environment.
  • Ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with different audiences, such as staff, suppliers, senior leaders, and others in pursuit of common goals.
  • Deep understanding of business processes and workflows
  • The ability to understand operationallevel goals and how they align with strategic goals.
  • Familiar with resource requirements, operational budgets, and hiring plans.
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office, with aptitude to learn new software and systems.

About you
You are assertive, self-reliant and responsible for your own work. You're a logical thinker with excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.

Your previous experience in complex operational planning has developed your commercial understanding which enables you to consider 'the bigger picture'.

You take time to listen to and understand others with the confidence to challenge, whilst bringing your own ideas and perspectives to the table.

You work flexibly to accommodate peak project demands and can work independently, prioritising a diverse workload.


Perks & Benefits
Salary
- Circa £54,200 negotiable, dependent on skills & experience.

  • 10% noncontributory pension
  • 29 days holiday (inclusive of Christmas shutdown) + public holidays
  • Group Life Assurance (equal to 3 x basic salary)
  • Group Income Protection (after 2 years' service)
  • Salary Sacrifice schemes (cycle to work & tech scheme)
  • Money Health Financial Wellbeing Platform
  • Health Cash Plan (cash back on eligible medical treatments)
  • Discounted gym membership
  • Sports & Social club
  • Payroll charitable giving

When we work
Our standard working hours are
8:30 - 16:30 Monday - Thursday,
8:30 - 15:45 Fridays


How we work


Our blended working approach means you'll spend time working from our head office in Thatcham and from home should you wish to.


What we do
At the cutting edge of automotive research in the UK, Thatcham Research has a unique role in shaping the design of new v
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