Operations Manager

Hours: 35 hours per week

Contract: Permanent

Salary: £35,000 per annum

Location: Office based, London WC1R 4EH

The Society of Authors (SoA) is the UK's largest trade union for all types of writers, illustrators and literary translators. We’ve been advising authors and speaking out for the profession since 1884.

We’re currently looking to welcome an Operations Manager to our team. Our offices are based on Bedford Row / Theobalds Road in Holborn, London.

The Operations Manager ensures all building facilities run smoothly on a day-to-day basis. They are responsible for the efficient daily operations of our offices and the building and that these are cost-efficient, environmentally conscious and proportionate for a small, not-for-profit organisation.

The Operations Manager is an integral part of the Operations Team playing an important role in ensuring the smooth running and welcoming atmosphere of our offices, directly supporting both internal teams and tenants.

This is multifaceted role. The successful candidate will need to be able to think on their feet, have good time management skills and enjoy wearing more than one hat.

• Welcoming all visitors to the SoA building at Bedford Row.
• Managing the post/packages into and out of the building.
• Responsible for managing the Front of House/Operations Assistant and Groups Administrator, including day to day supervision, absence management and ongoing development.
• Responsible for managing the Events Space bookings calendar.
• Managing all events for tenants and external hire from inception to completion including catering as agreed with the client, cleaning team and room set-up of the Events Space.
• Working with the SoA Events Team for internal and member events ensuring that the logistics for room set up and cleaning are in place.
• Acts as a central point of contact for all staff for various Ops/logistics issues.

• Maintain compliance with all relevant health and safety legislation and best practice, including fire safety, COSHH, RIDDOR and DSE assessments.
• Ensure all checks, risk assessments and remedial actions are implemented in a timely manner.
• Providing health and safety training to all new joiners.
• Ensure the office maintenance plan is kept up to date and all regular maintenance/services are booked, and any identified issues are resolved.
• Organise the maintenance and PAT testing of all electrical equipment.
• Fire Warden/First Aider for the ground floor (training will be arranged if required).
• Proactively ensuring the office facilities remain safe, clean, fully‑equipped and operational.
• Point of contact for all staff and tenants in relation to office and building issues and queries.
• Responsible for managing office contracts, negotiating the renewal of existing and new contracts.
• Obtaining quotes for any maintenance/repairs works required and carrying out due diligence checks on all new contractors.
• To have a key role in the organisation’s sustainability policy ensuring the purchase of all office provisions considers cost and any environmental and ethical impacts.

• Liaise with external IT support providers as necessary ensuring SLAs are adhered met and effectively resolve IT issues.
• Maintain a laptop register and prepare and maintain an annual rolling plan for renewal of old equipment.
• To oversee the migration of SharePoint data to the new CRM system in 2026.
• To be involved in any IT projects that need to integrate with our office systems (O365, SharePoint and One Drive).
• To be responsible for IT support for the office laptops and office systems (windows, O365, One Drive and SharePoint) ensuring that there is a maintenance contract in place and this is reviewed on a regular basis.

You will be required to undertake any other reasonable duties to support business requirements as requested.

• Proven experience in operations or office management
• Strong organisational skills
• Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communications skills
• IT Literacy including Microsoft 365, One Drive and Share Point
• Experience of organising events
• Knowle…