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OPERATIONS MANAGER – CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES

Rising Stars Activities

Location: North West London, with travel between Rising Stars venues

Salary: £28,000–£30,000 per year, depending on experience

Hours: 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday

Typical working hours: 9.00am–5.00pm/10.00am-6.00pm, with some flexibility depending on operational requirements

Contract: Full-time, permanent

Work location: In person

ABOUT RISING STARS

Rising Stars Activities has been delivering high-quality children’s activities, childcare, holiday camps, after-school clubs and birthday parties for more than 10 years.

We believe children thrive in positive, inclusive environments where they can be active, try new things, build confidence and enjoy themselves.

Just as importantly, we know that the people delivering those experiences are what make Rising Stars special.

Our staff are at the heart of our business. We care about the people who work with us and want our team to feel valued, supported and given the opportunity to develop.

As Rising Stars continues to grow, we’re now looking for a capable, organised and ambitious Operations Manager to help coordinate the day-to-day running of the business.

THE ROLE

This is a varied, hands-on operations role at the centre of Rising Stars.

You’ll work closely with the founder and wider management team to make sure our venues are properly staffed, our teams are organised and supported, new employees are recruited and onboarded effectively and the day-to-day operation of the business runs smoothly.

No two days will necessarily look the same.

One day you may be building staff rotas, organising cover and coordinating recruitment. Another may involve visiting one of our venues, supporting a club session, helping prepare staff training or looking at how an administrative process could be made more efficient.

You will also sometimes work directly within our childcare ratios and lead or support club sessions, so this role requires someone who is equally comfortable behind a laptop and working directly with children and staff.

This would be a particularly good opportunity for an ambitious graduate or someone in the earlier stages of their career who is ready to take on real responsibility and develop quickly.

You’ll work closely with an experienced entrepreneur and gain first-hand exposure to how a growing business is managed, developed and improved.

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING

OPERATIONS AND VENUE MANAGEMENT

• Supporting the day-to-day operations of Rising Stars
• Helping coordinate the smooth running of our clubs, activities and venues
• Managing staffing requirements across different locations
• Preparing and maintaining staff rotas
• Organising staff cover when availability changes or absences arise
• Monitoring staffing levels and helping ensure appropriate ratios are maintained
• Liaising with staff, venue contacts and the management team to resolve day-to-day operational issues
• Visiting venues and helping maintain consistently high operational standards
• Identifying potential problems early and taking practical steps to resolve them

STAFF MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORT

• Acting as a day-to-day point of contact for members of the Rising Stars team
• Building positive working relationships with coaches, childcare staff and other team members
• Helping communicate expectations, schedules and operational information clearly
• Supporting staff with questions and practical issues
• Helping maintain a professional, positive and supportive working culture
• Working with management to address staffing or performance issues appropriately

RECRUITMENT AND ONBOARDING

• Supporting recruitment across Rising Stars as the business grows
• Helping prepare and advertise vacancies
• Reviewing applications and supporting candidate screening
• Coordinating interviews and recruitment administration
• Helping manage references, DBS requirements and other safer recruitment processes
• Supporting the onboarding of new employees
• Making sure new staff receive the information, training and support they need before starting work
• Helping create a positive experience for new employees joining Rising Stars

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

• Helping prepare staff training sessions and training materials
• Supporting the delivery and organisation of training
• Helping ensure staff understand Rising Stars procedures, expectations and standards
• Identifying areas where additional staff guidance or training may be useful

CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES

• Leading or supporting selected after-school clubs and activity sessions
• Working within staff-to-child ratios when required
• Building positive relationships with children and helping create an enjoyable and inclusive environment
• Supporting coaches and club staff during busy periods
• Following Rising Stars safeguarding and operational procedures at all times

ADMINISTRATION AND PROCESS IMPROVEMENT

• Helping keep operational records accurate and organised
• Supporting scheduling, staff administration and internal communications
• Reviewing existing administrative processes and identifying ways they could be simpler, quicker or more effective
• Introducing practical improvements to help the business operate more efficiently
• Helping develop systems and processes as Rising Stars continues to grow
• Taking ownership of projects and seeing them through to completion

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR

We’re looking for someone capable, motivated and highly organised who wants to build a career rather than simply find their next job.

You do not necessarily need previous experience as an Operations Manager.

We are open to someone with strong potential who is ready to learn, take responsibility and grow into the role.

This could particularly suit:

• A recent university graduate looking for a role with genuine responsibility and progression
• Someone with experience in education, childcare, activities or sports who wants to move into management
• An experienced administrator or coordinator ready to take the next step
• Someone beginning a career in operations or business management
• A current club, camp or childcare professional looking to develop broader commercial and operational experience

You’ll be a strong fit if you:

• Are exceptionally organised and good at keeping track of multiple priorities
• Are reliable and follow through on what you say you will do
• Can communicate confidently and professionally with different types of people
• Are comfortable taking responsibility and making sensible decisions
• Are proactive and look for solutions rather than waiting to be told what to do
• Can remain calm when plans change or unexpected issues arise
• Enjoy working with people and building positive relationships
• Are confident using technology and comfortable learning new systems
• Have strong written and verbal communication skills
• Are willing to get involved in all areas of the business when required
• Are comfortable working directly with children as well as completing office and administrative work
• Have the confidence to lead a children's activity or club session
• Are interested in learning how a growing business operates
• Want to develop personally and professionally
• Have the right to work in the UK

Previous experience in operations, education, childcare, sports, recruitment, administration or team coordination would be useful, but it is not essential if you can demonstrate strong ability, judgement and potential.

WHAT WE OFFER

• Salary of £28,000–£30,000 depending on experience
• A full-time role with genuine responsibility from the outset
• The opportunity to work closely with the founder of an established and growing business
• First-hand exposure to operations, recruitment, people management, business development and commercial decision-making
• The opportunity to learn how different areas of a business work together
• Significant scope for personal and professional development
• The opportunity to take ownership of projects and introduce your own ideas
• A varied role where no two weeks are exactly the same
• A friendly and supportive working culture
• The opportunity to grow your responsibilities as Rising Stars develops

WHY WORK FOR RISING STARS?

Our staff are the heart of Rising Stars.

We care about creating a business where people are treated well, supported to develop and trusted with responsibility.

For the right person, this role offers much more than carrying out a list of administrative tasks.

You’ll have the opportunity to understand how a growing business operates from the inside, work closely with the person who built it, contribute your own ideas and gradually take on greater responsibility as your experience develops.

You’ll be expected to work hard, use your initiative and take ownership of your responsibilities, but you’ll also have the opportunity to learn a great deal and build valuable experience across several areas of business.

If you’re ambitious, capable and interested in developing a career in operations and management, we’d love to hear from you.

SAFEGUARDING

Rising Stars Activities is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

As this role includes direct work with children, appointment will be subject to appropriate safer recruitment checks, including satisfactory references, proof of identity and right to work and an Enhanced DBS check for regulated activity.

Applicants must hold an appropriate Enhanced DBS certificate or be willing to complete a new check before commencing work.

HOW TO APPLY

Please apply with your CV and a short supporting statement telling us:

• Why you are interested in the Operations Manager position
• What experience or skills you would bring to the role
• An example of a time you have organised people, solved a problem or improved the way something was done
• Why you would like to develop your career with Rising Stars Activities

Rising Stars Activities is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from suitable candidates from all backgrounds.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Pay: £28,000.00-£30,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Casual dress
• Company events
• Company pension
• Free parking
• On-site parking
• Pay rise
• Sick pay

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Golders Green, Greater London: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (preferred)

Work authorisation:

• United Kingdom (required)

Willingness to travel:

• 25% (preferred)

Work Location: In person