Academy Operations & Performance Specialist | Circa £45,500 negotiable + excellent benefits | Hybrid
About The Role
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 Performance Specialist to join our team in the Academy. You’ll be accountable for the ongoing assessment and reporting on operational performance, aligning commercial ambitions with operational capability.
Once settled in your new role, you’ll continuously evaluate processes within Repair Sector Services, anticipating requirements, uncovering areas for improvement, whilst developing and implementing solutions to drive operational efficiency and improved customer experience.
Your mission
- 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.
- Maintain high levels of user knowledge on critical Academy and customer service business systems, supporting system enhancement initiatives that deliver improvements in quality, process and customer experience.
- Work closely with 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.
- Responsible for the provision of academy performance reports, supporting plans for internal quality reviews and to support and assist in the coordination and preparation of data for external reviews and inspections.
- Line management of a small administrative team, once settled and established in your new role.
Skills & experience that will set you up for success in this role:
- Demonstrable experience developing complex delivery plans for services that meet customer requirements and drive operational efficiencies.
- Managing and interrogating financial and operational data to establish trends and report on performance.
- The ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with different audiences, such as colleagues, suppliers, senior leaders, and others in pursuit of common goals.
- Proven experience pro-actively managing multiple deadlines and resources within a challenging project environment.
- Comprehensive knowledge of business processes and workflows
- Proficient in Microsoft Office tools, with aptitude to learn new software and systems.
- Thorough knowledge and experience using MS Excel to organise and analyse large data sets.
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 £45,500 negotiable dependent on skills & experience.
💸10% non-contributory pension
🏖️ 29 days holiday (inclusive of Christmas closedown) + public holidays
🚴/💻 Salary Sacrifice schemes (cycle to work & tech scheme)
🧠 Money Health Financial Wellbeing Platform
💞 Group Life Assurance
⚕️ 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, early finish on Friday - 8:30 - 15:45 🙌
(Talk to us about flexible working if this doesn’t quite suit you – we take work-life balance seriously!)
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 vehicles and influencing ever higher standards of safety, security and repair. With an on-site Crash Laboratory, Repair Technology Centre, Training Academy and Crime Lab, our research expertise is driving some of the very latest automotive developments in technology, materials and standards in this fast moving and highly technical industry.
Our active safety track site is one of the leading accredited Euro NCAP testing facilities, trialling and assessing the very latest developments in vehicle safety and assistance technologies.
Our Values 🧡
As an organisation that believes a strong set of Values are key to our organisational success and a sense of belonging for all colleagues, we ask that you understand, represent and apply our Values of Fearless, Inquisitive, Resourceful, Supportive and Trusted and demonstrate these Values throughout the recruitment process.
Our Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging 🫶
We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive workplace which values diversity and embraces each individual's authentic self. We are proud to champion a culture where colleagues freely share their diverse perspectives, recognising that these contribute to our innovative spirit. Our journey of growth and understanding is continuous as we actively invest in diversity training, workshops, and partnerships to ensure positive change.
Beyond our silver membership in the Automotive 30% Club, we collaborate with various organisations to advance equity not only in gender but also across ethnicity, age, disability, social mobility, LGBTQ+ identities, experiences, and thinking. Our aspiration is to create an environment where everyone thrives, achieves, and experiences a genuine sense of belonging.
Recruitment process 💻
We’re proud to manage our recruitment in-house and believe this direct approach enables us to give you the best possible Employee Experience we can – which starts right here, your application! We’re continuously striving to improve the candidate journey, and transparency (or communication) is a key area of focus – yes, even with salary & benefits.
What can you expect from our recruitment process? 🫱🏻🫲🏽
- Regular updates on the progress / outcome of your application
- An initial telephone screening call with our Recruitment Business Partner
- First interview with the hiring manager, usually via Teams
- Second/Final interview, in-person at our office (we may give you a role specific task to present on!)
- Personalised feedback following your interview – because everyone deserves that!
- An opportunity to give us your honest feedback in a short survey on all of the above
We’re committed to removing invisible barriers. If there are any adjustments we can make to better support you, please let us know when you apply.
All applicants must have Right to Work in the UK.