Senior Operations Officer (SOC271425X1)

Are you looking for an interesting operations role where your work will be varied and interesting, you can use your initiative, and you can know that you are playing a part in something worthwhile?  

As a Senior Operations Officer in the Observatory for Mathematical Education, you will be part of an outstanding team of academic and operations staff who are delivering a multi-million-pound research programme to help understand and improve the experiences and outcomes for all children and young people learning maths.

Your role will require strong organisational and interpersonal skills as you will be working closely with academic colleagues and communicating directly with our research partner schools, colleges, and universities, in which we are surveying thousands of students and their teachers for up to 7 years. The relationships you build, along with your clear, concise, and coordinated communications, will help ensure high response rates to our surveys and schools that want to continue partnering with us. You will also get the chance to be the lead contact for some of the key suppliers who help deliver the Observatory’s research activities.  Other areas of responsibility include project planning, procurement, payments to research partners and suppliers, event management, and keeping accurate records of all our activities and communications.

You will work with limited direct supervision and therefore be required to take personal responsibility for tasks, have a flexible approach, and think analytically and creatively to solve problems.  However, you will be joining an enthusiastic and supportive operations team where we regularly collaborate to improve any tricky processes or find better ways to do things, so there is help at hand when you need it. We all meet regularly as part of the wider Observatory team of over 20 staff, which includes academics from a variety of different backgrounds, and has senior leaders who prioritise opportunities for individual development alongside team success and celebration.  

You will receive an excellent choice of benefits and rewards, including a highly attractive pension and holiday allowance (25 days in addition to Bank Holiday and University closure days). This role is based on Jubilee Campus in Nottingham, with the option of working from home approximately one day per week. This is a fixed term position, available until 17 October 2028. Further funding is expected to extend this role and all others in the Observatory to October 2033.

The hours of work are full-time (36.25 hours); however, applications are also welcome from candidates wishing to work part-time (minimum 14.5 hours per week). Please specify in your application if you wish to work part time and the number of preferred hours.  

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Dawn Holt, Senior Operations Manager, email dawn.holt@nottingham.ac.uk. Please note that applications sent directly to this email address will not be accepted.

Interviews for the position will take place on Jubilee Campus on Wednesday 28th January.

Closing Date: 19 Jan 2026
Category: Administrative, Professional and Managerial (APM)