Chief Operating Officer vacancy in London with Overseas Travel (142jc)

My client, who is a fast growing international education company with operations in the UK and UAE. Founded in London in 2004 as a private tuition agency, and have now grown into a teaching and consulting operations in both the UK and UAE, and an educational resources business in the UAE. In the next few years will see expansion of the company in the Far East; particularly in Mainland China but also in Hong Kong and Singapore.

They are looking for an entrepreneurial individual who is used to operating in foreign locations with a diverse and multicultural work force. The role will cover all operations and business development of the company, working closely with the managing director.

Job Objectives:

To assist the Managing Director in developing the business and gaining scale rapidly. To manage the operations and other teams in order to ensure that the operations run smoothly and new opportunities are taken advantage of. Based in London, this role will involve a considerable amount of travel, predominantly to Dubai and the Far East.

Responsibilities (including but not limited to)

• Daily Operations
1. Daily prioritisation of tasks to ensure that the workforce operates efficiently
2. Liaison with all operational staff members to ensure tasks are prioritised and equally distributed across the team
3. To manage and motivate a team whilst creating an operational work environment focused on productivity, efficiency and also fun
• Project Management
1. To execute and project manage new business development initiatives once agreed with management
2. Project planning
3. Assisting with key person recruitment
• Business Development
1. Developing and refining teams and systems
2. Development of operational systems and policies

Education and Qualifications
Essential:
• “Degree” level intellect
• Formal qualifications preferable but not essential

Experience
Essential:
• At least two years in a management role
• Proven track record of people management and team motivation
• Experience in a role that has involved workflow and process improvement
• Strong work ethic and a desire to contribute to a growing business
Desirable:
• An understanding of IT systems and how they can impact processes and production
• Familiarity with MS Office software
• An understanding of UK private and international education
• The ability to multitask and to roll up one’s sleeves and get stuck in
• An understanding of cost rationalisation and start up culture

Personal Attributes
Essential:
• Excellent communication skills including fluent spoken English.
• Creative aspect to your personality
• An eye for detail
• Able to work under pressure
• Self-starter able to make progress with minimal supervision
• Analytical and methodical
• Ability to lead a team with good communication skills
• Able to prioritise and work within tight time scales in order to meet deadlines
• Can accept and act upon constructive criticism
Desirable:
• Flexible approach to work
• Good at forming new ideas and demonstrating them to others
• Due to the nature of the Company’s products and services, the jobholder must on occasion be willing and available to work extra hours if the needs of the Company require it
• Present an acceptable appearance at all times
• Since this role involves access to systems processing confidential, and sensitive customer financial information, all staff are required to undertake background and reference checks prior to and periodically (at least once a year) during employment.

The ideal candidate for this role, would be someone who has a hands on knowledge and experience of the UK’s public schooling system as well as the Russell Group of UK universities and who is able to deal effectively with UHNWI’s both in the UK and overseas. They have also show a preference for an individual who has previously attended either Sandhurst, Dartmouth or Cranwell.

In return they are offering an excellent starting base, with an individual benefits package and with the ability to help grow your role as the company seeks to expand and develop.