Assistant Operations Manager at Orchid HR Outsourcing

The Operations Assistant shall oversee the overall operations management of company projects- lead a team of project managers/other teams, end-to-end project management, strategic planning, ensure operational efficiency and successful implementation of below the line company projects.

He/She manages the BTL activations/event plans and works closely with other departments to ensure that all operational requirements of the projects are fulfilled. He/She is detailed and resourceful, and possesses excellent problem-solving skills. He/She is able to react quickly to deviations in project plans. He/She will work in a flexible workweek, including weekends, evenings, and public holidays, and is comfortable working in both indoor and outdoor environments, depending on the nature of the projects.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES & ACCOUNTABILITIES

Knowledge & Skills:

• Develop an understanding of consumer personas, mindsets, attitudes, values and behaviours to create experiential programs.
• An understanding of Marketing Analytics to set project objectives and KPIs, monitor campaign performance and use data to make informed decisions.
• Consistently identify marketing and experiential trends across cultural moments and industries with a specific focus on our Client industries
• Building and maintaining a database of operational crew who can work for different projects.
• Become totally immersedin understanding the client marketplace – support on development of competitor reviews.

Delivery:

• Business development by working closelywith Client Serviceto develop proposals, budgets and project plans for both new and existing business
• Issue project schedules and update as necessary in order to deliver client campaigns– knowing where and when to negotiate on delivery.
• Coordinating and supporting on-ground activation teams and other support staff.
• Budget management and expense trackingto ensure projectsare executed within budget and implementing cost effective solutions.
• Collaborate with the finance department to develop and manage budgets for operations.
• Manage procurement of necessary operational contractors and staff, logistics, and equipment for successful execution of projects.
• Oversee and report to management/client on progress, learnings, and successes of activities conducted on behalf of the Client.
• Create and continuously optimize standard processes to develop best-in-class example of activation and events execution
• Managing expectations with ongoing updates and explaining any issues in advance.
• Lead all operational status meetings and take ownership of ensuring the team completes their WIP actions by the deadlines.
• Checking quality of all operational plans before discussing with Senior Management and Client thereafter
• Ensure local security and workplace safety and Health regulations are adhered at all Company projects
• Managing vendors and contractors to ensure that they meet all contractual obligations and deadlines
• Assess project risks and issues and provide solutions where applicable
• Preparing reports for projects in progress and overall reports on completion. Reviewing the analysis and reports of your team—ensuring accuracy, logical consistency, and value-add.
• Develop and implement operational strategies that align with the company’s overall goals and objectives.
• Collaborate with the senior management to define and execute the operational road map.
• Manage resource allocation, including personnel, equipment, and technology, to optimize productivity.
• Collaborate with HR for recruitment, training, and performance management.

Commercial management:

• Accurately estimate for projects in conjunction with CS teams, following the receipt of new briefs.
• Implement best practices to enhance efficiency, quality, and scalability.
• Track the project budget for reconciliation and accounting
• Ensure that your projects run within budget by regularly reviewing the WIP and re-estimating if any line items/cost centres are exceeding their allocations
• Reconcile and invoice jobs in a timely manner in collaboration with CS and the Finance department.
• Evaluate existing operational processes and workflows to identify areas for improvement.
• Oversee project management processes to ensure timely and successful delivery of client projects.
• Implement project management tools and methodologies to streamline workflows.

Reporting and Analysis:

• Develop and maintain key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure and report on operational performance.
• Analyze data to make informed decisions and identify areas for improvement.

Talent management and Leadership:

• Line management to provide day-to-day support to Ops assistants and on-the-job training as necessary.
• Managing and developing both new and existing operational teams by identification, recruiting, mentoring of project staff.
• Building and maintaining a database of operational crew who can work for different projects.
• Manage training of overall on-ground teams, ensuring they receive the best training to enable them to accomplish set out objectives.
• Lead, mentor, and inspire the operations team to achievehigh levels of performance.
• Foster a collaborative and positive working environment.

Risk management:

• Identify potential risks to operations and develop strategies to mitigate them.
• Implement and maintain robust contingency plans.

Technology integration:

• Evaluate and implement relevant technologies to enhance operational efficiency.
• Stay informed about industry trends and emerging technologies.

Relationship management:

• Establish and maintain working relationships with clients, vendors, and Independent Contractors, including cost negotiations, scheduling and deliverables
• Create culture of teamwork and integrity among operations team and project teams to ensure delivery of memorable consumer experiences at activations and events
• Maintain positive and constructive relationships with other internal departments and offices across Africa and take responsibility for these relationships.
• Build solid relationships and be the primary day-to-day operational contact for operation managers, CS teams on all the projects—a port of call for any issues on Task jobs.
• Engage partner agencies where appropriate.

PROFESSION, TECHNICAL SKILL AND PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

• 6+ Years of relevant experience in experiential marketing or event management
• Degree in Project Management, or relevant field of study
• Experience of managing project budgets on target
• A positive can-do attitude that is solutions-oriented
• Calm under pressure, familiarity with project management tools, strategic thinker with the abilities to translate strategies into actionable plans
• Great project management, organizational skills and attention to detail
• Natural communicator – good with people
• An openness to give/take feedback as part of a creative and passionate team
• Great team player with strong leadership qualities
• Proactively demonstrates added value – bringing solutions to problems and delivering more than just what is asked for
• Excellent time management skills with the ability to prioritize and to multi-task
• Experience of managing event Health & Safety and creating risk assessments
• Shows enthusiasm, passion, pride and commitment Work closely with client services teams to ensure client satisfaction and address any operational issues proactively.
• Implement feedback mechanisms to continually improve service delivery.