"Business Operations Lead"

The University of Manchester - People Directorate

Location:	Manchester
Salary:	£37,694 to £46,049
Hours:	Full Time
Contract Type:	Permanent

Placed On: 16th January 2026
Closes: 2nd February 2026
Job Ref: PSX-030705

We are seeking a highly organised and proactive Programme Lead to play a central role in driving delivery, momentum and accountability across the People Directorate.

This role sits at the heart of the Directorate, leading the coordination of business-as-usual operations alongside strategic initiatives. You will ensure that priorities are planned effectively, progress is tracked robustly, risks are surfaced early, and senior leaders have the insight they need to make informed decisions.

Working closely with the Executive Director of People, the People Executive Board and the wider People Leadership Team, you will act as a trusted partner and operational lead, helping to turn strategy into action.

Key Responsibilities

You will:

• Lead the development and ongoing delivery of the People Directorate operational and strategic delivery plan
• Track progress against strategic priorities, ensuring timely quarterly and monthly reporting
• Produce high-quality reports and papers for the People Committee and senior leadership forums
• Coordinate delivery across the Directorate, identifying risks, dependencies and mitigation actions
• Facilitate the production and maintenance of the People risk map
• Oversee budget tracking in partnership with the Finance Business Partner, highlighting risks and supporting forecasting and planning
• Act as the operational lead for People Executive meetings, events and workshops, including preparation of papers and action tracking
• Maintain the action log for all People-related actions arising from University committees
• Build strong relationships across Professional Services and academic stakeholders to support effective delivery
• Ensure confidentiality and compliance with information governance and data protection requirements

About You

We are looking for a candidate who brings:

• Strong programme and project management capability, with experience delivering complex plans in a large, matrixed organisation
• Excellent interpersonal and stakeholder-management skills, with the confidence to work effectively with senior leaders and diverse teams
• Experience producing high-quality reports, briefings and committee papers to support effective decision-making
• A structured and analytical approach, with the ability to identify risks, track progress and propose pragmatic solutions
• Experience coordinating activity across multiple workstreams, ensuring momentum, accountability and clear communication
• Experience, or interest in the field of HR
• An interest in, or understanding of, the higher education or public-sector environment
• Educated to degree level or have equivalent professional experience, with a demonstrable commitment to continuous professional development.

Our Commitment to Inclusion

The University of Manchester is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcomes applications from all backgrounds. We are happy to discuss flexible and hybrid working arrangements and support reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.

Why Join Us?

This is a high-impact role offering visibility, influence and the opportunity to shape how one of the UK’s largest universities delivers its people strategy. If you enjoy bringing structure to complexity and enabling senior leaders to deliver meaningful change, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Enquiries about the vacancy, shortlisting and interviews:

Name: Sunit Patel
Email: sunit.patel@manchester.ac.uk

General enquiries:
People.recruitment@manchester.ac.uk