Assistant Operations Manager in London

Department: Mobile for Development

Team: Mobile for Humanitarian Innovation and ClimateTech/Digital Utilities

Location: London (hybrid working)

Position type: Fixed Term Contract until March 2027

What the hiring manager says: “This role sits in the operations of Mobile for Development programmes – ensuring activities are well coordinated and run smoothly to deliver meaningful impact. It’s a great opportunity to build experience across two high impact programmes, working with diverse teams and gaining exposure to all aspects of programme delivery.” - Sheila Moa, Senior Operations Manager

About the Team: The Mobile for Development (M4D) team drives innovation in digital technology to reduce inequalities in our world. Singularly positioned at the intersection of the mobile ecosystem and the development sector, we stimulate digital innovation to deliver both sustainable business and large-scale socio-economic impact for the underserved.

The GSMA Mobile for Humanitarian Innovation (M4H) programme works to accelerate the delivery and impact of digital humanitarian assistance. This is achieved by building a learning and research agenda to inform the future of digital humanitarian response, catalysing partnerships and innovation for new digital humanitarian services, advocating for enabling policy environments, monitoring and evaluating performance, disseminating insights and profiling achievements.

The GSMA ClimateTech/Digital Utilities programme works on innovative financing structures that combine commercial and impact-oriented capital to scale climate technologies as well as supporting urban resilience by enabling access to essential utility services in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This is achieved through thought leadership, strong policy and advocacy work.

About the Role: The Assistant Operations Manager role will be an exciting opportunity for an individual with a passion for international development and the role of digital innovation in driving socio-economic impact for the underserved. You will work across two programmes (M4H and ClimateTech/Digital Utilities) as part of the Operations team, supporting the effective planning, coordination, and delivery of programme activities. The role reports to the Senior Operations Manager (M4H), who leads on operational management of the Mobile for Humanitarian Innovation team across delivery, reporting (including donor reporting) and business planning. You will work closely with programme teams, as well as colleagues across the wider M4D including compliance/finance, legal, HR, marketing and subject matter experts.

As an Assistant Operations Manager, you will be responsible for the following:

• Assist the Senior Operations Managers to track and report on deliverables and KPIs
• Support the preparation of monthly programme internal reports, and quarterly and annual programme donor reporting
• Maintain programme risk, issue and lessons learned logs, ensuring timely escalation where necessary
• Assist with programme activity planning and maintain programme’s workplans tracking
• Support end-to-end procurement processes including supplier onboarding, contracting, purchase orders and invoice management, in collaboration with the Finance team
• Coordinate event planning and logistics, including sourcing and booking venues and liaising with programme teams and marketing
• Manage travel tracking and maintain organised shared filing systems i.e. SharePoint
• Any other duties commensurate with level as requested by the Senior Operations Managers

About You: The ideal candidate will demonstrate the following skills and experience:

• Demonstrable operations and project management experience, ideally within donor-funded projects
• Strong organisational and planning skills, with ability to manage multiple priorities across different programmes
• Experience supporting budgeting, forecasting and financial processes
• Proven track record in tracking and reporting on project activities
• Strong stakeholder management skills, including the ability to work effectively across teams and manage upwards
• Flexibility and ability to adapt to respond to changing requirements and priorities
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work as part of a team, supporting other team members in a busy global environment, across several different geographical locations
• Excellent attention to detail
• Proficiency using MS Office (i.e. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams) and experience with project or grant management systems
• An interest in international development and/or social enterprises in emerging markets

This is a hands-on role requiring a pro-active, self-motivated individual who can work independently and collaborate effectively to support programme success.

About your Skills: Across the diversity of roles at GSMA, there are core capabilities that all GSMA staff need. For this role, the five key capabilities are:

• Project Management: Fundamental to ensuring activities are well coordinated and delivered effectively. Requires the ability to manage competing priorities, track deliverables and reporting requirements, and maintain accurate documentation and oversight across multiple workstreams.
• Communication: Critical to effective coordination and collaboration. Requires clear and professional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey information concisely, prepare reports, and engage confidently with different audiences.
• Agility: Important in a fast-paced and evolving environment. Requires the ability to adapt quickly to changing priorities, manage multiple demands simultaneously, and respond proactively while maintaining attention to detail.
• Teamwork: Central to successful programme delivery. Requires the ability to work collaboratively across cross-functional and geographically dispersed teams, build positive working relationships, and contribute proactively to shared objectives.
• Stakeholder Management: Fundamental to the success of the programmes. Requires the ability to build strong relationships with stakeholders at all levels, ensuring requirements, timelines and actions are understood and communicated effectively through to completion. Able to manage expectations professionally, follow up on actions and escalate issues appropriately to support successful programme delivery.

We strive to offer a meaningful and inclusive application experience for all candidates. Should you require any accommodations or adjustments due to a disability or for any other reason during the hiring process, please contact talent@gsma.com with your request.

Contract type: Fixed Term Contract (Fixed Term)

Worker type: Employee

What We Offer: Working at the GSMA offers you unparalleled access to the mobile industry. We offer a chance to truly shape the direction of mobile, whatever your role. By joining the GSMA, you will be exposed to a fast-paced rapidly evolving environment, working on global solutions, genuinely fascinating and industry-changing projects and a stimulating and dynamic environment designed to enable you to flourish. In addition to architect-designed offices and competitive compensation, our benefits include fantastic learning & development opportunities, generous holiday allowances, four additional days off for professional development and many others.

Being You at the GSMA: We care deeply about diversity, equity and inclusivity and aspire to be the best at it. Your well-being and work/life balance is important, so flexi-time and remote working is available to all staff. We're keen to ensure everyone is equal, represented and connected so we particularly encourage applications from all demographics. The success of the GSMA year on year will continue to be contributed by people from all walks of life.

GSMA Values: Our values not only drive our culture – they shape how we work and interact inside and outside our global organisation.

• Passionately driven: We approach everything we do with unparalleled capability, tenacity and commitment, knowing that the challenging scale, pace and complexity of our work is what leads to its world-changing impact.
• Insightful leaders: We continually develop and engage our expertise, insight and creativity so that we’re always ready to respond to the changing landscape with authority, agility and nuance.
• Stronger together: We lean on each other so the industry can lean on us, embracing our diversity by actively seeking out perspectives and skill sets beyond our own, fuelling each other’s successes and constantly asking how we can help.

Underpinning our values is our collective mindset to show up purposefully as good human beings every day, in every situation. When we’re at our best – we are collaborative, considerate and compassionate to others, and we create a safe space for one another to thrive, assuming positive intent in our colleagues. And if we aren’t at our best and the pressure is on – we feel free to be ourselves but still remain curious, lean into the tough stuff and we are always respectful to others and accountable for the part we play.