Operations Manager in Newport

Reports to: Managing Director

Works Alongside: Sales Manager

Direct Reports: Seven Operational Team Members (Administrators, Sales Progression, Customer Support and Bookkeeper)

Purpose of the Role

The Operations Manager is responsible for leading and developing the operational side of the business, ensuring every customer receives an exceptional and consistent experience from instruction through to auction completion. Working closely with the Sales Manager, the Operations Manager will create the systems, procedures and team capability required to support sustainable business growth. A key objective of the role is to transform the business from being dependent upon individual knowledge and experience into one driven by documented processes, trained staff and measurable service standards. Once operational excellence has been established, the Operations Manager will work with the Managing Director and Sales Manager to increase the company's auction capacity from the current programme of 10 auctions, without compromising service quality.

Key Responsibilities

• Operational Leadership
• Lead, motivate and develop a team of seven operational employees.
• Create a culture of accountability, professionalism and continuous improvement.
• Conduct regular one-to-one meetings and performance reviews.
• Set clear objectives for every team member.
• Recruit and onboard new operational staff where required.
• Ensure workloads are effectively planned and balanced.
• Customer Experience
• Take ownership of the company's customer service standards across every stage of the auction process.
• Develop a customer-first culture by:
• Defining service standards.
• Monitoring customer satisfaction.
• Resolving escalated customer issues.
• Reviewing complaints and identifying root causes.
• Improving communication throughout the customer journey.
• The objective is to make excellent customer service a consistent company strength rather than dependent on individual employees.
• Staff Training & Development
• One of the primary responsibilities of this role is to improve the capability of the operational team. This includes:
• Developing structured induction programmes.
• Creating role-specific training plans.
• Delivering regular coaching sessions.
• Cross-training staff to improve flexibility.
• Creating skills matrices to identify development needs.
• Establishing quality standards for all customer interactions.
• Every employee should understand both what they are expected to do and how they are expected to do it.
• Systems & Procedures
• Lead the development of documented Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for every key operational process. Examples include:
• New instructions.
• AML compliance.
• Client onboarding.
• Legal pack management.
• Auction preparation.
• Customer communications.
• Sales progression.
• Completion process.
• Complaint handling.
• Financial administration.
• Ensure procedures are:
• Clearly documented.
• Easy to follow.
• Regularly reviewed.
• Used consistently across the business.
• Reduce reliance on informal knowledge and individual working practices.
• Operational Performance
• Monitor and improve:
• Workflow efficiency.
• Turnaround times.
• Capacity utilisation.
• Service levels.
• Error rates.
• Team productivity.
• Customer satisfaction.
• Operational reporting.
• Identify bottlenecks and implement practical improvements.
• Capacity Planning & Growth
• Working alongside the Sales Manager, regularly assess operational capacity against forecast sales activity. Develop plans to:
• Increase operational efficiency.
• Improve resource utilisation.
• Reduce unnecessary administration.
• Introduce automation where appropriate.
• Build capacity for future growth.
• A major objective of the role is to establish whether the business can successfully increase its auction calendar from 10 auctions per annum to between 15 and 20 auctions while maintaining high levels of customer service and operational quality. This should include:
• Capacity analysis.
• Resource planning.
• Workflow redesign.
• Technology improvements.
• Recruitment recommendations.
• Financial impact assessments.
• Financial & Commercial Responsibility
• Work closely with the Bookkeeper and Managing Director to:
• Monitor operational costs.
• Improve efficiency.
• Control overheads.
• Support budgeting.
• Improve profitability through better operational performance.
• Compliance & Risk
• Ensure operational compliance with:
• Anti-Money Laundering procedures.
• Data protection.
• Internal controls.
• Company policies.
• Regulatory obligations.
• Maintain accurate operational records and minimise business risk.
• Collaboration with the Sales Manager
• The Operations Manager and Sales Manager are jointly responsible for ensuring the business can deliver sustainable growth. The Sales Manager is responsible for generating profitable instructions. The Operations Manager is responsible for ensuring those instructions can be delivered efficiently, consistently and profitably. Together they will:
• Review pipeline forecasts.
• Plan operational capacity.
• Identify service improvements.
• Improve communication between departments.
• Resolve operational challenges.
• Prepare the business for increased auction frequency.

Key Performance Indicators

• Customer Experience
• Customer satisfaction scores.
• Number of customer complaints.
• Complaint resolution times.
• Client retention.
• Repeat business.
• Operational Excellence
• Turnaround times.
• Workflow efficiency.
• Error reduction.
• SLA achievement.
• Case completion times.
• Operational productivity.
• People Development
• Training completion.
• Staff competency assessments.
• Cross-training coverage.
• Staff engagement.
• Staff retention.
• Individual development plans completed.
• Systems & Process Improvement
• Standard Operating Procedures created.
• SOP compliance.
• Process improvements implemented.
• Automation initiatives delivered.
• Reduction in operational inconsistencies.
• Business Growth
• Operational readiness for increased auction frequency.
• Successful delivery of additional auctions without service deterioration.
• Improved operational capacity.
• Productivity improvements.

Skills & Experience

• Essential
• Proven operational management experience.
• Strong leadership and coaching ability.
• Experience developing teams.
• Experience creating systems and procedures.
• Excellent organisational skills.
• Strong analytical and planning ability.
• Customer service leadership experience.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Continuous improvement mindset.
• Desirable
• Property or auction industry experience.
• Project management experience.
• Experience implementing operational change.
• Knowledge of CRM and workflow systems.
• Experience developing training programmes.

Personal Attributes

The successful candidate will:

• Be highly organised and process-driven.
• Take pride in developing people.
• Enjoy building systems that improve consistency.
• Be calm under pressure.
• Lead by example.
• Challenge existing ways of working constructively.
• Make decisions using data and evidence.
• Be committed to delivering exceptional customer service.
• Think strategically while remaining hands-on.

Success in the First 12 Months

A successful Operations Manager will have:

• Established clear operational leadership across the support team.
• Introduced documented Standard Operating Procedures for all core business processes.
• Developed structured training programmes that improve consistency and confidence across the operational team.
• Raised customer service standards, leading to measurable improvements in customer satisfaction and reduced complaints.
• Improved communication and collaboration between Sales and Operations.
• Produced a detailed operational capacity plan demonstrating how the business can scale from 10 to potentially 15 auctions per year, including recommendations on staffing, technology, workflow and investment.
• Reduced the Managing Director's involvement in day-to-day operational issues, enabling greater focus on strategic growth and business development.

Salary package

The Operations Manager will earn a generous salary package depending upon experience, but in the region of £50,000 to £60,000.