Operations Administrator

Workplace: Chain of Hope Offices, I Lyric Square, W6 0NB

Responsible to: Director of Charitable Operations (Supervised by Senior Missions and Volunteer Coordinator and Senior International Child Referral and Data Coordinator)

Hours of Work: Full Time with flexible hours required when needed

Location: Hybrid – Minimum two days in office

Contract Type: Permanent

Salary: £30,000.00 p/a

About Chain of Hope

Chain of Hope provides life‑saving cardiac care to children in developing countries who would otherwise have no access to treatment. Our mission is to bring hope where there is none by linking expert medical teams with children in need. Through a network of volunteers, medical professionals, and donors, we fund and facilitate complex heart surgeries and treatment, giving children the chance to lead healthy lives.

About the Role

The Operations Administrator plays a central role in supporting Overseas Missions and International Patient Transfer Programme activity. This position requires a proactive, highly organised individual who can directly support Senior Coordinators and the wider team with complex logistics, maintain operational systems, and coordinate with volunteers, clinical teams, and external partners. The role involves significant support for travel coordination, visa processes, safeguarding compliance, and operational administration, with occasional out‑of‑hours support.

Key Responsibilities

• Operations & Mission Support
  • Provide administrative support with the coordination of operational logistics for overseas missions, including maintaining mission checklists, tracking deadlines, and supporting planning meetings.
  • Support the arrangement of travel, accommodation, visas, and indemnity cover for staff, volunteers, patients, and escorts, following Purchase Order procedures.
  • Prepare and submit visa applications for volunteers, patients, guardians, and medical escorts, ensuring documentation is complete and timely.
  • Prepare pre mission documentation to include mission packs and itineraries.
  • Support the procurement, acceptance and packaging process of medical hardware and disposables.
  • Log and file patient data post missions.
  • Support post‑mission reviews by collating feedback and contributing to briefings and debriefs.
• Volunteer & Safeguarding Administration
  • Support administrative management of volunteer databases, files, and registration records.
  • Track safeguarding, DBS, and compliance requirements and liaise with volunteers to ensure standards are met.
  • Support volunteer communications, including fundraising‑related updates and mission information.
• Patient Transfer & ICRP Support
  • Support international patient transfers by coordinating flights, medical clearances, special travel requirements, and transfer documentation.
  • Assist with on‑ground logistics for patients, guardians, and medical escorts, including accommodation and transport.
  • Participate in the out‑of‑hours duty rota for patient transfers where required.
• Systems, Finance & Administration
  • Support administrative maintenance of operational and patient databases, ensuring accurate record‑keeping and secure document storage.
  • Support digitisation of physical records and continuous improvement of administrative systems.
  • Support Purchase Orders requests and organise invoices, receipts, and approvals where appropriate.
  • Provide general operational and administrative support across the department as needed.
• Meetings & Coordination
  • Attend and support Operations and ICRP meetings, including scheduling, minute‑taking, and follow‑up actions.
  • Coordinate Committee and clinical assessments and meetings and processes as required.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications

• An undergraduate degree or equivalent in a relevant field

Essential

• Proven experience in an operations or administrative role with complex coordination responsibilities
• Strong organisational skills and ability to manage multiple workstreams independently
• Excellent communication skills and confidence working with a range of stakeholders
• High attention to detail and problem‑solving mindset
• Flexibility to provide occasional out‑of‑hours support

Desirable

• Experience in international operations, logistics, or charity/NGO settings
• Knowledge of visa processes, safeguarding, or patient logistics
• Experience supporting volunteers or medical programmes
• Experience maintaining databases and handling sensitive information