About the Role
We are looking for a Senior Operations Lead to drive the day-to-day running and continuous improvement of our function.
This is a high-impact, operational role focused on bringing structure, coordination and momentum to how the team operates. You will work closely with leadership and delivery teams to ensure priorities are clear, work is effectively coordinated, and key activities are executed with consistency and pace.
You will play a central role in embedding strong operational rhythms, improving ways of working, and supporting delivery across the function, using data and insight to inform decisions where needed.
This role is ideal for someone who enjoys being at the centre of operations—connecting teams, driving progress, and making things happen.
What You’ll Be Doing
Operational Leadership & Coordination
Own and drive the operational cadence of the function, ensuring priorities are clear, aligned and delivered effectively
Act as a central point of coordination across teams, bringing structure and visibility to key activities
Ensure work is tracked, progressed, and delivered with clear ownership and accountability
Identify gaps, blockers and risks, and take action to keep things moving
Operational Rhythm, Governance & Delivery
Lead the preparation and facilitation of weekly, monthly and quarterly operational forums
Create high-quality materials, track actions, and ensure clear outcomes and follow-through
Maintain key artefacts such as RAID logs, RACIs, and process documentation
Support governance, controls, and audit readiness activities
Process Improvement & Ways of Working
Identify inefficiencies and lead improvements to processes, tools and ways of working
Bring consistency and clarity to how work is managed and delivered across the function
Embed scalable, repeatable operational practices
Lead or coordinate improvement initiatives to enhance effectiveness and efficiency
Stakeholder Engagement & Facilitation
Facilitate workshops, meetings and operational discussions to drive clarity and decision-making
Work with stakeholders to structure problems, align priorities and agree actions
Build strong relationships across teams and functions
Deliver clear, concise communications to a range of audiences
Operational Insight & Reporting
Maintain and evolve reporting and dashboards that support operational decision-making
Review and interpret performance, capacity, and delivery trends
Ensure data is accurate, consistent and aligned to business needs
Use insight to highlight issues, inform decisions, and support planning
Financial & Workforce Operations
Support budget tracking, forecasting and cost oversight
Assist with resource planning, utilisation tracking and workforce reporting
Coordinate recruitment and onboarding activities as part of operational workflows
What We’re Looking For
Experience & Capability
Experience in operations, business management, or delivery support roles
Proven ability to coordinate work across teams and manage multiple priorities
Experience improving processes or implementing ways of working
Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to bring clarity to complex situations
Stakeholder & Facilitation Skills
Confident facilitating meetings, workshops and operational forums
Strong communication skills, with the ability to engage and influence stakeholders at all levels
Able to build effective working relationships across teams
Tools & Data
Comfortable using Excel and reporting tools to support operational activities
Able to interpret data and translate it into practical actions
Experience with dashboards (e.g. Power BI) is beneficial but not essential
Ways of Working
Highly organised, structured and detail-oriented
Proactive, with a strong sense of ownership and accountability
Focused on delivery, outcomes and continuous improvement
Comfortable working in fast-paced, evolving environments
Why Join Us?
Play a key role in shaping how the function operates
Work closely with leadership in a high-visibility role
Be at the centre of activity, driving coordination and delivery
Opportunity to make a tangible impact on efficiency and performance
Ideal Candidate Profile
You are someone who:
Enjoys being at the centre of operations, ensuring everything runs smoothly and effectively
Brings structure, organisation and momentum to complex environments
Is confident coordinating people, priorities and delivery
Uses data to support decisions, but is primarily focused on execution and outcomes
Takes ownership and drives work through to completion
Skills Required
- Experience in an operational, analytical, or business support role within a technology or change environment
- Strong ability to produce clear, insightful reporting and analyse data
- Highly organised with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
- Strong communication and stakeholder management skills
- Experience using tools such as Excel, Power BI, or similar
What We Do
Not just another building society. Not just another job. Imagine how good it would feel to help someone choose the mortgage they’ll use to buy their first home. Or the account they’ll use to save for it. We’ve been helping people make big financial decisions since 1853. It’s why over a million customers trust us as a good place for their money, and why our colleagues say we’re a good place to work. The Bailey (our head office) The Bailey is the vibrant hub where you’ll find all our central functions. We’re always looking for new talent because we love hearing new ideas. You can choose from a variety of roles that range from marketing and IT, through to audit, risk, products, digital and more – or maybe you’ll join our lively contact centre team. We’re based in Skipton, just a short train ride from Bradford and Leeds, we’re a stone’s throw from the A65 and have some cracking views of the Yorkshire Dales. Our network of UK branches Our branch colleagues are the face of Skipton Building Society. They’re relationship-builders, team workers, great talkers and they’re brilliant at listening too. Everything they do is designed to help customers make the best financial decisions, whether that’s choosing the right kind of savings account or having a full financial review. The Skipton culture Happy colleagues mean happy customers. So, when we recruit, we don’t just think about what’s in it for us, we think about what’s in it for you. It’s one of the reasons we’ve been recognised as one of The Times Best Companies to Work for the last 6 years. Mind, body and spirit With our colleagues’ support, we’ve created a culture that promotes diversity and inclusion. We understand the rich diversity in our Society, and how harnessing that diversity through effective inclusive practice has profound benefits for individuals, teams and the Society it self. This includes a progressive approach to personal well-being.
