Surrey County Council
Arts Services Business Operations Lead
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The starting salary for this role is £38,090 per annum, based on working 36 hours per week.
Are you an experienced business operations professional with a passion for improving processes, managing compliance and supporting teams to deliver excellent services?
Surrey Arts is looking for an Arts Services Business Operations Lead to oversee the operational functions that support the delivery of arts and music education services across Surrey. This is a varied and rewarding role with responsibility for ensuring the service remains safe, legal and compliant, while driving continuous improvement across business operations.
Surrey County Council supports agile working and, where possible, encourages flexibility in how and where work is undertaken.
This role is based at The Pines, Guildford. Whilst there will be opportunities to work flexibly and remotely, the Arts Services Business Operations Lead and their direct report, the Arts Services Business Assistant, are required to maintain a visible presence within the office to support the day-to-day operation of Surrey Arts. This includes welcoming visitors, receiving deliveries, supporting premises-related activities and providing on-site operational support.
The exact working arrangements for this role will be agreed upon appointment and will be subject to business needs. The postholder will also be required to travel across Surrey when required and occasional evening or weekend working may be necessary.
Our Offer to You
- 26 days’ holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years’ service (prorated for part time staff)
- Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
- A generous local government salary related pension
- Up to 5 days of carer’s leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
- Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
- An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
- Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
- Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
- A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents.
About Surrey Arts
Surrey Arts is the Arts Service for Surrey County Council. We are the lead delivery organisation for the Surrey Music Hub. We provide music lessons, instrument hire, out of school music centres, activities and music ensembles for young people. Surrey Arts is the lead partner for the Cultural Education Partnership as well as leading on a range of arts and culture programmes across the county.
You will join a team dedicated to "changing lives through world class arts". Surrey Arts is an ambitious and forward-thinking organisation that places young people at the centre of our work. We are committed to developing Surrey Arts as a genuinely inclusive organisation, and one that meets the needs of the whole diverse community of Surrey.
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About The Role
Working closely with colleagues across Surrey Arts and Surrey County Council corporate services, you will act as the operational lead for Surrey Arts, ensuring effective delivery of service-level business operations, including recruitment, workforce compliance, safeguarding administration, health and safety, premises management, data protection, records management, volunteer coordination and business support functions. You will act as a key link between Surrey Arts and corporate support teams, helping to ensure Council policies and statutory requirements are effectively implemented across the service.
Key responsibilities:
- Lead and coordinate Surrey Arts business operations and compliance activities
- Manage service-level recruitment and onboarding processes
- Oversee workforce compliance activities, including DBS processes and mandatory training monitoring
- Coordinate safeguarding administration across the service
- Lead health and safety coordination and compliance arrangements
- Manage premises-related matters at Surrey Arts sites
- Ensure effective data protection, records management and document retention processes
- Recruit, induct and coordinate Surrey Arts volunteers
- Manage administrative staff
- Develop and improve systems, processes and ways of working
Your Application
In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours:
- Experience of business operations within a complex organisation
- Experience of leading recruitment and workforce compliance activities
- Experience of compliance, governance and operational risk management
- Knowledge of safeguarding, health and safety, data protection and records management
- Experience of managing staff, volunteers or coordinating the work of others
To apply, we request that you submit a CV and you will be asked the following 4 questions:
- Describe your experience of leading recruitment and workforce compliance processes within a service or organisation. Please include the scale of activity you managed, your responsibilities, and how you ensured compliance with organisational policies and procedures.
- Please provide an example of a business process, system or way of working that you have improved. What was the issue, what action did you take, and what benefits were achieved?
- This role is responsible for areas including health and safety, safeguarding, data protection and records management. Please describe your experience of ensuring compliance and managing operational risk within a service or organisation. Include any frameworks, processes or controls you have implemented or maintained.
- Describe your experience of leading, supervising, coordinating and line managing staff. Please include the size and structure of the teams you have managed, your responsibilities for setting priorities, allocating work, performance management, staff development, wellbeing, attendance management and recruitment. Provide examples of how you have motivated and supported individuals, ensured work was delivered effectively to the required standard, and contributed to improving team performance and service outcomes.
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As part of your application for this role you will be required to provide your full work history and confirm any qualifications you hold.
Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description and our Life at Surrey handbook to get an insight into working at Surrey.
Contact Us
Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferrable skills or any barriers to employment.
For an informal discussion please contact Rachel Weeden, Operations and Finance Senior Lead by email at rachel.weeden@surreycc.gov.uk.
The job advert closes at 23:59 on Sunday 20th September with interviews planned for 28th September at the Surrey Arts Office, GU3 3BH. We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.
We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.
Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)
Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.
Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents! Please see more information here: Information for applicants on Local Government Reorganisation - Surrey County Council
Our Commitment
We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum shortlisting criteria as displayed on the advert, we guarantee you an interview.
Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we’re committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.
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