Operations Officer

• Category: Economic Growth and Development
• Contract type: Fixed term
• Working hours: 36 hours per week
• Posted on: 17 February 2026
• Directorate: PLACE
• Location: Woodhatch Place, 11 Cockshot Hill, Reigate, RH2 8EF

This role has asalary of £41,585 per annum, based on a 36 hour working week. This is afixed term contract until 31st March 2027, with the possibility of extension subject to ongoing programme funding in 2027/28 and beyond.

This is a unique opportunity to help shape the future of the South East's manufacturing economy. Join our dedicated Economy and Growth Team and play a pivotal role in delivering the Made Smarter Adoption programme across the region. If you are an organised, relationship driven professional with experience in programme delivery, business engagement, or operational coordination - and you're passionate about supporting SMEs, students, and universities to collaborate and innovate - we encourage you to apply.

This role offers hybrid working, with regular travel across Surrey and the South East, and weekly anchor days at Woodhatch Place, Reigate.

Our Offer to You

• 26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service
• Optionto buy up to 10 days ofadditionalannual leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Paternity,adoptionand dependents leave
• An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Learning and development hub with 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 the Team

The Economy and Growth team is dedicated to driving sustainable economic development across Surrey, working collaboratively as 'One Council' to support strategic priorities that benefit the county's 1.2 million residents. The team provides key services in business support, innovation, skills, and infrastructure, and works with major employers and local partners to strengthen the regional economy, home to 110,000 businesses contributing £50 billion annually to the UK economy.

This role sits within the Made Smarter South East Programme Delivery Team, working alongside Technology Adoption Specialists, Workforce Development Advisors, the Programme Support Officer and the Strategic Programme Manager. The programme supports SME manufacturers to adopt digital technologies, boost productivity, and develop future talent.

About the Role

Surrey County Council is seeking a proactive and detail oriented Operations Officerto lead the operational delivery of the Made Smarter South East internship programme and support the wider Made Smarter staff with process improvement, grant support and project management. This outward facing role works with the Organisation Workforce Development advisors, SME manufacturers, universities, and students to build a strong internship pipeline, scope meaningful projects, and ensure high quality placements that support digital adoption and innovation.

As the Operations Officer, you will:

• Build and maintain strong relationships with SMEs, universities, students and partners
• Lead the full internship lifecycle within the Made Smarter parameters
• Maintain accurate operational records and ensure CRM data is consistently updated
• Track internship KPIs and provide data for reporting to the Programme Manager and Steering Group
• Manage job postings on university platforms and coordinate shortlisting, interviews and scheduling
• Support delivery of events, workshops, and wider engagement activities
• Identify and implement improvements to operational processes across the programme
• Support marketing and awareness raising, including social media and event coordination
• Collaborate across Surrey County Council's Economy & Growth team to connect SMEs with wider support offers, including skills, innovation, leadership development and NEET pathways
• Maintain documentation standards and contribute to knowledge sharing across the programme

You will be responsible for delivering high quality operational support at pace to strengthen the region's manufacturing ecosystem.

Your Application

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours :

• Experience in programme delivery, business engagement, education partnerships, working with young people, or operational coordination
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and maintain accurate records
• Experience using CRM systems or similar tools to manage pipelines and track KPIs
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with businesses, universities, students and partners
• Experience drafting structured documentation such as project scopes or job specifications
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills
• Ability to work collaboratively across teams and independently manage a varied workload
• A proactive mindset with a commitment to continuous improvement
• Familiarity with PRINCE2 or another structured project management methodology (desirable)

To apply, we request that you submit a CV and you will be asked the following four questions:

• Please describe your experience managing operational delivery in a programme or service. How have you ensured accurate records, CRM updates, and consistent reporting?
• This role is responsible for the full internship lifecycle, from supporting SMEs to coordinating student recruitment and supporting placements. Describe how you would manage this end to end process to achieve internship KPIs.
• Give an example of a time you built and maintained relationships with diverse stakeholders (e.g., businesses, universities, students, partners). What approaches did you use to keep engagement strong.
• Describe your experience using PRINCE2 or another project management methodology. How have you applied structured project management to deliver outcomes or manage risks?

Beforesubmittingyour application, we recommend you read the job description andourLife 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, transferable skills or any barriers to employment.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 08/03/2026 with interviews taking place in person at Woodhatch Place, Reigate between 17th March and 24th March 2026.

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.

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and haveevidencedyou meet theminimumcriteria, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day,we'recommitted 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.