Operations Officer

Operations Officer
Dual Site - Donation Centre in Harrogate & Warehouse in Knaresborough

9 months Fixed Term Contract

We are committed to paying the Real Living Wage.

About Us

Yorkshire is one of the regions hardest hit by cancer. Together, we can change this.

Yorkshire Cancer Research is a charity dedicated to funding research so that you and those you love live longer healthier lives, free of cancer.

Thanks to supporters, the charity funds vital cancer research and pioneers innovative new services for people with cancer. These life-giving medical breakthroughs are helping more people survive cancer – in Yorkshire, and beyond.

As an inclusive employer, our aim is to ensure our workforce reflects the rich diversity of our region. We believe a diverse workforce is vital to us taking action to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer more effectively in Yorkshire. We offer equal opportunities regardless of race, religion or belief, age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, marriage and civil partnerships.

The Benefits

We offer all employees a wide range of benefits including an enhanced contributory pension scheme, 25 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays (increasing to 30 days after 5 years’ service), flexible working arrangements, private medical insurance, enhanced maternity leave, career progression, learning and development, wellbeing initiatives, offices within walking distance of Hornbeam Park train station, free onsite parking and a whole lot more.

We’ve got a strong set of values that inform everything we do and we’re looking for people who are aligned with these. As our Operations Officer, you will put people in Yorkshire at the heart of everything you do, unite with colleagues and other organisations in this cause, and dare to think big and bold to make positive solutions happen.

The Role

As an Operations Officer, you will report to the Area Safety and Facilities Manager. You will take the lead in managing the day-to-day operations of the Yorkshire Cancer Research Centre in Harrogate. You will also play a vital role in ensuring our wider estate—including retail spaces and our new warehouse—remains safe, compliant, and fully operational.

In this pivotal role, you will be the go-to person for keeping our buildings running smoothly. From coordinating maintenance and resolving issues, to managing compliance through the EVERY system, centralised ordering, and waste contracts—you will make sure our people have everything they need to do their best work.

Specifically, you will:

Hornbeam Centre Compliance and Building Management across all premises including retail shops and warehouses

·       Liaise with contractors to ensure that they are delivering their expected obligations in line with their service level agreements/contracts.

·       Manage the keyholder process to ensure that keys for the property across the estate are well controlled and managed.

·       Be the first point of contact for any snagging or building issues with the Yorkshire Cancer Research Centre, booking contractors to ensure both a quick and cost-controlled resolution.

·       Ensure that all weekly and monthly checks are successfully delegated in the event of your planned absence to ensure that there are no gaps in the records.

·       Check and administer the building DEFIB.

·       Ensure that the Centre is clean, tidy and free of Health & Safety risks, promptly addressing or reporting any concerns to the appropriate person whether that be internal or external.

Supporting Estate Building Compliance

·       Complete and record Fire Alarm tests on a weekly basis.

·       Ensure that all compliance documentation, as directed by the Area Safety and Compliance Manager, is appropriately filed and would be readily available, if required, for audit purposes.

·       Monitor EVERY for all properties across the estate and be the first point of escalation for non-compliance to completing actions in the right timescales.

·       Ensure that all annual services are proactively booked in for every property across the estate including, but not limited to, fire alarm servicing, legionella testing.

Centre Support

·       Ensure that amenities within the Centre are in good working order, and repairs are carried out in a timely manner so that all colleagues are be able to successfully carry out their own roles and that the Centre is a suitable environment in which to do so.

Health and Safety Record Keeping

·       Ensure that all compliance documentation, as directed by the Area Safety and Compliance Manager, is appropriately filed and would be readily available, if required, for audit purposes.

Administration of the Vehicle Fleet

·       Proactively manage the administration of the charity’s vehicles, including but not limited to, pool cars and delivery/support vans.

·       Book services and MOTs and adhoc repairs/work as required.

·       Responsible for monitoring and managing the renewal checks of driving licences.

Centralisation of processes

·       Support with the raising and approval of purchase orders and creating orders from suppliers, as required, by the Operations and eCommerce Team in a timely manner

About You

To be considered for this role, you will need:

·       To be ideally educated to GCSE level or equivalent.

·       Previous experience of working in a Facilities role with a good understanding of the requirements of this role and H&S responsibilities.

·       To have a basic understanding of Microsoft Office programs including Outlook, Word, and Excel.

·       To have proven experience in facilities management and administration.

·       To have good communication skills and proven experience of engaging with internal and external stakeholders, addressing queries and offering practical solutions.

·       To be extremely organised and able to prioritise a diverse workload and meet deadlines.

·       To be able to follow procedures in emergencies: be proactive, with the ability to react to evolving situations and be led by management and other colleagues.

·       A willingness to complete our pre-employment checks (to be undertaken once the role is offered and accepted) which include:

o   A check on your employment history by seeking two references

o   A check on your eligibility to work in the UK as per the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006

o   A check on your highest educational achievement(s)

o   A check on your professional qualification(s)

·       A DBS check at basic level.  

Application

Before applying, please visit our Careers Page to view the full role profile and find out more about working for Yorkshire Cancer Research.

To apply please submit a CV and cover letter outlining your suitability for the role to Claire Wooldridge, Head of People, before 02 October 2025. Please read our privacy notice before applying.

Yorkshire Cancer Research is a responsible and flexible employer.  We welcome any discussion for flexible working at the interview/offer stage where we will consider an individual’s circumstances against the needs of the charity.

We positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates from all backgrounds. If we can make any reasonable adjustments to support your application, please contact the Recruitment Team.