Operational Readiness Manager

Dubizzle Limited; Oxford; On-site; GBP 60,000 - GBP 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology organization is seeking an Operational Readiness Manager to ensure new and refurbished environments are fully operational and compliant. The role involves coordinating across various teams, managing readiness plans for facilities, and addressing risks. Candidates should have experience in operational readiness or complex project delivery and possess strong coordination skills. This full-time position is located in Oxford and includes competitive benefits such as a negotiable salary, enhanced holidays, and private medical insurance.

Benefits

Negotiable salary

Travel allowance

Bonus

Enhanced holiday

Pension

Life Assurance

Income Protection

Private Medical Insurance

Hospital Cash Plan

Therapy Services

Perk Box

Electric Car Scheme

Childcare benefit

Qualifications

• Proven experience in operational readiness, facilities commissioning, or complex project delivery.
• Experience supporting the opening or transition of laboratories, clinical environments, or offices.
• Strong coordination and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage operational readiness plans for new facilities.
• Coordinate closely with operational teams.
• Identify readiness risks early and implement mitigation plans.

Skills

Operational readiness experience

Strong coordination skills

Stakeholder management

Practical solution-oriented mindset

Ability to manage multiple workstreams

Highly organized and detail-oriented

Proactive and calm under pressure

Collaborative disposition

Job description

Join us at EIT:

At the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), we’re on a mission to translate scientific discovery into real world impact. We bring together visionary scientists, technologists, engineers, researchers, educators and innovators to tackle humanity’s greatest challenges in four transformative areas:

• Health, Medical Science & Generative Biology
• Food Security & Sustainable Agriculture
• Climate Change & Managing CO₂
• Artificial Intelligence & Robotics

This is ambitious work - work that demands curiosity, courage, and a relentless drive to make a difference. At EIT, you’ll join a community built on excellence, innovation, tenacity, trust, and collaboration, where bold ideas become real-world breakthroughs. Explore more at www.eit.org.

Your Role

At EIT we are seeking an experienced and detailed orientated Operational Readiness Manager who will be responsible for ensuring that new and refurbished environment, including laboratories, high-end offices, clinical areas, new buildings, and temporary offices are fully prepared, compliant, and operationally ready for use. The role acts as the central coordinator across operational teams, translating project delivery into day-one readiness. This includes planning, coordination, hands-on action, and assurance that all operational, technical, regulatory, and people-related elements are aligned and on track.

Your Responsibilities

• Operational Readiness Planning: Develop and manage detailed operational readiness plans for new facilities, refurbishments, relocations, and temporary spaces.
• Operational Readiness Planning (continued) Define readiness criteria, milestones, dependencies, and go-live requirements for each allocated project.
• Ensure facilities are safe, compliant, functional, and fit for purpose at handover.

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Coordinate closely with operational teams including laboratory operations, clinical teams, facilities management, IT, security, health & safety, procurement, HR, and project delivery.
• Act as the single point of coordination for readiness activities, ensuring clear ownership and accountability.
• Facilitate regular readiness reviews, workshops, and progress updates.

Execution & Hands-On Delivery

• Take direct action to resolve readiness gaps, unblock issues, and progress outstanding actions.
• Oversee commissioning, move-ins, decants, and transitions to live operations.
• Ensure operational procedures, access, equipment, supplies, and services are in place ahead of occupation.

Risk, Compliance & Assurance

• Identify readiness risks early and implement mitigation plans.
• Ensure compliance with relevant regulations, standards, and internal governance.
• Support inspections, audits, and operational sign-off processes.

Stakeholder Communication

• Provide clear, structured updates to senior stakeholders on readiness status, risks, and decisions required.
• Translate complex project and technical information into operational impacts and actions.
• Support change management by ensuring teams are informed, prepared, and trained where required.

Continuous Improvement

• Capture lessons learned from each opening or transition.
• Improve readiness frameworks, checklists, and templates.
• Contribute to organisational standards for operational handover and occupancy.

Essential Skills, Qualifications & Experience

• Proven experience in operational readiness, facilities commissioning, or complex project delivery.
• Experience supporting the opening or transition of laboratories, clinical environments, or offices.
• Strong coordination and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously.
• Practical, solution-oriented mindset.
• Highly organised and detail-oriented.
• Proactive, calm under pressure, and delivery-focused.
• Collaborative with confidence to challenge when required.
• Pragmatic and adaptable.

Desirable Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Experience in scientific, healthcare, or regulated environments.
• Knowledge of laboratory or clinical operational requirements.
• Familiarity with health & safety or building compliance frameworks.

Our Benefits

• Salary: Negotiable depending on experience + travel allowance + bonus
• Enhanced holiday + options to buy additional days
• Pension
• Life Assurance
• Income Protection
• Private Medical Insurance
• Hospital Cash Plan
• Therapy Services
• Perk Box
• Electric Car Scheme
• Childcare benefit

Working Together – What It Involves

• You must have the right to work permanently in the UK with a willingness to travel as necessary. In certain cases, we can consider sponsorship, and this will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
• You will live in, or within easy commuting distance of, Oxford (or be willing to relocate).
• This position is fully onsite, 5 days per week in Oxford.