Operations Coordinator

Job Title: Operations Coordinator

Department: Operations

Location: Sheffield Office (with hybrid work available)

Pay Scale: £27,678k per annum

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full Time (37.5 hours per week)

SFJ Awards

SFJ Awards are a regulated Awarding Organisation, delivering high quality qualifications, and custom certification for learners through Approved Centres in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. We are also an Apprenticeship End-Point Assessment (EPA) Organisation approved by the Education and Skills Funding Agency to deliver EPA to apprentices for a growing number of apprenticeship standards in England. SFJ Awards is part of the Workforce Development Trust group.

The Workforce Development Trust

The Workforce Development Trust is a not-for-profit organisation that provides services that support employers to develop skilled, sustainable, and efficient workforces in the UK and abroad. We operate via our four brands; Skills for Health, Skills for Justice, SFJ Awards, iCQ Awards and People 1st International, which deliver specialist, targeted skills interventions to support a variety of frontline public services.

Job summary

SFJ Awards provides a range of Awarding Organisation and assurance functions, including regulated qualifications and apprenticeship assessment.

The Operations Coordinator is responsible for the day-to-day operational delivery of the organisation, across regulated qualifications, End-Point assessment and custom certifications. This will include conducting the core operations including the customer services function, end-to-end EPA delivery, supporting the onboarding of new customers, and all other operational support required to ensure excellent service, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement.

This role is central to maintaining and improving efficiency, driving service quality, and supporting sustainable growth. The post holder will ensure effective relationships with customers, as well as contributing to the wider development and successful achievement of SFJ Awards' operational and financial plans. This role is central to the success and sustainability of the organisation.

What is the impact of the role on the business?

The Operations Coordinator plays a crucial role in ensuring the smooth and efficient running of our programmes and services across The Workforce Development Trust. By managing day-to-day operations, coordinating resources, and maintaining high standards of delivery, this role directly contributes to the success of our workforce development initiatives and the positive outcomes we achieve for our partners and clients. It's a pivotal position that helps translate strategic goals into operational excellence

Key business skills necessary for the role?

• Strong organisational and coordination skills to manage multiple priorities effectively.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management to collaborate with both internal teams and external customers.
• A proactive approach to problem-solving and process improvement.

What does the daily work look like?

A typical day will involve answering internal and external queries across a variety of communication methods. Ensuring overnight processes have been completed on the system and that all exams have been organised for the week. The work is varied and fast paced and involves close collaboration with colleagues across the organisation.

How does your team deliver a premium service for our customers?

We pride ourselves on reliability, attention to detail, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Our customers trust us to deliver efficiently and professionally every time, and we achieve that by maintaining strong internal processes and always being ready to adapt to their needs.

What are the three most important personal skills needed for this role?

• Attention to detail.
• Adaptability and initiative.
• A collaborative and positive mindset.

How would you describe the culture of your team?

We're passionate about making a positive difference through our work, and we celebrate each other's successes along the way.

Key Responsibilities

Reporting to the SFJ Awards Operations Manager, the post holder's key responsibilities will include accountability for:

• Conducting the end-to-end operational delivery of all qualifications and End-Point assessments, ensuring consistent, high-quality service and compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Ensure that assessment activities are allocated and scheduled in accordance with service requirements.
• Delivering high quality customer service to ensure timely, accurate, and professional support to potential customers, centres, employers, and learners, exceeding all KPIs and SLAs.
• Conducting operational support tasks – including (but not limited to): maintaining administrative systems supporting registrations, certification, centre onboarding, gateway evidence submissions, assessment scheduling and financial transactions.
• Production, storage, and dispatch of assessment resources and certificates, both electronically and by post/courier in line with regulatory requirements and published service level agreements.
• Providing employers, training providers and other relevant stakeholders with information, advice and training to support them with processes and systems, keeping them informed of scheduled activities and providing them with the appropriate resources to assist them in planning for and facilitating qualification delivery and EPA activities.
• Following policies, procedures and systems to drive productivity and to meet and maintain regulatory requirements and standards. This includes operational use of various systems including (but not limited to): Quartz, ACE 360, Rogo, Freshdesk.
• Coordinating Reasonable Adjustments for access to assessments for students with specific requirements and special consideration requests.
• Developing and maintaining a robust onboarding process supported by guides and materials.

Please download full JD here and our job pack here

This job requires some days in the office. Please consider if you are willing to relocate before applying.

This role is subject to a criminal record check via the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Please include your CV and cover letter when applying. In your covering letter, please give specific examples of work you've done or experiences you've had that demonstrate how you meet the requirements of this post and why this role feels like a good fit for you.

Only apply if you currently have a valid right to work in the UK.

Please note, we reserve the right to alter the closing date before the one stated.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted

Benefits:

• Generous annual leave entitlement up to a maximum of 28 days, plus public holidays and a potential Christmas closure
• Flexible working - 50% working from home with a dress for your day approach
• Staggered start and finish time
• Employee referral recruitment scheme
• We provide enhanced leave, bereavement, carers, maternity, paternity and sickness leave.
• Health and wellbeing benefits, access to our mental health first aiders, a confidential employee assistance programme, free eye tests and payment for an annual flu jab
• Enhanced pension scheme, with a contribution matching up to a combined 12%, and the option to join the Salary Exchange Pension Scheme along with death in service coverage at three times annual salary.
• Flexible employee benefits, portal including a cycle to work scheme
• Buy annual leave scheme
• Organisational development days and departmental training budgets
• Payroll giving, this is a tax-free way to donate to any charity, good cause or place of worship

The Workforce Development Trust is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes everyone.

If your experience differs a little from what is outlined in the job description, or you are missing a desired qualification, yet you think you can bring value to this role, please apply, we would like to hear more about you.

We strongly encourage people of all gender, religion, ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientation, and individuals with disabilities to apply.

If you need any reasonable adjustments at any point, please let us know. In your application, please feel free to advise on your preferred pronouns, for example she/her, he/him, they/them etc.

Closing date: Thursday 27th November 2025