Operations Manager
(Full Time Residential)
A residential full-time position, 1 year contract with long-term prospects
Working week: 35 hours per week, Friday to Tuesday, starting Autumn/Winter 2024
Compensation and Benefits
Hours of work: full time Friday to Tuesday, 35 hours/week, plus 33 days paid holiday per year (NB Bank Holidays are taken as part of annual leave).
While this role includes working on weekends and being on call for (rare) emergencies, we will endeavour to work with the successful candidate to offer compensatory time off (TOIL) for any out-of-hours activity in order to ensure work-life balance.
Subsidised accommodation: rent at Jamyang is subsidised with residents paying £565 pcm, inclusive of utilities, wifi, council tax, and vegan lunch. The accommodation is located on-site at Jamyang Buddhist Centre and is a private single room with shared kitchen and bathroom facilities. Please note, due to the nature of the available accommodation, this role would not be suitable for couples, groups or families.
Opportunities for professional development, including training in health and safety, safeguarding, and other relevant skills, will be provided
Remuneration: £25,000 to £28,000 pa depending on experience
Commencing: Winter 2024 – 1 year contract with long-term prospects.
About Us
Established in 1978, Jamyang London Buddhist Centre provides a place for the study and practice of Tibetan Buddhism in the Mahayana tradition following the lineage of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. We also host the Science & Wisdom LIVE project. We are affiliated with the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT).
On our premises, the Old Courthouse in Kennington, we run two businesses, the Lotus Guest House and venue hire. We have a sister charity, the Courthouse Community Centre (CCC), which hosts a Community Café as well as a range of local community activities.
This is an exciting opportunity to join a value-based and forward-thinking Buddhist organisation dedicated to inner and outer transformation through the study and practice of Buddhism and through service.
Spiritual Guide: His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama
Founders: Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Resident Teacher: Geshe Tenzin Namdak
 Live-in Operations Manager position
The Live-In Operations Manager is a key senior management position that works alongside the leadership team, comprised of the Executive Director, Spiritual Programme Coordinator, Comms & Project Manager as well as Admin, Finance and HR managers at Jamyang Buddhist Centre.
The primary function of the Operations Manager is to oversee the Centre and Jamyang’s operations. This involves a combination of people management and the running of our resident volunteer programme, as well as operational, health and safety and facilities management.
This role will require the successful candidate to be a strong team player, working closely with other team members to ensure the smooth running of Jamyang’s hospitality, guesthouse and venue hire, and supporting community events and the education team where needed.
This role is a live-in position with subsidised rent, as well as other staff benefits.
We are seeking a kind-hearted individual with the people-skills and professional experience to manage the variety of tasks and activities and complexity that comes with working in a community centre. The candidate needs to demonstrate a capacity to handle volume and variety of tasks whilst remaining strategic.
Areas of Responsibility
Leadership and Management
Day to day running of the resident volunteer team, through supervision, support and training and regular team meetings. Specifically:
- Manage and further develop the live-in volunteer scheme
- Resident volunteer management: Recruiting, onboarding, offboarding, pastoral care, and supporting any accommodations which team members may need
- Working closely with other colleagues at the Centre to ensure the smooth operation of our activities
- Foster an inclusive and respectful environment for all staff, volunteers and visitors, actively ensuring that diversity and equity are integrated into our daily operations
- Lead and/or participate in training as agreed with the Executive Director
Policies, Fire Safety, Safeguarding and Health and Safety
Has a Health & Safety mindset to ensure compliance on all Health & Safety and Safeguarding policies. Including:
- Supporting the implementation of Health & Safety, Fire Safety and Safeguarding guidelines and practices, including risk assessments and team training
- Developing and maintaining operational policies relating to the running of Jamyang (in collaboration with the Executive Director, HR and admin support)
- Ensuring that team members, Centre users and contractors understand and are complying with JBC’s policies
Departmental Financial administration
Delegated authority for financial goals agreed with Exec Director and day to day management of enterprise/admin under ops, including:
- Authorizing invoices within agreed expenditure limits
- Budget management for relevant departments of responsibility
Hospitality & support operations of public-facing services
Ensure that the Centre’s operations run smoothly, including:
- Ensuring that facilities are prepared for classes, events, rentals and visiting teachers, including refreshments and catering as required
- Procurement, kitchen management, house-keeping and day to day running of the building
- Supporting sustainable and ethical practices in our operations, including eco-friendly procurement and reducing waste
- Ensuring the team can deliver a knowledgeable, approachable and warm welcome towards all visitors
- Being on call for rare emergencies
Building Management
Ensure that The Old Courthouse and its courtyard outside areas are clean and welcoming, including:
- Supervision of maintenance and repairs to the building, fixtures and fittings, ensuring that relevant maintenance checks are carried out
- Manage and maintain relationships with contractors and our third party suppliers, ensuring that relevant weekly/monthly/annual checks are carried out
- Upgrade furnishings and equipment, and support decorative repair and larger maintenance projects, as agreed with the Director/Chair of Trustees
Other
- Maintain warm collaborative relationships with the other organisations based at The Old Courthouse: currently, the Courthouse Community Centre and Courthouse Garden Café
Who we are looking for
Qualifications/background
- Great interpersonal and communications skills
- Experience in people management and leadership, as well as operations and ideally Centre management
- Experience in managing building maintenance via third parties
- A Health & Safety mindset; experience putting policies into practice is a bonus
- Experience managing volunteers would be desirable
- Can demonstrate ability to handle volume whilst remaining strategic
- Strong IT skills
- Strong track record of project management and organisational skills
- Experience managing budgets
- Willingness to work flexibly and harmoniously as part of a small team
- Experience living in a community setting would be preferred
- Commitment towards supporting sustainable practices
- Successful DBS checks
Community life
Jamyang Buddhist Centre is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes candidates from all faiths. We are looking for someone who shares our values of kindness, compassion, and inclusivity, and who is open to working in a Buddhist spiritual environment, regardless of their personal practice. We do however kindly ask that while on site, residents at JBC follow the Five Buddhist precepts for harmonious living.
- To refrain from causing harm, and nurture an intention of benefiting others
- To accept only what is given, live with a sense of generosity and giving
- To avoid sexual misconduct and cultivate respect for faithfulness and contentment
- To practice kind speech and refrain from speaking lies
- To avoid intoxication and respect mindfulness and safety
We also ask that those who work or use the centre observe our Safe Space, Safeguarding and other policies.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Jamyang Buddhist Centre seeks diversity with respect to race, religion, ethnicity, culture, gender, age, sexual orientation, and ability. We value and encourage applications from individuals from diverse backgrounds and we are committed to making our recruitment process accessible to all candidates. Please let us know if you require any accommodations during the application or interview process.
How to apply
The deadline for applications before midnight on October 15th 2024.
Every candidate needs to demonstrate permission to work in the UK: we regret that Jamyang can’t help with work visas or immigration.
Please send your application or any questions to Lucia Adams: [email protected]
Please send us the following:
- Your CV
- A covering letter (maximum of two pages) outlining why you would like to join the Jamyang team and community, and how you meet the role requirements
- Contact details for two referees – ideally one professional referee and one community or spiritual (please let us know if they can be contacted before interview)
