Business Operations and Planning Specialist

Our OEM Client based in Whitley, Coventry, is searching for a Business Operations and Planning Specialist to join their team, Inside IR35. This is a contract position with a proposed end date of 31^st March 2027.

Umbrella Pay Rate: £28.43 per hour.

Role Profile:

Our people are at the heart of everything we do. The Emerging Talent Team, part of the People Chapter, plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of our workforce by developing skills and capabilities across the enterprise. As we continue our exciting transformation through the Reimagine Strategy, building capability is essential to delivering change and achieving our bold ambition: to be proud creators of modern luxury.

This role offers a unique opportunity to work closely with our Emerging Talent population, supporting them from onboarding through to programme completion. As the first point of contact for colleagues and their managers, you will provide pastoral support, advice, and guidance. You will play an integral role in the successful delivery of the programmes by offering early interventions where needed to keep colleagues on track. Additionally, you’ll ensure consistent, high-quality customer service to all stakeholders, always underpinned by a people-first approach. Our programmes are built around key principles - strong alignment with our Purpose, the Creators’ Code, and a deep commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Wellbeing. You’ll be an integral part of a team of Cohort Leaders that support colleagues on Emerging Talent programmes and their Line Managers, training providers, and a range of internal and external stakeholders. Collaboration is crucial: you’ll work closely alongside Senior Cohort Leaders, Cohort Leads, and Emerging Talent Delivery Managers to assist with aligning responsibilities, contributing to team structure, and helping ensure our programmes effectively meet learner needs and business objectives.

Key Accountabilities and Responsibilities:

Cohort Management:

• Provide pastoral support, advice and guidance to a cohort of learners, ensuring that they have the best possible journey and experience through their development programme.
• Act as the first point of contact for issues, concerns, advice and requests relating to the Emerging Talent population, their managers and internal stakeholders.
• Track and monitor the progress of Emerging Talent hires and initiate early intervention where required.
• Document using OneNote and escalate to the relevant stakeholders such as Managers, Supervisors, Senior Cohort Lead, HR (People) colleagues, teams and training providers.

Programme Management:

• Lead monthly at-risk meetings (online) and, where necessary, escalate issues to the Senior Cohort Leader and/or manager
• Attend and assist with the delivery of the annual 'Managing Your' sessions. Duties could include managing the Q&As, creating deck content, communications, producing FAQ document etc…
• Assist with the team onboarding and welcoming new starters and coordinating with training providers and business functions.

Processes:

• Support Snr Cohort Lead to implement annual end-to-end processes, including Justifying RFS, acting as the first point of contact for RFS appeals, collecting information linked to ‘Rate-for-Stage’ and ‘Move to Substantive’ and attending EPA mock interviews when required.
• Assist in providing input to resolving HR Tickets within the 5-day SLA.
• Act as the point of contact for apprentices who fail exams and play a supporting role to ensure they're set up for success. This may involve supporting the 43.3c process.
• Communicate to the relevant stakeholders regarding individuals who are exiting the business or leaving the programme.
• Follow the guidance set out by workflows and processes to ensure efficient delivery of our programmes.
• Assist in the onboarding of new starters to programmes delivered by our training providers. Attend provider locations to assist and support onboarding where required.