Operations Manager

Ipsos is a world-leading research company operating in more than 85 countries. It has revenues in excess of ₤1Bn and employs over 16,000 staff worldwide. Ipsos provides research services and strategic insights to the world’s largest corporations and many public sector organisations.

At Ipsos we are passionately curious about people, markets, brands and society. We make our changing world easier and faster to navigate and inspire clients to make smarter decisions.

We deliver with security, simplicity, speed and substance. We are Game Changers.

Operations Manager – Ipsos in Zambia

Job Profile

• The Operations Manager is responsible for the Operations (data collection through to data delivery) of the business.
• Local: Effectively manages the team leaders and ensures proper resourcing, on time and quality delivery of all operational tasks.
• Responsible for the strategic planning and budgeting for the Operations business unit. Acts as a consultant on Operational areas to the Service Lines Leaders.
• Global: Ensures that the Local Operations tools, processes and practices are in full alignment with the global strategic practices and tools. Smoothly manages the relationships between local business and global business (e.g. Data Delivery hubs).

Key Role Responsibilities

CLIENT FOCUS

• Capable of working with all internal clients and attend meeting with external clients whenever asked to do so
• Demonstrates client focus in business decisions
• Lead an area/ become a recognised expert in at least one area of ‘business’ or ‘work’
• Gain external recog nition as a specialism thought leader
• Continually extend and actively share expertise in Ipsos tools and techniques

FINANCIAL & COMMERCIAL DRIVE

• Generate significant contribution to Ipsos in terms of profitability
• Identify and implement ways of improving efficiency and profitability
• Anticipate evolving / new commercial trends and respond to them appropriately
• Manage closely the budget and deliver upon budget targets

OPERATIONS EFFECTIVENESS

• Provide sound advice and support the Operations Management Team and the Service Lines teams and ensure key data capture staff are supported in the compilation of complex project briefs.
• Contribute to data capture review meetings and trouble-shoot as necessary to ensure timely achievement of scheduled targets
• Ensure the quality of data capture processes meet required standards and evaluate new processes and equipment
• Monitor and respond to ongoing and changing data capture requirements of the business
• Oversee the Data Capture administration function.
• Motivate and coach team members against critical competencies/behaviours in order to ensure retention and growth of department staff
• Keep well-informed of current trends within the market research systems and technology, in order to maintain personal knowledge updated to cost-effective solutions to the business

PEOPLE

Team Management & Development

• Accountable for the management of resources/workloads across the team
• Build capability within the team, identifying and nurturing star performers
• Seek to understand and address retention challenges
• Attract and recruit new talent to the team, be a strong and effective ambassador for Ipsos

Performance Development

• Drive the continuous development and career progression of people you line manage
• Guide the setting of clear, motivational and measurable development objectives for people and regularly review performance against these
• Deliver a comprehensive and inspiring induction to new joiners

CONTRIBUTION TO IPSOS

• Communicate, advocate and implement the team and company strategy, business objectives and plans
• Ensure personal (and team members’) objectives actively support those of the team and company
• Take into account the ‘bigger picture’ and think ‘longer term’ when making decisions
• Lead corporate and team initiatives

REQUIRED SKILLS & BEHAVIOURS

WORKING TOGETHER

Leadership, teamwork and collaboration

• Leads and promotes honest, open, transparent and direct relationships with clients and colleagues
• Empowers the team to develop plans, identify and problem solve through collaborative working
• Leads and directs knowledge transfer, personal development of team members and achievement of team goals
• Anticipates and responds to concerns within the team, implicit and explicit, and actively resolves conflict
• Actively seeks and offers input to decision making, demonstrating a ‘long-term’, strategic mind-set
• Speaks positively about the company, work, colleagues and the future

Consideration

• Anticipates, gathers and understands others’ points of view
• Is empathetic, takes into account the possible impact of actions/ decisions on others and manages others’ reactions to situations by anticipating likely response
• Acts with integrity, respects confidentiality and sensitivity of situations and information

COMMUNICATION

• Clear and appropriate communication
• Explains complex and detailed issues clearly and succinctly
• Carefully tailors tone and communication style to have the most positive impact possible, with clients, with the team and with senior management
• Delivers both good and bad news effectively
• Coaches others to communicate more effectively

Listening

• Is constantly listening to and gauging the mood and situation of the team/ business
• Listens effectively, takes or instructs the most appropriate course of action after collecting  and considering all the necessary information

Interpersonal sensitivity

• Recognises the relative skills and strengths of the team and uses/ develops them appropriately
• Demonstrates cultural, professional and personal sensitivity with colleagues

FLEXIBILITY

Creativity

• Offers fresh and imaginative ideas for solving problems and developing the business
• Recognises and reinforces creative thought and innovative ideas

Managing change

• Speaks positively about change, motivates others to engage with it, leads by example
• Generates and leads change in the interest of business improvement and client focus
• Responds appropriately to changing situations, acting with the appropriate pace and urgency
• Is energised by challenges

ENTREPRENEURIAL

• Actively pursues opportunities to improve and stretch the company offer, performance and client delivery
• Is intellectually curious, constructively challenges existing thinking, systems and processes and suggests alternatives and encourages others to do so
• Challenges the status quo, is innovative, takes calculated risks

SELF-MANAGEMENT

Initiative

• Demonstrates and encourages in others a positive, solutions-focussed approach
• Continuously looks for ways to improve collaboration and make both internal and external client interaction easier
• Proactively drives development and career progression of self and other team members

Organisation

• Is disciplined, demonstrates excellence in time management, prioritisation and planning
• Delegates and manages resources effectively across the team
• Sets goals that are ambitious but achievable, drives through to their completion
• Demonstrates excellence in managing others’ expectations effectively, upwards and downwards

Responsibility

• Demonstrates strong self-awareness: plays to one’s strengths and acknowledges limitations
• Listens to and learns from constructive criticism/ feedback – is always prepared to learn
• Proactively offers upwards feedback and support for senior management
• Advocates and drives compliance within the team with company’s operating practices and quality processes
• Resolves people, work and client problems in the best interests of the company

PEOPLE

• Fosters a culture of continuous development within the team.
• Is a positive and inspirational role model
• Provides direction and support to team members, recognising great work and addressing problems
• Manages conflict effectively
• Is respectful, treats all colleagues fairly and appropriately
• Shows leadership in giving, receiving and seeking out feedback on performance
• Leads by example

Required Experience and Qualifications

The successful candidate will have

• First degree or a Higher Diploma in the relevant fields
• At least 5 years’ experience in Field work, with 2 years in a management position
• A strong attention to detail
• Strong analytical, organizational, problem solving skills
• High integrity
• Self-driven and results-oriented with a lot of initiative.
• A clear focus on high quality
• Ability to critically assesses own performance
• Strong people management skills
• Ability to multiple task, prioritize critical tasks and cope with changing priorities If you

ENTREPRENEURIAL

• Actively pursues opportunities to improve and stretch the company offer, performance and client delivery
• Is intellectually curious, constructively challenges existing thinking, systems and processes and suggests alternatives and encourages others to do so
• Challenges the status quo, is innovative, takes calculated risks

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