Operations Coordinator

About us

Carnall Farrar (CF) is a consultancy that works across the whole health sector, from the NHS and government to life sciences companies, health tech and investors. Founded in 2013, we have grown to a team of management consultants, technical consultants, a data operations team and corporate functions. Our purpose is to have an enduring positive impact on health and healthcare.

We advise chief executives, directors and boards on the most important issues they face, and our consulting is known for its use of data to create board-level insight. We have access to more UK healthcare data than any other company. We are highly regarded, both internally and externally, for the support and development we give our people.

About the role

As Operations Coordinator, reporting to the Head of Operations, Financial and Business Planning, you will be a key part of our team working closely with the Operations and Reporting Consultant. You will support a busy Operations Function which has responsibility for business planning, performance reporting and resourcing, and underpins CF's commercial success.

You will support the smooth running of our resourcing processes, from reviewing project requirements and resource availability to supporting the management of our associate pool, helping to deliver an excellent employee experience and ensure cost efficiency. CMap, our core operations and resourcing system, will be at the centre of your day-to-day.

You will keep our operational data in CMap accurate, support the production of the management information that the business needs to make effective decisions, and become a go-to person for CMap questions across the business. This information allows us to track and inform our annual business plan. To be successful, you will need to work cross-functionally with all parts of the business.

This position demands a highly detail-orientated professional who is proactive, flexible and organised, with the ability to work in a fast-paced and quickly changing environment. You should be comfortable with using new systems and data entry. Joining our team offers a unique opportunity for professional development within a dynamic and supportive environment, enabling you to advance your career while contributing to our organisational growth.

Operational reporting and data quality

• Accurately and promptly input data into our systems to build the organisation's confidence in our reporting
• Run CMap reports to our monthly reporting timetable, including the data behind our monthly pipeline review, and track operational and resourcing KPIs that give our leadership team insight into utilisation, demand and forecasting
• Support the Operations Consultant to produce regular and ad-hoc reports, checking and reconciling the data before passing it on for review
• Carry out regular data quality and compliance checks, working with colleagues to keep CMap accurate and our reports reliable
• Help collate inputs for business planning and in-year reforecasting, gaining exposure to how CF plans and measures its performance

Systems and process improvement

• Build in-depth CMap knowledge, becoming a go-to person for everyday questions, keeping user guidance up to date and staying across new CMap features and releases
• Help identify opportunities to automate processes using the reporting and dashboard capabilities in our systems, including Power BI and Databricks
• Help map and document our operational processes, suggesting improvements where things could be simpler or quicker, and help maintain templates and guidance so colleagues can find information themselves

Resourcing support

• Review incoming project requirements and work allocation against resource availability, keeping the management information in CMap up to date to support capacity forecasting, help us meet utilisation targets and share travel away from London fairly
• Work with business development and delivery teams to understand the bids pipeline, help prioritise competing requests and support the preparation of proposed teams for new bids
• Carry out routine checks on project costing and fee tables, making sure they reflect the proposed team and availability (for example, annual leave), and flag any discrepancies
• Maintain a skills matrix for CF staff and associates in CMap as a live record of our team's expertise and interests, and use it to suggest suitable team members based on workload, skills and business need, helping to connect people with work that matches their interests and development goals
• Update team profiles in line with agreed decisions as project scopes, timelines or performance change, applying our resourcing rules and flagging requests that fall outside our guidelines so Accountable Partners can make well-informed decisions
• Maintain a centralised log of resourcing decisions and requirements that keeps the wider team informed and able to plan
• Help keep colleagues informed about resourcing:

confirming agreed assignments over Teams, making sure staff know before they are named in a proposal, and making sure new joiners know their first project before they start

Associate management

• Manage the day-to-day administration of our associate pool and wider network, including preparing contracts (Associate Agreement, Schedule of Work and IR35 checklist) for approval, keeping availability and skills records up to date, and supporting Finance with validating monthly invoicing data
• Work with the Operations and Reporting Consultant to keep in monthly contact with associates, updating their availability, skills and day rates, and building strong relationships that help us retain our best associates
• Proactively and diligently manage associate onboarding and offboarding, including arranging appropriate IT access and CMap set-up, and collating end-of-project feedback on performance and behaviour, in line with our values

Cross-functional work and communication

• Monitor the Operations mailbox, passing queries to the team, and escalate significant operational and resourcing challenges, including but not limited to costing table compliance, in-flight project resourcing changes and bench resource, to the Operations and Reporting Consultant (and, where needed, the Head of Operations, Financial and Business Planning and relevant Partner) as soon as they have a meaningful business or people impact
• Produce and distribute a weekly resourcing overview covering utilisation, project team allocation, upcoming project start dates and projects in the pipeline
• Collaborate with other CF teams (Consulting, Finance, People) to gather accurate information for both one-off and ongoing use, making sure all data is recorded in CMap as our single source of truth

Mandatory

• Educated to degree level, with a minimum 2:1 in a related subject, or equivalent experience
• Excellent team-working, interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to convey information clearly in writing and verbally, and to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams
• Exceptional organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines while maintaining quality
• Comfortable adapting to changing priorities, taking ownership of your own workload and asking for guidance on prioritisation when you need it
• Excellent attention to detail, particularly when working with data, trackers and records
• Self-motivated, driven, proactive and flexible, with the ability to problem solve using different approaches and to seek support where needed
• Comfortable working with digital tools and quick to learn new platforms and systems, with a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office, particularly Excel
• Curious about using data and AI tools to work more efficiently, and committed to using them safely and responsibly
• Discretion when handling confidential information such as commercial information, pay and day rates, and personal and performance data

Experience

• 1+ years of commercial experience in a related role (administrative, coordination or operations role, including internships, placements or part-time roles)
• Experience with CMap, or a similar resource management or CRM system, would be advantageous
• Experience in a consultancy, professional services or knowledge-led organisation
• Some familiarity with Power BI, Databricks or other data visualisation tools, or an interest in learning them
• An interest in healthcare and in how a consultancy runs commercially

Benefits

• We offer a competitive and flexible reward package designed to support you at work and beyond it. You will benefit from a generous holiday allowance that grows with your career (minimum of 25 days), a strong employer pension contribution, and the freedom to tailor benefits to suit your lifestyle, from wellbeing and fitness to financial protection.
• We are committed to supporting life’s important moments, with enhanced family leave, income and life protection, and access to practical benefits that make everyday life easier, such as interest-free loans and travel support.
• Your wellbeing matters to us. You will have access to a comprehensive wellbeing and employee assistance programme, preventative health benefits, and initiatives that support an active, balanced way of working.
• Above all, we invest in our people; offering flexibility, security, and benefits that grow with you, so you can do your best work while building a sustainable and rewarding career.