Head of Operations

Job description & person specification

The Council of the Inns of Court (COIC) is a charity with the object of advancing education in the administration and practice of the law, by promoting high standards of advocacy and by enforcing professional standards of conduct amongst barristers. COIC advances the former through the activities of the Inns of Court College of Advocacy (the ICCA) and the latter through the work of the Bar Tribunals and Adjudication Service (BTAS).

The ICCA provides leadership, guidance, and coordination in relation to the pursuit of excellence in advocacy and is responsible for the national ‘Advocacy and the Vulnerable’ Course. It is currently rolling out ground-breaking material to teach Advocacy for Children in Conflict with the Law and trauma-informed advocacy. The ICCA provides bespoke training material on expert witness handling, interpreters, and statistical information.

Since 2020, the role of the ICCA has significantly expanded to include the vocational training of barristers. With the support of the Inns of Court, the ICCA has developed a hugely successful two-stage Bar Course that delivers, high quality training at an affordable price; facilitating access to the profession to those who were previously barred by the high cost and high risk inherent in the old regime. The ICCA course is a flexible and blended programme that utilises both online and face-to-face components with a strong focus on high standards in Parts One and Two. 

The Role

Reporting to the ICCA Director of Operations, the ICCA seeks to appoint a Head of Operations to:

• support the efficient and sustainable day-to-day operation of the ICCA.
• effectively manage an annual budget of around £3.5M.
• provide high quality operational and logistical support and advice to academic staff and other colleagues.
• lead, develop and effectively deploy the members of the ICCA Operations team, and (with the ICCA Head of Registry) additional shared administrative resource
• progress the ICCA’s operational plans and priorities and deliver continued service improvement.

Key Responsibilities:

The ICCA Head of Operations’ responsibilities will include:

• Ensuring the successful delivery of all the ICCA’s operations and events by managing, developing and supporting the staff of the Operations Team.
• Overseeing the smooth operational delivery of the ICCA Bar Course by managing its logistics and making best use of its resources including:
  • The successful delivery of in-person and remote events including student exams & assessments, admissions selection events and open days.
  • Management of the Careers Service and alumni provision.
  • Provision of appropriate legal resources (including hard-copy and online texts and databases), to staff and students.

• Supporting the ICCA Dean with the high-quality delivery of CPD events and related activities in London, nationally and internationally, including arranging and attending bespoke small-scale training events that take place across the UK on approximately six weekends per year.
• Working with the Head of Resources, ensuring the c. £3M of fee income per annum is collected from students; monitoring payments, debtors and using best judgement to agree payment plans with students experiencing financial hardship.
• Overseeing the operation and ongoing development of the ICCA Bar Course Bursary Scheme.
• With the Head of resources, supporting the onboarding of new and current staff and Visiting Lecturers.
• Led by the Head of Resources, management and monitoring of all of the ICCA’s expenditure, working with external accountants and internal budget-holders to produce reliable quarterly accounts and forecasts, and supporting the annual audit.
• Enabling the successful planning, organisation, and delivery of all the ICCA’s activities by building and utilising strong working relationships with the staff and members of the Inns of Court, Chambers, Specialist Bar Associations and Circuits.
• Ensuring efficient servicing and support is provided to the key governance and student committees that underpin the ICCA’s activities, by ensuring the preparation and circulation of agendas and papers, producing minutes, and driving progress by following up and reporting on agreed action points as appropriate.
• Working collaboratively with members of the ICCA Senior Management Team and Registry Team; operating, continually reviewing, and striving to improve processes in all areas of activity, so that the ICCA meets or exceeds user expectations in a sustainable and cost-effective manner.
• Enabling the smooth day-to-day running of the ICCA’s offices by managing all aspects of its services, systems, and supplies.
• Any other reasonable duties as required, in line with the grade and nature of the role.

Person Specification:

• Demonstrable experience of operations and/or events management, ideally in a higher education or membership role, in the public eye.
• Significant experience of working in a customer-focused role, with a demonstrable desire to understand the user experience and exceed their expectations regarding delivery and communication of services.
• Budget management and accounts experience and attention to detail when processing invoices and making payments.
• A collaborative approach that maintains strong a working partnership between administrative and academic functions.
• A proven record of accomplishment of effectively managing a team to deliver administrative processes to deadlines, proactively planning the deployment of staff and the delegation of work to ensure success.
• Significant experience of delivering high quality work in a busy and complex organisation, including handling a wide variety of activities and prioritising these effectively.
• A consistently empathetic, discreet, and diplomatic approach, especially under pressure. The ability to balance the needs of the individual (whether students or members of staff) with those of the organisation.
• Excellent judgement and calm decision-making skills, with the ability to analyse complex issues in a systematic and logical manner.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to forge relationships with people across all levels of an organisation, and win the confidence of varied stakeholders.
• A flexible approach, including the willingness to attend occasional early morning, evening and weekend meetings as required.

The Contract

COIC is seeking to appoint the Head of Operations on a permanent contract. There will be a six-month probationary period.

• Salary £50,000 per annum
• 25 days paid holiday plus bank holidays
• Death in Service Benefit
• 15% Defined Pension Contribution by the employer (after 3 months)
• Private Health Insurance (after completion of probation)
• Flexible/hybrid working

Location: The ICCA is currently based at 33 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1EN.

COIC values equality and diversity and is committed to ensuring its processes and procedures are fair, transparent, and free from unlawful discrimination.

How to apply

For more information about the ICCA, please visit our website: Welcome to The Inns of Court College of Advocacy

Applications should be made by way of a CV with a covering letter setting out your suitability for the role emailed to info@icca.ac.uk (via the ‘Apply’ button above) by 10.00am on Monday 11 November 2024.