Operations Manager (Schools and Communities) Review

As Operations Manager I lead a team of 10 full time staff to ensure the smooth running of Historic Royal Palaces’ school and community programmes and activities across 4 historic sites.

My apprenticeship was specifically designed for leaders in the arts and culture sector. I gained many new skills during my apprenticeship including; change management, developing a strategy, risk management, leadership skills, strategic approaches to financial management and marketing, and evaluation skills for cultural leaders.

My apprenticeship was very rewarding and I am so glad I did it. The programme was intense, as a masters degree level apprenticeship it involved lots of study in my free time as well as 20% ‘off the job’. I found the taught modules really interesting and rewarding. Building a portfolio for the end point assessment was a fiddly and sometimes frustrating process, but it was very rewarding to look back on at the end of the 2 years!

There is a lot to complete in the 2 years, particularly as you need to submit a lot of work to the apprenticeship body before the end of the 2 years so this can be checked and assessed. The structure was somewhat confusing but the university helped drip feed information and phase the work so we weren’t overwhelmed.

Historic Royal Palaces were wonderfully supportive. I was able to shadow other departments and job roles, and shadow the Senior Leadership meetings during my course. My Head of Department helped me think through my final strategic business proposal so that it connected to a real life work challenge.

The University of Wolverhampton provided face to face taught sessions as well as bookable 1:1 support. The academic staff team were very supportive and available for extra help if needed.

The qualification has given me the confidence to operate at a senior level, and filled skills gaps which I had identified as part of the apprenticeship process.

There are social events, annual ‘Town Halls’ with the CEO, and a proactive internal communications team sharing opportunities and activities.

Yes

Historic Royal Palaces provides a very unique experience, working with passionate committed colleagues in some of the world’s most spectacular buildings. No two days are the same. It’s challenging and but also deeply rewarding.

Think about how you could help deliver on the charity’s mission, even in small ways. Bring out your unique personality and passion on your application and at interview.