Operations Director Jobs

Permanent - Full time – Hours are negotiable

About us

Practical Action is a change making organisation that works in unconventional ways. We put ingenious ideas to work so people in poverty can change their world.

We do things differently, so answers that start small can grow big – bringing people together in bold collaborations, using innovation and knowledge to build futures free from poverty and help shape a world that works better for everyone.

About the role

The key function of this role is to support all Practical Action entities and subsidiaries in providing effective and efficient legal, governance and operational support.

The role will support the Board and Senior Management by keeping abreast of developments in the legal and regulatory environment and acting as focal point for providing/securing specialist advice to support decision making.

The role also manages and develops several internal systems.

About you

We are seeking an experienced, dedicated and detail-oriented Company Secretary. This role involves a variety of responsibilities aimed at ensuring the smooth operation of compliance, legal, and company secretarial functions across our global organisation.

Accountabilities

• Oversight and management of UK legal budget.
• Ensure that all legal registrations for all PA offices and subsidiaries are maintained and that relevant documents are available to key staff and governance bodies.
• Ensure all returns to Companies House/Charity Commission are made and that Board/Committees sign off as needed.
• Maintain statutory registers including register of members, register of People with Significant Control, Register of Directors (including residential addresses), register of secretaries and register of charges.
• Provide specialist support to GLT, Chair of Board of Trustees and Chair of Finance, Audit and Risk Committee in relation to governance, legal and regulatory compliance. The role will act as secretary to FAR.
• Maintain lists and records of staff and trustees holding Powers of Attorney and ensure that these are renewed or replaced as needed.
• Provide governance information for the Annual Report, statutory audits and other purposes.
• Work with the Executive Assistant to the CEO to ensure that Admin Control is up to date and incorporates all of the above.
• Stay abreast of legal and regulatory changes and notify relevant staff of any implications.
• Oversight of the Annual Legality Questionnaire.
• Lead on annual review of Practical Action’s insurance requirements to ensure insurance needs are met whist delivering good value for money.
• Provide support on Practical Action projects relating to charity governance e.g., development of Governance manual, Governance self-assessments and GDPR.
• Contribute to the monitoring of GDPR compliance as a member of the GDPR management team
• Support the trustees to administer the Defined Benefit pension scheme as requested.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential

• Knowledge of legal and regulatory requirements for charitable companies and experience of developing and implementing policies and systems to ensure compliance.
• Good knowledge of GDPR with ability to develop robust systems to share and protect personal data.
• Organised, thorough and with good attention to detail.
• Highly numerate with a strong capacity to analyse and utilise complex data.
• Strong team working with the confidence to seek advice from expertise elsewhere.
• Strong IT skills including the ability to specify or design new systems.

Desirable

• A background in international development including some time spent working overseas.
• A good understanding of the role of internal audit, finance and other key departments.

APPLICATION INFORMATION

The opportunity to work for an organisation that is making a positive difference to the lives of people worldwide, a friendly and supportive culture, and working with values-driven and highly engaged colleagues are just some of the reasons we think Practical Action is a great place to work.

Our open plan offices are located in the centre of Rugby and near to Rugby train station.

In addition, we offer the following benefits:

• Full time roles are contracted at 35 hours per week.
• Hybrid/flexible working options.
• 27 days’ holiday rising with continuous service, in addition to public holidays.
• Pension scheme - employer contributes 10.5% of salary and the employee contributes a minimum of 5%.
• Enhanced family friendly policies, including maternity, adoption, paternity, and shared parental leave.
• Life assurance (3 x annual salary).
• Bike to Work scheme.

The successful applicant must have the pre-existing right to both live and work in the UK.  This is a hybrid role, and you must live in a commutable distance from our Rugby office, as you would be expected to attend the office on regular occasions.

Additional information

Practical Action believes that having a diverse workforce and inclusive workplace culture based on respect will enable us to be an effective organisation. We seek to create an inclusive workplace in which people are accepted as individuals, regardless of their differences and where they feel their contribution is valued.  Practical Action is an equal opportunities employer, and we encourage applications from under-represented groups.

We stay committed to cultivating an inclusive and diverse working environment and believe that people from different backgrounds or cultures give us different perspectives, and the more perspectives we have, the more successful we will be. By building a culture where everyone feels heard, respected, and valued we give everyone working with us the opportunity to achieve their full potential.

Practical Action is committed to safeguarding and protecting children and vulnerable adults and as such candidates will be subject to pre-employment checks including criminal checks and terrorist financing.

Closing date for applications: 5th December 2024.  Please note that should we recruit a suitable candidate before the closing date, we will close applications earlier than the specified date.

If you do not hear from us within four weeks of the closing date, please assume your application has not been successful on this occasion.

HOW TO APPLY

If you want to work for a charity with significant people ambitions, then we would like to hear from you. For more information, please visit our careers page.

To apply please submit a copy of your CV and send us a supporting statement.

This role is being advertised as a Customer Service Advisor however the successful applicant will be employed as a Client Care Coordinator

Join our Award-Winning Contact Centre where clients come first and excellence is standard!

Work in our team as a Client Care Coordinator and be the friendly voice our clients rely on when they need us most! Whether it's over the phone, through a scheduled appointment, or via online chat, you'll be their go-to person, making sure every interaction is smooth and stress-free. You'll be joining a team of over 150 dedicated colleagues across three contact centres. We're all about teamwork and support, so you'll always feel connected and motivated!

Find balance and make an impact—join us with the flexibility of hybrid working!

Enjoy a set two-week rotating schedule with shifts being 8 AM to 4 PM and 10:30 AM to 6:30 PM, plus one Saturday or Sunday shift every two weeks, with a day off during the week. If you're looking for a rewarding career where you can make a real impact, we’d love to hear from you! Successful candidates will start on 13th January and will complete 4 weeks of training (Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm). Ready for the next step? Come join us!

What's in it for You?

In addition to a competitive salary and a supportive work environment, we offer an impressive benefits package that goes beyond the basics: 

• Financial Reward: Competitive salary with opportunities for progression, up to 5% employer pension contribution, and thousands of perks through Blue Light card.
• Health and Wellness: Access to a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme, Doctor Line for over-the-phone GP consultations, and dedicated Mental Health First Aiders.
• Work-Life Balance: Enjoy a flexible schedule, a Birthday Bonus day off, and competitive family-friendly benefits.
• Career Development: Paid training, opportunities for accredited apprenticeship programs, and potential for career progression

Job Title: Design and Quality Manager

Salary: £ 32,000 plus £3,000 London weighting where applicable

Closing Date: Monday 2nd December midday

Reporting to: Head of Programme Development and Quality

Contract: Full time, permanent

Job Location: London / Midlands / North

The role is based from home with travel to the London office for work meetings about twice a month.

Interview date: Tuesday 10th December / Wednesday 11th December

Start date: Monday 17th February (tbc)

About the organisation

We believe that every young person should have the opportunity to fulfil their potential and make the most of their education. We’re passionate about reducing the educational barriers our students face, helping them to pursue a career in their chosen field and follow their dreams.

Our mission is to support students from under-resourced backgrounds to access top universities, through a unique combination of tuition and in-school mentoring. We work with them to make good applications, get the grades and transition to university.

The programme combats educational inequality and improves social mobility by raising students’ grades and supporting them to understand the pathway to a top university. Students who receive support from our programme are almost twice as likely to attend top universities as statistically similar students, according to UCAS.

Safeguarding Statement

The Access Project is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Our safeguarding system is underpinned by a range of policies and procedures which encourage and promote safe working practice across the organisation.

Why work at The Access Project

People who work at The Access Project are motivated by the desire to create a fairer society. We all play an active part in achieving the mission to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds access top universities. At The Access Project, we’re a friendly, collaborative, supportive and inclusive team, with passionate people working together in Delivery, Sales and Partnerships, Strategy, Finance and Operations to achieve our mission.

The vision of our people strategy is to enable and inspire all employees to achieve, grow, succeed and thrive. We regularly have opportunities for people to share their ideas in various working groups, generating strong teamwork across the organisation.

We value every individual who works at The Access Project and we have a wide range of benefits that make this a rewarding place to work. In our last staff engagement survey, 90% said they’re proud to tell people they work at The Access Project.

Our values

Empowerment

We support students and our people to develop the skills and knowledge to accomplish their goals.

Courage

We encourage our students and our people to be authentic, innovative and ambitious in order to reach their full potential and deliver our mission.

Impact

We evolve our programmes through an evidence-led approach, supporting our students to achieve their best outcomes.

Inclusion

We respect and value individuality and engage diverse voices to achieve our mission.

Ownership

We hold ourselves accountable in all our actions and efforts. We ask “What can I do to improve my results?”

About the role

This role is available at an important time for The Access Project as we expand our mission, deliver a new programme model, and move into new school contexts. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with the skills for programme design and improvement, a strong interest in research, and a deep passion for our mission to support students to place and succeed at selective universities.

The ideal candidate will be a strong leader who is comfortable working across teams to make change. You’ll be the lead and expert on The Access Project’s in-school university readiness work with responsibility for designing and quality assuring the provision, supporting the learning and development of our front-line staff to effectively deliver the programme content. This position is integral to ensuring The Access Project is delivering a high-quality programme that supports the needs of our students and drives the outcomes of the programme across all regions and schools. The postholder will bring their knowledge of the HE sector and the experiences of our students to decisions about the direction of our own programme. They will also support further development of our programme-level Diversity and Inclusion work, to ensure that the programme is tailored where feasible to the needs of all students.

Role responsibilities

Design & Development

• Project manage and deliver our programme design process, leading the implementation of an agile, in-year approach to effectively iterate The Access Project’s Accelerate (2-year) programme.
• Lead the development of our self-paced online learning provision, incorporating learning from delivery and best practice from the sector.
• Work with the Head of Programme Development and Quality to incorporate University Access Officer, Programme Leadership, school, and student feedback on how to best drive short-term and long-term outcomes across our programmes.
• Project manage the implementation of changes driven out of programme design. This includes the creation of or changes to delivery resources and training materials, as well as our university readiness framework and the Salesforce system that supports delivery.
• Ensure we continue to update our long-standing Gateway (4-year) programme as part of standalone programme design project.

Research to inform programme design and quality

• Remain critically engaged with the widening participation/social mobility sector, and able to synthesise key changes/challenges and ensure that they are applicable/actionable by the organisation.
• Ensure that any relevant Widening Participate sector developments and trends are fed into The Access Project’s way of working. For example, this might be changes to resources for the programme or working with colleagues to communicate with students (e.g. plans for A Level Results Day).
• Provide nuanced insight about the WP/HE sector, with a coherent view of the landscape and how it’s changing, to enable The Access Project to make informed choices about our programme.

Quality Assurance

• Be responsible for the implementation of the university readiness strand of the quality assurance strategy, to drive the quality of the activities The Access Project delivers to young people in schools.
• Lead on the quality assurance of self-paced learning content, collaborating with Online Delivery colleagues to identify best practice and develop a comprehensive approach.
• Participate in The Access Project’s quality assurance processes, including performing drop-ins on University Access Officers, and coordinating with other members of the team to perform drop-ins in an efficient and effective manner.
• Embed learning from The Access Project’s quality assurance process into our standard practice. This will include training and development for University Access Officers and updates to resources and guidance for what best practice looks like.
• Contribute research on wider pedagogical best practice into our quality assurance work to ensure the highest quality in our delivery of educational programmes.

Student Voice

• Maximise student voice within programme design through varied feedback mechanisms, including the organisation and facilitation of regular student focus groups.
• Lead the development and administration of The Access Project’s annual student survey, considering the needs of key stakeholders across the organisation.
• Lead and develop The Access Project’s overarching student voice strategy.
• Continue to drive improvements in TAP’s student voice work through research and engagement with sector leaders.

Any other duties as required by the Head of Programme Development or Director, Delivery

Person specification

Essential

• Confident leader and collaborator: ability to work positively and collaboratively across functions to drive continuous improvement.
• Strong communicator: demonstrable success at giving feedback and clearly communicating your perspective.
• Strong facilitation skills: an experienced and dynamic, meeting, training and workshop facilitator.
• Excellent time management and organisational skills: and a proactive and creative approach to problem solving.
• Experience of programme design and development: committed to and confident using data to make evidence-based decisions.
• Project management skills and experience, particularly in planning and monitoring.
• Deep knowledge of and passion for youth mentoring.
• Strong understanding of the UK education system and the challenges facing learners from widening participation backgrounds.
• Strong research skills in sector analysis.

Desirable

• Experience of using Salesforce (or another CRM system) as a case/student management system.
• Experience of designing engaging online learning or educational resources.
• Knowledge of Diversity & Inclusion issues related to education and motivation to adapt The Access Project’s programme to make it more inclusive.
• Experience of project/programme evaluation.
• Line management or supervisory experience.

Benefits:

25 days annual leave p.a. (pro rata) plus Bank Holidays and Christmas closure.

PerkBox – offering nationwide shopping discounts, gym memberships, holidays, learning and much more.

Employee Assistance Programme, a 24-hour helpline for staff

Online Medical assistance – access 24/7 to a qualified GP within minutes, with referrals and prescriptions available same-day.

Interest-free travelcard loans

Cyclescheme loans

3 paid Volunteering Days

Employer’s pensions contributions (3%)

CPD options

The Access Project welcomes requests for flexible working arrangements

Equal Opportunities Statement

The Access Project aspires to represent the diversity of communities across the UK at all levels of the organisation and proactively takes steps to support this. We are committed to creating a culture where the experiences and voices of people from marginalised backgrounds are listened to and valued; where their skills are appreciated; and where their talents are nurtured and encouraged.

The Access Project is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from people from all backgrounds. If you believe you have most of the skills to fulfil the role we encourage you to apply. Amongst staff at our organization, there is under-representation of people who are Black, Asian or people from ethnic minority backgrounds, disabled, care-experienced, from low socio-economic backgrounds, and who are LGBTQIA+. We particularly welcome applications from people with lived experience in reference to our mission.

We are proud to be a Level 1 Disability Confident employer. If you require any reasonable adjustments please contact us.

Disclosure of a Criminal Record

The Rehabilitation of Offenders 1974 (Exceptions) (Amendment) Order 1986 applies to posts where there is access to children. This means that applicants for employment that involves working with children and young people must disclose anything listed in their criminal record, with the exception of protected cautions and convictions. All Disclosures are carried out in the strictest confidence and are made only in connection with your application for employment and for no other purpose. The application for a DBS check at a level appropriate to the job role will be activated before your first day of work. Members of staff who are not eligible for a standard or enhanced DBS check are required to undertake a basic DBS check only in line with legal requirements. If you are selected for appointment to the role, you will be subject to this procedure.

Present or most recent employment

It is important to give full information, including the organisation you work in, or most recent employment if not currently working, full dates, address and explanation of any gaps in employment.

References

All appointments are subject to verification of employment and suitability of the candidate for the post applied for. We reserve the right to approach any previous employer for a reference and to verify their identity but will request your permission before doing so. If you have experience of working with children, please include this as one of your references.

Education, Qualifications and Training

Ensure you give all the information requested, including dates, establishment where you studied and make clear the level of any examinations e.g., GCSE, GCE 'O' Level or 'A' Level or equivalents etc. and the grades you obtained. Also include any skills training you have had. You will be required to produce original documentary evidence of any qualifications relevant to the job, and these will be detailed on the person specification.

Proof of qualification is required before the appointment is confirmed.

Public Affairs Officer (Wales) 

£31k, plus 8% pension contribution and home working allowance  

Full time, compressed hours available 

Home based, with frequent travel to Cardiff and the occasional travel within the UK 

Join our inclusive and passionate team as a Public Affairs Officer in Wales and play a pivotal role in shaping political debate towards ending cruelty inflicted on animals in the name of 'sport'. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with strong knowledge of Senedd processes and the Welsh legislative environment. 

As a Public Affairs Officer, you will be at the forefront of securing key campaign goals, including an end to the caged breeding of 'game' birds. Your role will involve monitoring and coordinating relevant Senedd activity, providing strategic advice on political lobbying, and representing the League's policies to the Welsh Government and related bodies. 

Your excellent stakeholder management skills will enable you to build and maintain influential relationships with politicians, their advisers, opinion formers, and policy makers, garnering support for our objectives and activities. Collaborating with internal teams, you will help deliver impactful campaigns that set the standard for improving animal welfare not only in Wales but across the UK.  

Who You Are:  

• Relevant experience in political communications, campaigns, public affairs, or similar 

• Strong knowledge of Senedd processes and the Welsh legislative environment 

• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills 

Why Join Us:  

We understand the importance of a healthy work-life balance, with 28 days of annual leave, plus public holidays we also enjoy flexible working arrangements, including options for compressed hours and remote work from day one. We offer a generous employer contribution of eight percent towards your pension scheme and additionally, our benefits package includes discounts on shopping, electronics, hospitality and leisure. Find out more about working at the League.  

The League Against Cruel Sports is committed to inclusivity and diversity, and we welcome candidates from all backgrounds to apply. We believe that together, we can end animal cruelty in the name of sport. Join us in our purposeful mission to redefine what is acceptable and inspire positive change in animal welfare legislation. 

Ready to make a real difference? Don't wait - apply now! We're looking to fill this position quickly and will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis. To apply, please submit your CV along with a covering letter. Together, we can redefine what is acceptable and create a better world for animals.  

The Vacancy

The Programme Officer will work within the Conflict Advisory Unit (CAU). The CAU provides high-quality advisory and technical support to a range of aid actors across the humanitarian, development and peacebuilding sectors, including donor institutions, UN agencies, international and national NGOs, civil society organisations, financial institutions and the private sector to integrate conflict sensitivity principles and practices into their strategies, policies, and programmes. The CAU runs remote conflict sensitivity/ peace and security helpdesks for donors, implements in-country conflict sensitivity facilities (currently in Afghanistan, South Sudan and Sudan), and undertakes bespoke conflict sensitivity work.  

In additional to the CAU, the Programme Officer will work with country programme teams and other teams across Saferworld to support the uptake of more conflict-sensitive ways of working across diverse conflict-affected contexts and help to promote learning and good practice on adopting conflict-sensitive approaches. This role offers an exciting opportunity to play a pivotal role within a dynamic and enthusiastic team and to work in support of addressing issues that are important for people affected by conflict and the aid sector.  

For more information about the roles and responsibilities, person specification and any other requirements, please refer to the job document.

Saferworld reserves the right to close this vacancy early given sufficient quality applicants. We therefore encourage early applications to avoid missing out.

The Organisation

Saferworld is an international organisation dedicated to conflict prevention and peacebuilding programming, policy and practice. We collaborate with institutions and work directly with partners across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Europe to tackle diverse factors that drive violent conflict, injustice and insecurity. We participate in major global policy debates on peace, justice and security to influence change.

For more information about Saferworld as an organisation, our commitment to diversity and inclusion, safeguarding, interview process or staff benefits, please refer to our website or jobs page.

Over the last few years, NHYC has grown to a team of over 70 staff.  This role will add capacity to our current Admin Team, supporting the organisation with increased demand around finance, admin and resources. You will work as part of a small, yet critical team to ensure the organisation and our services run smoothly.  This role’s specific focus will be to support the Finance and Resources manager with general bookkeeping, analysis of financial information and ensuring compliance of financial procedures. You should be well organised, a great communicator, and experienced in or willing to learn financial procedures. This role does require prior experience in an administrative role.
The role is based at our day centre in Camden. 

• Full-time permanent contract
• Salary £31,200-£34,736
• Deadline: 9am Friday 6th December
  *Please note that we may close earlier if there are a high number of applications

We're looking for a kind, compassionate and resilient person to help and support our clients in their healthcare needs as they rebuild their lives after substance misuse.

You will be responsible for coordinating healthcare services for our male residents undergoing drug and alcohol treatment, including medication management, accessing GP and specialist services, and promoting overall wellbeing. The role involves both administrative and practical tasks, as well as direct involvement in helping residents manage their own healthcare needs alongside supporting their wider recovery and spiritual growth.

Whilst this is not a hands-on nursing role, a background in healthcare would be ideal, along with strong organisational and IT skills, and the ability to work collaboratively with medical professionals, with a commitment to providing high-quality and compassionate care and support.

A committed Christian faith is required to uphold the ethos and values of Yeldall Manor, and to support residents in their spiritual journey. Yeldall Manor is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of its residents, and the successful candidate will be subject to a satisfactory enhanced DBS check. If you are in recovery, you must have a minimum of two years’ clean time.

This is a part-time, permanent position, ideally five mornings a week (8am – 11am and one full day).  For the right candidate, we can be flexible and will consider full-time hours.

If you're excited about this opportunity and feel you have the skills to help support the work we do, we’d love to hear from you. Please submit your CV along with a covering letter explaining your suitability for the role as outlined in the job description.We would like to fill this role as soon as possible so would welcome invitations to apply by Friday 29 November, 2024.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Facilities Coordinator

Are you passionate about creating welcoming, safe, and supportive spaces? Family Futures is seeking a proactive and detail-oriented Facilities Coordinator to help maintain our nurturing, therapeutic environment. As a key part of our team, you'll bring a friendly, can-do attitude, excellent organisational skills, and the flexibility to manage a diverse and busy workload. You will report to the Office Manager and together you'll play an essential role in ensuring our centre runs smoothly. If you’re a people-person with a love for helping others and keeping things running seamlessly, we’d love to hear from you!

At Family Futures our staff are all different as each staff member brings different lived experiences, unique ways of thinking and ideas to the team to provide an excellent service. This is one of our greatest strengths and enhances our agency’s culture. Family Futures actively encourages applications from qualified Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups as they are currently under-represented at our organisation.

We offer excellent staff development opportunities and a highly nurturing environment. We are an equal opportunities employer and committed to creating an inclusive and diverse workforce. We encourage applications from suitably qualified applicants regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.

Family Futures is a menopause friendly employer.

Family Futures is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff to share this commitment. The organisation follows safer recruitment practices to protect children and adults at risk of harm, and will require the successful applicant to undertake a standard DBS disclosure.