Director of Operations

Job title: Operations Director

Responsible to: Chief Executive Officer

Responsible for: Clinical Lead Head of Services Finance Manager HR Business Partner Research Manager

Salary:(dependent on skills & experience) plus access to pension scheme with an employer contribution of 4%

Hours of work: Full time (35 hours per week)

Annual leave: 30 days 8 bank holidays per year

Location: Home or office (Bristol) or hybrid Facetoface meetings are required which means you will need to travel to meetings including quarterly management meetings in Bristol

Closing date:4th June midday

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) is a longterm (chronic) fluctuating neurological disease that causes symptoms affecting many body systems more commonly the nervous and immune systems. The lifechanging symptoms experienced by people with ME are being mirrored by more than half of those with long Covid. This could mean around 1.3m people are living with ME or MElike symptoms in the UK.

Action for M.E. is the only charity in the UK providing direct support including healthcare services to children and adults with M.E. We provide vital support services campaign for change and invest in groundbreaking research to help put an end to the ignorance injustice and neglect experienced by people with ME.

We are seeking a dynamic strategic and highly organised leader with senior management experience and a passion for supporting people with longterm health conditions like ME.

As Operations Director you will play a pivotal role in the leadership and strategic direction of the organisation. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive you will oversee the charitys operational functions ensuring efficiency sustainability and growth as well as leading our Healthcare Services.

You will work closely with the senior leadership team to drive organisational performance optimise processes and enhance service delivery to take action with impact to better support individuals living with ME.

Job purpose

This is an exciting time to join Action for ME. With developments in research and policy alongside delivering services which are in high demand you will enjoy working in a fastpaced and continually changing environment.

You will be responsible for overseeing operational programme design and delivery reporting of progress and measuring the impact of all Action for ME work to improve the lives of people affected by ME. Better meeting their needs today while taking action to secure change for tomorrow.

You will also assist the Chief Executive in implementing the organisational strategy and by adapting and evolving delivery models on the ground.

As you will have operational management and oversight for our Healthcare Services and hold the Designated Safeguarding Lead role for the organisation you will bring considerable servicesrelated experience at a management and leadership level.

The Chief Executive will focus predominately on external matters and therefore you must have experience of managing an organisation to achieve high quality programmes with evidenced impact and motivated teams. You will act for the Chief Executive on topics as agreed and deputise during their absence.

Key duties

1. Leadership

• Ensure that children and adults with ME are at the heart of everything we do through meaningful engagement and participation to influence all aspects of our work.

• Deputise for the CEO and represent and promote the Charity at national meetings and events.

• Deputise for the CEO during periods of absence and in relation to specific matters issues or elements of operation as delegated from time to time by the CEO ensuring a consistency of approach and decisions aligned with the organisations objectives.

• With the CEO and HR Business Partner lead on implementing the People and Culture Strategy and ensuring our Equity Diversity Inclusion and Belonging plan is achieved.

• To provide support leadership and coaching to the Management Team to ensure the smooth running of the organisation and development of the Charity.

• Contribute to the development of the overall strategy for Action for ME ensuring that the best use is made of available resources within agreed priorities. Ensure that agreed strategy is delivered to target and in line with agreed budgets.

• Work closely with the Chief Executive and Trustees to ensure effective reporting to the Board and subcommittees.

2. Operations & management

• Manage the daytoday operations of the Charity ensuring high quality service provision that meets all best practice legal and regulatory frameworks and internal policies and procedures.

• Hold overall management responsibility for our Healthcare Services including the role of the CQC Nominated Individual ensuring all regulatory requirements and compliance are met.

• Manage the staff and volunteer team including holding regular meetings and ensure the efficient running of the office ensuring a culture that supports inspires and motivates the team while ensuring required standards and quality are met at all times through effective performance management.

• Act as the organisational Designated Safeguarding Lead (children and vulnerable adults) working closely with the Designated Safeguarding Officers colleagues and the Safeguarding Lead Trustee; facilitate the annual safeguarding audit (led by the Lead Trustee) and ensuring safeguarding standards across the organisation are maintained.

• Contribute to the learning and development of key personnel including coaching support (either directly or through the identification of external coaches) to enhance performance.

• Establish (where not already in place) and maintain a clear performance outcomefocused management system driving positive change and improvement across all teams.

• Ensure that policies and procedures are effectively implemented and kept uptodate to enable the effective management of operations and support growth.

• Take the lead role for data protection health and safety compliance and risk management across the organisation and act as the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

3. Finance & income generation

• Hold financial leadership responsibility working closely with the Finance Manager and the Fundraising Director to ensure sustainability for our work.

• Ensure effective financial management with procedures in place which are kept uptodate and implemented accordingly.

• Provide support and engagement where appropriate to actively grow our income.

4. Working with others

• Lead nurture and develop relationships with key stakeholder groups and partner organisations both locally and nationally supporting Action for M.s place as the go to organisation for people affected by ME.

• Lead on new business ideas and pilot projects in line with the strategic objectives; with colleagues develop the business case identify and manage risks lead implementation across teams evaluate success and learning and make recommendations for future development.
  

5. Other key accountabilities

• Be proactive in keeping up to date with developments affecting operations and maintain and improve personal competence through continuous professional development.

• Take direction on projects and priorities from the CEO which may vary from time to time.

• To ensure best value in all service delivery.

Person specification

Experience & knowledge

• Proven experience in an operations leadership or senior management role ideally within the charity service delivery or healthcare sector with the ability to develop and implement strategic plans that drive organisational growth and reporting that demonstrates impact delivered. If you come from outside a support services background you must demonstrate sound understanding of the regulatory and best practice requirements related to delivering support and/or healthcare services.

• An understanding of ME and associated/overlapping illnesses the impact on people affected by it or a commitment and ability to understand the illness and lead services to meet the needs of children and adults with ME

• Experience managing multidisciplinary teams including remote workers and fostering a supportive workplace culture where change is a constant.

• Safeguarding understanding at a management/decisionmaking level.

• Proven experience of building and nurturing strong relationships internally and externally at all levels.

• A sound understanding of outcomefocused effective performance management quality assurance and risk management.

• Strong financial acumen including budgeting financial planning and resource management in the voluntary sector.

Skills and behaviours

• Experience of governance risk management and compliance including within regulated services ideally within a charity and/or service delivery setting.

• Proven ability to think strategically balance competing demands use initiative to solve problems and actively seek innovative approaches to problem solving and delivering results.

• Strong interpersonal skills including motivational negotiating influencing and networking skills which build strong internal and external relationships.

• An ability to understand analyse and make effective use of data across all of our work.

• A proven ability to coach and motivate staff and to build and lead teams reflecting organisational culture and values a respectful constructive and energetic style.

• Proven strong MS Office skills that supports writing email internet and database use.

• Demonstrable ability to work within our organisational values

How to apply

Please click on the apply button below to submit your application. Along with your CV your cover letter should in no more than two A4 pages explain your reason(s) for applying for this role and how you fit all aspects of the person specification set out above and in the job pack.

Strong applicants will list each person specification bullet point related to experience skills and behaviours and provide evidence of how they meet each of these criteria.

Should you have any questions about the role or require any reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process please dont hesitate to email the recruitment team for this role.