Director of Operations

Director of Operations with National Landscapes Association

Charity People is delighted to be partnering with the National Landscapes Association to recruit for their next Director of Operations.

The National Landscapes Association is a national charity supporting the family of 38 National Landscapes across England and Wales and working closely with Landscapes NI. Its vision is of beautiful landscapes where nature and people thrive together championing and supporting some of the UKs most outstanding landscapes so they can be protected restored and enjoyed by everyone.

This is an exciting moment to join the Association. Over the past five years it has grown from around four full-time equivalent staff and a budget of approximately 400000 to more than 30 staff and a budget exceeding 10 million. With that growth has come greater operational complexity and the Association is now looking for an experienced Director of Operations to strengthen the systems processes and organisational foundations that will enable it to thrive into the future.

Role: Director of Operations
Salary: 70000 plus 10% non-contributory pension
Contract: Permanent Full Time 37 hours per week part-time considered
Location: Homeworking with some travel
Reports to: Chief Executive
Closing date: Friday 2^nd October 2026
Interviews: First stage (online) - Monday 19th October 2026

Final stage (in person) - Friday 23rd October 2026

About the Role

This is a pivotal senior leadership position with responsibility for ensuring the Association operates legally effectively and efficiently.

Working closely with the Chief Executive Leadership Team and Board of Trustees youll provide organisational assurance while helping translate ambition into clear plans robust systems and effective delivery. Youll strengthen operational frameworks spanning finance HR IT governance risk contracts and programme delivery while creating proportionate processes that enable rather than hinder colleagues.

Importantly this isnt simply a compliance role. Youll help shape an ambitious inclusive and high-performing organisation creating the conditions for people and teams to do meaningful work while ensuring accountability resilience and good decision-making.

Key responsibilities include:

• Providing senior operational leadership and assurance across the organisation
• Working with the Chief Executive and Trustees to turn organisational ambitions into realistic plans clear priorities and accountable delivery
• Directly managing and supporting the Head of Finance and Head of Corporate Services
• Strengthening systems and processes across HR IT finance CRM procurement contracts and internal reporting
• Developing governance compliance and risk management arrangements
• Ensuring grant funding partnership and contractual obligations are understood monitored and reported effectively
• Overseeing organisational performance business continuity and resilience
• Providing clear reporting on operational performance compliance financial exposure and organisational risk
• Supporting an inclusive high-trust and high-performing organisational culture

About You

Were looking for an accomplished operational leader who can combine strategic thinking and professional rigour with a practical collaborative and people-centred approach.

Youll bring:

• Significant experience in organisational review and change management.
• Experience in organisational leadership business management corporate services or service delivery.
• Strong knowledge of governance compliance risk management and organisational assurance.
• Experience improving organisational systems processes and controls across areas such as HR IT finance procurement contracts or information management.
• Experience leading and supporting senior colleagues and providing constructive challenge.
• Sound judgement and the confidence to interpret complex information assess risk and make clear recommendations
• Excellent planning prioritisation and delivery skills
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills with the ability to bring people with you through change
• A leadership style combining rigour with warmth humility and resilience
• A strong commitment to fairness inclusion wellbeing and a values-led culture

Experience within the charity environmental public grant-funded membership or wider mission-led sectors is beneficial. Experience of property or premises external funders or implementing and improving CRM digital finance HR or operational management systems would also be valuable.

Why Join the National Landscapes Association

This is a rare opportunity to help shape the next chapter of a rapidly growing national charity with an important mission.

The Associations work ranges from influencing government and securing investment to major nature recovery programmes arts and engagement initiatives climate adaptation biodiversity and leadership development.

As Director of Operations youll be strengthening the organisation behind this work ensuring its growing ambition is supported by the systems culture and organisational resilience needed to deliver lasting impact for people places and nature.

If youre an experienced Director of Operations Head of Operations Director of Corporate Services or senior operational leader looking for an opportunity to combine purpose with organisational transformation wed love to hear from you.

Charity People is a forward thinking inclusive organisation that actively and deliberately promotes equity diversity and inclusion. We know organisations thrive when inclusion is at the forefront. We evidence our commitment by matching charity needs with the skills and experience of candidates irrespective of background e.g. age disability (including hidden disabilities) gender gender identity or gender reassignment marriage and civil partnership pregnancy and maternity race religion or belief or sexual orientation. We do this because we believe that greater diversity leads to greater results for the charities we work with