Head of Operations

Head of Operations Location: Norton, Stockton-on-Tees Salary: £45,000 per annum (pro rata) Hours: 30 hours per week Contract: Permanent
Shape the Future of a Growing Organisation
We are seeking an experienced and strategic Head of Operations to join a well-established, values-driven organisation delivering vital services across the North East. This is a unique opportunity to take ownership of a broad operational remit, providing leadership across facilities, infrastructure, health and safety, compliance, risk, procurement, IT, data protection and business continuity. Working as part of the Senior Leadership Team, you will play a key role in ensuring the organisation has the systems, processes and operational foundations required to support its continued growth and success. If you enjoy combining strategic thinking with practical problem-solving and thrive in a role where no two days are the same, we'd love to hear from you.
The Role Reporting into the Chief Executive Officer and working closely with senior leaders across the organisation, you will:

• Provide strategic oversight of operational services and infrastructure
• Lead on organisational compliance, governance, risk and assurance activities
• Ensure robust health and safety processes are in place across multiple sites
• Oversee facilities, premises and infrastructure management
• Manage procurement activity, supplier relationships and key contracts
• Lead business continuity planning and organisational resilience initiatives
• Support outsourced IT services, cybersecurity and data protection compliance
• Drive operational improvement projects and organisational change initiatives
• Work closely with senior stakeholders to identify risks and opportunities
• Provide leadership, direction and support to the Operations Manager

This is a newly created role that will offer significant opportunity to influence how operational functions are developed and embedded across the organisation.
About You We're looking for an experienced operational leader who can confidently operate at both strategic and operational levels. You'll likely have experience in:

• Senior operations, corporate services, facilities or estates leadership
• Health & safety, risk management and compliance
• Governance, audit and organisational assurance
• Multi-site operations and infrastructure management
• Procurement, supplier and contract management
• Business continuity planning
• Data protection and information governance
• Leading teams and developing managers
• Delivering operational improvements and organisational change

Working Arrangements This is a predominantly site-based role. The successful candidate will be primarily based at the organisation's Stockton site, with regular travel required to additional locations in Teesside/Tyneside. As this is a newly created position, there will be a significant period of onboarding, relationship building and operational handover. The successful candidate will work closely with the existing Operations Manager and wider leadership team, making a visible on-site presence essential. Whilst there may be scope for occasional ad hoc home working once established in post, the expectation is that this role will remain predominantly office and site-based due to the nature of its responsibilities.
Why Apply? This opportunity offers:

• A broad and varied senior leadership position
• The opportunity to influence organisational strategy and decision-making
• Significant autonomy and ownership
• Exposure to a wide range of operational disciplines
• The chance to lead meaningful improvement projects
• A collaborative and values-led working environment
• Flexibility through a part-time senior leadership opportunity

Interested? If you're an experienced operational leader looking for a role where you can genuinely make a difference while helping shape the future of a growing organisation, we would welcome your application. To find out more, please get in touch for a confidential discussion.
#4823902 - Katie Craig