Chief Operating Officer

The National Saturday Club, founded by Sir John and Lady Sorrell through The Sorrell Foundation in 2009, plays a crucial and distinctive role in the educational landscape for young people aged 13-16. The charity which is operating UK-wide, has seen significant growth in recent years and we are committed to continuing to expand our programme to reach even more young people.

With this growth comes increased operational and financial complexity necessitating an expansion of our leadership capacity. To support these efforts, we are seeking a full-time Chief Operating Officer to oversee and lead our organisation’s financial and operational functions.

We are looking for someone who will bring strategic vision, dynamism, and an ethos of innovation and creativity. The successful candidate will be a qualified accountant with a track record of achievement at a senior level. You will be an experienced, visible and inspiring leader, championing the difference that strong financial and operational management can make to our front-line activities and sharing our passion for equity in extracurricular educational opportunities for young people.

Since its inception, the National Saturday Club has evolved into a nationwide movement offering free extracurricular education. Our programme places young people at the heart of a vibrant network of world-class professionals from education, the cultural sector and industry, all of whom are dedicated to helping young people achieve their full potential. In recent years we have expanded our network from 74 Saturday Clubs in 2021 to over 100 in 2024, with a target of 140 by 2025-26 and an ambition to reach 180 clubs by 2026-27. To meet the demands of this growth, we have also doubled our staff, with a team of 20 this year. This expansion is made possible by a growing network of funders and supporters who recognise the transformative impact of our work.

This new role of COO will be responsible for finance, data and IT, risk management, legal, HR and culture and premises, including oversight on all operational areas including health and safety, and safeguarding You will also provide focused financial and operational long-term planning, strategic leadership and, as we grow, cultivate a culture that reflects our values and is rooted in equity, diversity and inclusion.

The postholder must provide outstanding strategic leadership in the areas of financial sustainability and operational process: to support the staff team and the organisation to deliver on its ambitious growth strategy; to meet the expectations and needs of its beneficiaries, partners and funders; and to ensure the organisation’s approaches and processes support the delivery of the programme and facilitate the engagement of the external network of educators and partners across the UK.

Recruitment timings

• Application deadline: Sunday 7th July
• Shortlisting: approx. 10th July
• NSC panel interviews: 17th and 19th July
• Final meetings/offer made: week of 22nd July

We are proud to partner exclusively with Allen Lane on the recruitment of this critical post. For further information, please see our dedicated candidate pack here.

To apply please send your CV and cover letter to saturday-club@allenlane.co.uk. For an informal conversation about the role please contact Bryony Thomas at BryonyThomas@allenlane.co.uk or on 07921334625.