Head of Youth Operations

Job Description: Head of HR and Operations

Salary: £55k-£60k pa (£63k-£69k pa including London weighting)

Location: London, Liverpool or Newcastle, with travel and some hybrid working

Reports to: Chief Operating Officer and CEO

Overview of role

James’ Place is a charity which offers clinical service to men in suicidal crisis. The charity is undertaking a programme of expansion, opening three new centres across England to support men in suicidal crisis.

This newly created role is a senior role within the charity and will be a key member of the Senior Management Team (SMT). It presents an exciting opportunity to join a growing and fast-moving organisation and make an important contribution to its success.

The successful candidate will be expected to develop and implement an HR and people strategy, focus on organisational development, influence and develop our culture, values and behaviours and strengthen the charity’s overall HR and operations policies and practice.

Operations are currently managed across the charity in clinical settings. This new role will be pivotal in creating a new administration team to drive effectiveness and performance across the charity.

Priorities will include:

• Developing and leading the implementation of a best practice HR and people strategy that will motivate and support all our staff and promote cross charity support, teamwork and collective accountability for our success.
• Working with the CEO and COO to oversee an organisational development programme, considering expansion and clinical delivery, addressing our ambitious and ongoing plans for growth over the next three years.
• Advising the SMT on all HR and people matters and contribute more widely to the overall success of the charity. 
• Ensuring the Charity remains compliant with all employment legislation and maintains good operational practices.
• Coordinating operations functions across the charity including centre operations, office management and IT.
• Leading on the delivery of and acting as an internal champion and role model for, excellence in HR and operations, and ensuring that the team understand and implement all relevant procedures, and the systems are in place to support delivery.

Key responsibilities

HR and People Strategy

• Review the charity’s current HR and people policies and practices.  
• Based on our mission and three-year business plan, develop and implement detailed and robust objectives and plans to enhance these policies and practices to facilitate the 2 commitment, engagement, collective responsibility and overall performance of all charity staff across each of our centres.

Recruitment and retention

• Enhance and develop recruitment and retention processes to ensure we attract and retain a diverse and talented team of professionals to realise our ambitious business and expansion plans.
• Work with the administration team to ensure the effective implementation of these processes across all teams.

Culture and wellbeing

• Lead on a programme of organisational development to support the wider team in expanding our service and deliver our work to the highest level of excellence.
• Work both to facilitate a supportive and inclusive culture and to drive the expectation of employees to take collective ownership of achieving our overall vision as a team.
• Manage and prioritise wellbeing initiatives realistically with the resources available to the charity.

Training and Development

• Provide the appropriate personal, professional, and mandatory training whilst at the same time delivering our organisational objectives and focus on expansion.
• Work with the Senior Management Team to oversee a programme of training and continuing professional development.
• Support the Clinical Lead to roll out an appropriate programme of suicide prevention and bereavement training across the charity.
• Deliver effective training and development opportunities that are within the financial constraints of the charity. This should include exploring possibilities of working with other partners and making use of ‘readily available’ materials and expertise.

Growing for the Future

Support the Senior Management Team and staff through a period of significant growth, as the charity doubles its workforce over the next three years.

Develop practises to help the expanding charity retain a professional and purpose focussed culture in line with our vision and values.

Operations coordination

• Coordinate and develop centre and cross charity operations working with Centre Mangers to ensure good practice, efficiency and control.
• Lead on relationships with IT providers to ensure the charity receives good service and value for money.
• Work with the Expansion Programme Manager to ensure operations are well set up for each new centre. 

Resources

Some administrative support will be available for the role, however, there will be the need to perform certain ‘hands on tasks’ and carry out administrative functions.

Reporting Line

The incumbent will report to the COO with a strong dotted line to the CEO. They will also engage directly with other members of the Senior Management team and other colleagues in the charity.

Working Hours

The role will be full time (with consideration given to candidates who wish to work 80% hours). The role will be predominantly delivered in one of the charity’s centres (in London, Liverpool or Newcastle, with some remote working, and regular attendance (c 1-2 days per month) in each centre.

The role and responsibilities may change as requirements of the charity change and new responsibilities are identified. These will be discussed with the incumbent and any required changes to working hours agreed by mutual consent between the incumbent and Charity.

Candidate Requirements

The principal part of the role and priority will initially be HR and people management, but the incumbent will be expected to also assume operations responsibilities. While the incumbent will ideally have some experience of working in and managing operations functions, experience of delivering HR programmes is the priority.

Essential:

• CIPD qualification level 5 or equivalent
• Experience of working with SMT/Borad and developing and implementing People and HR strategies.
• Minimum of eight to ten years HR experience covering all principal HR and people functions/responsibilities
• Hands on experience of all HR day to day responsibilities including recruitment, performance management, maintaining HR database, training and development, policy and procedure development

Desirable  

• Knowledge of IT systems and infrastructure and experience of managing outsourced service providers
• Experience of managing a payroll and all the requisite laws, controls and systems
• Experience in office and premises management
• Familiarity with budgeting and financial planning
• Charity sector experience (this is highly desirable)

You must hold the relevant qualification to be considered for this role.

Any job offers made are subject to the receipt of two relevant satisfactory employment references. We expect this to include one from your most recent or current employer. Any job offers made are also subject to a satisfactory DBS check and a Right to Work in the UK check.  

James’ Place is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community. Our aim is that no job applicant, temporary worker or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender and transgender status, race and ethnicity, religion and belief (including no belief), marriage or civil partnership status or sexual orientation.

If you have a disability which means you'd benefit from any adjustments to the interview process to help you perform at your best, please do let us know.

How to apply

Closing date for applications is 26th January 2024.

Interviews are likely to be held in weeks commencing 5 th February 2024.

To apply, please submit your CV with cover letter explaining why you are applying for this role to, deatils of where to send this are on our webiste. It is important to demonstrate you have the knowledge, skills and experience we are looking for in your CV and cover letter. Please keep your cover letter to less than 2 sides of A4.