Associate Director Charity Services

Royal Air Forces Association; Leicester Forest East; On-site; GBP 69,000 - 97,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary £81,200 per year

A 42 days annual leave (incl. Bank Hol

Life assurance

RAFA membership

Credit Union membership

Salary sacrifice car scheme

Health cashback plan and virtual GP

Mental health and wellbeing support

Discounted gym membership

Cycle to Work Scheme

Subsidised short breaks at RAFA accom.

37.5-hour working week

Senior leadership role with strategic,

Opportunity to shape nationally-deliv.

Board-level exposure and executive决

Job summary

Royal Air Forces Association in the United Kingdom seeks a senior leader to oversee welfare, wellbeing and community-based support services across the organisation. You will shape strategy, lead large teams, manage budgets and ensure safeguarding and service improvement are central to delivery.

You will influence policy at board level, drive performance metrics, nurture external partnerships and champion innovative, impactful programmes that improve outcomes for beneficiaries.

Qualifications

• Substantial senior leadership experience in welfare, wellbeing or related service environments.
• Demonstrated track record leading large teams and delivering organisational change.
• Experience developing service delivery strategies focused on positive outcomes.
• Strong project and programme leadership across multiple workstreams.
• Expertise in performance management, service improvement and impact measurement.
• Experience managing substantial budgets (ideally > £2m).
• Excellent stakeholder management and senior-level partnership building.
• Analytical decision-making using research, insight and data.
• Passion for social impact and improving outcomes.
• Experience in charity or not-for-profit environment desirable but not essential.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for welfare, wellbeing and community-based support services.
• Lead and develop high-performing teams with accountability and collaboration.
• Oversee design and delivery of personalised support services with outcomes.
• Lead safeguarding across service delivery, governance and risk.
• Develop performance and impact measurement frameworks.
• Champion innovation and service integration to enhance beneficiary outcomes.
• Build and maintain relationships with external partners and networks.
• Contribute to organisational strategy as a member of Senior Leadership Team.
• Manage significant operational budgets and resource deployment.

Skills

Senior leadership

Team leadership

Stakeholder management

Data-driven decision making

Budget management

Job description

About Our Client

The Royal Air Forces Association is a well-established national charity with a significant presence across the UK, dedicated to delivering practical support, welfare services and wellbeing initiatives to a large beneficiary community. The organisation combines direct support, volunteer-led services and strategic partnerships to create meaningful, long-term impact, and is embarking on an ambitious phase of service development and continuous improvement.

Job Description

• Provide strategic leadership for welfare, wellbeing and community-based support services.
• Lead and develop high-performing teams, creating a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Oversee the design, delivery and ongoing enhancement of personalised support services, ensuring exceptional service outcomes.
• Act as the organisational lead for safeguarding across service delivery, governance and risk management.
• Develop robust performance and impact measurement frameworks, ensuring decisions are driven by insight, evidence and high-quality data.
• Champion innovation, service integration and best practice to enhance beneficiary outcomes.
• Build and maintain influential relationships with external partners, stakeholders and strategic networks.
• Contribute to wider organisational strategy, governance and leadership as a member of the Senior Leadership Team.
• Manage significant operational budgets and ensure the effective deployment of resources

The Successful Applicant

• The successful candidate will bring substantial senior leadership experience within welfare, wellbeing, volunteering, social impact or related service environments.You will be able to demonstrate:
• A track record of leading large, high-performing teams and delivering organisational change.
• Experience developing and implementing service delivery strategies focused on positive outcomes.
• Strong project and programme leadership skills, managing multiple workstreams simultaneously.
• Expertise in performance management, service improvement and impact measurement.
• Experience managing substantial budgets, ideally in excess of £2m.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to build partnerships at senior levels.
• Strong analytical and decision-making capabilities, using research, insight and data to drive improvement.
• A passion for delivering meaningful social impact and improving outcomes for service users.
• Experience gained within a charity, not-for-profit or social enterprise environment would be advantageous but is not essential

What's on Offer

• A salary of £81,200
• Up to 42 days' annual leave (including Bank Holidays)
• Life assurance
• RAFA membership
• Credit Union membership
• Salary sacrifice car scheme
• Health cashback plan and free virtual GP service
• Mental health and wellbeing support
• Discounted gym membership
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Subsidised short breaks at selected RAFA accommodation
• 37.5-hour working week
• Senior leadership position with strategic influence across the organisation
• Opportunity to shape and develop nationally delivered welfare and wellbeing services
• Exposure to board-level and executive decision-making
• Opportunity to lead organisational transformation and service innovation programmes
• Clear opportunity to make a measurable impact on beneficiary outcomes
• Long-term career development within a complex, purpose-driven organisation

We are committed to creating an inclusive environment. As an inclusive recruiter we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities and experiences. If you require any adjustments or accommodations during the recruitment process, we'll work with you to ensure you can perform at your best