Autism Aim Service Manager

Advonet; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 36,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading independent advocacy charity in Leeds is looking for an Autism AIM Service Manager. This senior leadership role involves managing the Autism AIM service, ensuring collaboration with autistic individuals, overseeing projects and budgets, and contributing to strategy development as part of the Senior Leadership Team. Candidates must possess significant management experience, strong leadership skills, and knowledge of autism. This position offers flexible working arrangements and a commitment to advocacy principles.

Benefits

Up to 31 days annual leave, plus bank holidays

Access to a cashback health plan and Employee Support scheme

Flexible working arrangements

Welcoming, inclusive and supportive environment

Qualifications

• Significant experience of managing services, projects, and teams.
• Strong leadership skills, empowering staff and volunteers.
• Experience of working in partnership with service users and stakeholders.
• Knowledge of autism, co‑production, and inclusive service design.
• Experience of managing budgets, funding, and reporting requirements.
• Excellent organisational, communication, and problem‑solving skills.
• A strong commitment to advocacy principles, equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Autism AIM service, staff team, and volunteers.
• Chair and work closely with the AIM Steering Group to ensure autistic voices drive service development.
• Develop and deliver the annual AIM Service Delivery Plan in line with Business Plan.
• Oversee projects, budgets, contracts, and reporting to funders.
• Ensure high standards of quality, safeguarding, data protection, and compliance.
• Build partnerships to improve access, influence services, and promote AIM’s impact.
• Identify funding opportunities and contribute to service development.
• Contribute strategically as a member of the Senior Leadership Team.

Job description

Salary: £35,532.20 FTE (£21,319.32 actual salary)
Hours: 22.5 hours per week
Contract: Permanent
Location: Advonet office at The Unity Business Centre, with flexible working.

About the role

The Autism AIM Service Manager is a senior leadership role within The Advonet Group and a member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). You will lead the Autism AIM service, ensuring it continues to be co‑produced with autistic people and delivers high‑quality, impactful support.

Autism AIM supports autistic adults who may otherwise fall through gaps in services. The service reaches over 1,000 autistic people each year and is recognised nationally.

You will be expected to

• Lead and manage the Autism AIM service, staff team, and volunteers
• Chair and work closely with the AIM Steering Group to ensure autistic voices drive service development
• Develop and deliver the annual AIM Service Delivery Plan in line with Advonet’s Business Plan
• Oversee projects, budgets, contracts, and reporting to funders
• Ensure high standards of quality, safeguarding, data protection, and compliance
• Build and maintain partnerships to improve access, influence services, and promote AIM’s impact
• Identify funding opportunities and contribute to service development and innovation
• Contribute strategically as a member of Advonet’s Senior Leadership Team

Working arrangements

Minimum one day per week in the office, fortnightly attendance at the Chapeltown hub (4.00pm–7.30pm), and occasional evening or weekend meetings.

We are looking for someone who has

• Significant experience of managing services, projects, and teams
• Strong leadership skills, with the ability to empower and support staff and volunteers
• Experience of working in partnership with service users and stakeholders
• Knowledge of autism, co‑production, and inclusive service design
• Experience of managing budgets, funding, and reporting requirements
• Excellent organisational, communication, and problem‑solving skills
• A strong commitment to advocacy principles, equality, diversity, and inclusion

About Us

Established in 1998, The Advonet Group is an independent advocacy charity based in Leeds. The Advonet Group is comprised of statutory and non‑statutory advocacy services and specialist inclusion services (Asking You!, CHANGE and Leeds Autism Aim). All our services support individuals to have their voices heard and their rights upheld.

We are united in our commitment to uphold the nationally recognised advocacy principles and have a diverse staff team of 80 people working within the organisation. We are a disability confident and Mindful Employer with Investors in People and Volunteers and have achieved the Advocacy Quality Performance Mark.

The Advonet Group values and respects the diversity of backgrounds, experiences and knowledge that staff, volunteers and job applicants bring. All our staff undertake mandatory training on both Equality and Diversity and LGBTQ+ Awareness to increase awareness and understanding of discrimination both in and out of the workplace, with a view to reduce the impact this has on our colleagues and the wider community. This creates a workplace where staff feel comfortable to be themselves and empowers them, and our service users, to use their unique experiences to inform their work.

Benefits of working with us

• Up to 31 days annual leave, plus bank holidays
• Access to a cashback health plan and Employee Support scheme
• Flexible working arrangements
• Welcoming, inclusive and supportive environment

Closing date

Wednesday 14th January 2026

Interviews to be held on

Thursday 22nd January 2026

How to apply

To apply for this role please complete The Advonet Group Application Form and Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form, which can be found on the links on this page, along with a detailed job description and person specification (CVs will not be accepted).

Please return applications to [e-mail]. If you would like more information or an informal chat about this post, please call us on 0113 244 0606 and ask to speak to Angela Ellis, our Chief Executive.