Head of Operations

Royal College of Nursing; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 82,000 - 93,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading trade union for nursing professionals is seeking a Head of Operations. In this key leadership role, you will support teams, manage service delivery, and innovate strategies to grow membership. The ideal candidate will have strong leadership skills, knowledge of nursing and healthcare, and a commitment to promoting equity and diversity in the workplace. This position offers flexible and hybrid working arrangements along with a broad range of benefits.

Benefits

Annual leave up to 32 days

Generous parental leave packages

Competitive pay structure

Flexible working hours

Award-winning health and wellbeing programme

Qualifications

• Experienced manager with knowledge of health and social care issues.
• Ability to promote trade union values and worker rights.
• Proven capability to oversee team development.

Responsibilities

• Support local teams and promote integrated working.
• Manage overall service delivery and member support.
• Innovate to grow membership and lead recruitment efforts.

Skills

Strong leadership skills

Knowledge of contemporary nursing

Excellent communication skills

Ability to foster professional relationships

Commitment to equity and diversity

Job description

Trade Union | RCN Bolton Office with hybrid working | £82,026

Contract type: Permanent

Head of Operations, RCN England, North West Region, 35 hours, Permanent, Salary range £82,026 - £92,094 per annum.

We’re a trade union with a membership of over half a million nurses, midwives, nursing support workers and students. We support their practice, represent them, lobby on their behalf, and develop them. Our employees are drawn from many walks of life – we are nurses, marketers and communicators, administrators, IT professionals, policy and finance experts, lawyers… together we are so much more.

As our Head of Operations for our North West Regional team, you’ll use your enthusiasm, positive thinking, and your management skills to support our local team. You will promote integrated working between the professional and trade union elements of RCN work and liaising and working with other RCN staff and departments as appropriate.

As the Head of Operations, you will be a key member of the regional management team and key to managing the overall service delivery of the region and ensuring the effective provision of advice, support and representation to RCN members. An inclusive leader, you’ll role model RCN values and ensure the region works to challenge the discrimination our members experience in the workplace.

You’ll be responsible for the line management of Senior RCN Officers and overseeing the work and development for RCN reps and activists in the region. The regional management team lead on member and activist recruitment and retention.

Every day will be filled with possibilities as you find new ways to manage and support the development of your team. Taking care of our members will be your primary role, but you’ll also see the possibilities that new members can bring. A key part of what you do will be to suggest innovative approaches to grow our membership.

An experienced manager, you will need knowledge of contemporary nursing, health & social care issues as well as knowledge of best practice in relation to employment practices, equality and diversity, human rights and equal opportunities.

The ability to foster strong professional relationships and encourage close collaboration between departments is at the heart of this leadership role.

A commitment to trade union values and worker rights is essential, as is a strong personal commitment to promoting and embedding equity, diversity and inclusion.

What we offer you

We expect you to look after our members. And we expect you to be rewarded for it. We offer an impressive range of benefits, a broad range of learning development opportunities and an award-winning health and wellbeing programme.

• Annual leave up to 32 days plus bank holidays and three additional days for the Christmas break
• Generous maternity, adoption, paternity, and shared parental leave packages
• A competitive pay structure with annual pay progression until you reach the top of the salary scale
• Flexible working enabling you to deliver results whilst having a good work life balance
• Hybrid working model allows for up to 60% of your working time to be carried out from home

Our selection process

Please submit a CV and answer the supporting questions online demonstrating how you meet the criteria for this role.

We want your experience applying for a job with us to be the best it can be. We may hold our interviews and assessments in person or by video call.

Equal opportunities for everyone

Equity, diversity and inclusion are a priority for us and we aim to foster an inclusive environment so our people can bring their authentic selves to work.

We are a proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme and actively encourage applications from people with disabilities.

Contact details

[e-mail]

selection dates:

• Assessment Centre for shortlisted candidates (to be held in Bolton) – 24 October 2025
• Interviews for candidates successful at Assessment (to be held in Bolton) – 7 November 2025