Head of Operations

Solace Women's Aid; London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking organization dedicated to ending gender-based violence as the Head of Operations. This role offers a unique opportunity to lead a portfolio of services, ensuring quality and compliance while contributing to strategic planning. Ideal for an experienced leader passionate about making a positive impact, you will work alongside a committed team to empower survivors and drive meaningful change. If you thrive in a dynamic environment and are eager to support an intersectional feminist mission, this position is perfect for you.

Benefits

Generous holiday entitlement

Employer pension contribution

Family-friendly leave and enhanced maternity pay

Access to Inclusion Networks

Daily clinical debriefing

Employee Assistance Programme

Employee Benefits Platform

Flow & Restore yoga classes

Meditation sessions

Cycle to Work Scheme

Qualifications

• Experience in leading teams and managing complex issues.
• In-depth understanding of gender-based violence and its impacts.

Responsibilities

• Lead the operational senior leadership team and ensure service quality.
• Support service managers and contribute to strategic planning.

Skills

Leadership

Understanding of VAWG

Risk Management

Interpersonal Skills

Education

Relevant Degree or Equivalent Experience

Job description

Hours: 37.5 per week (participation in on call rota once every 7 weeks)

Contract: Permanent

Closing Date: 23 May 2025

(please note succcessful candidates are usually appointed at the bottom of relvant band)

Are you looking for a rewarding role working for an intersectional feminist organisation? If so, we have an incredible opportunity for you to join our team as Head of Operations at Solace.

We exist to end the harm done through gender-based violence. Our aim is to work to prevent violence and abuse, as well as providing services to meet the individual needs of survivors, particularly women and children. Our work is holistic and empowering, working alongside survivors to achieve independent lives, free from abuse.

Our core values reflect our history and were developed in consultation with staff and service users. Feminism and intersectionality are key to our work and we are committed to the principles of being survivor-led, trauma-informed, empowering, diverse, anti-racist and anti-discriminatory.

About the Role

This role is part of the operational senior leadership team. You will lead on a portfolio of services, providing effective leadership and support to service managers who report into you. You will have a key role in ensuring quality of service, contractual and financial compliance. As well as operational leadership you will have input into organisation wide strategic planning, service development and decision making.

About You

We are looking for an experienced leader with an excellent track record of quality service provision. You will have an in depth understanding of the impact and causes of different forms of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). Our ideal candidate will be someone who can effectively hold and manage complex issues, is comfortable with assessment and management of risk. You will be an adaptable and effective team player who is able to switch tasks and lead on areas of work they may not always have prior experience of. Key to Solace’s success are being able to build effective relationships with others including those who fund and commission our work and partners whom we work with to deliver high quality services.

We understand that you may not have all the knowledge, experience, and skills mentioned in the Job Profile Document. However, your interpersonal skills, passion to have a positive impact, commitment to our purpose, and ability to learn quickly and collaborate effectively will be equally important. If you wish to learn more about the role or if you are unsure about whether to apply, we encourage you to contact our People and Culture team at [e-mail] .

What we can offer you

We provide a comprehensive benefits package to all our employees, including:

• Focus on learning and development (internal career progression and training)
• Generous holiday entitlement
• Employer pension contribution
• Family-friendly leave and enhanced maternity pay
• Access to Inclusion Networks
• Daily clinical debriefing
• Employee Assistance Programme providing free 24/7 support and advice
• Employee Benefits Platform offering staff discounts, benefits and savings
• Flow & Restore yoga classes
• Meditation sessions
• Cycle to Work Scheme

How to apply

Please submit your CV and Supporting Statement through the recruitment portal. When applying for this role, kindly highlight in your Supporting Statement how your values, knowledge, transferrable skills, and experience align with each point within the following sections of the Job Profile Document:

• Knowledge, Experience and Skills

Solace Women's Aid values diversity, promotes equity, and challenges discrimination. We encourage and welcome applications from candidates of diverse cultures, abilities, perspectives, and lived experiences. We have policies and processes in place to ensure that all employees are offered an equal opportunity in recruitment and selection, promotion, training, pay, and benefits. Our Inclusion Networks support staff with protected characteristics and offer inclusive spaces to connect.

We are a Disability Confident Employer and committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. We anticipate and provide reasonable adjustments as needed and support employees who acquire a disability or long-term health condition, enabling them to stay in work. If you require any support to apply for this role, please email us at [e-mail].

This service is run by women for women and is therefore restricted to female applicants under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, and Part 1. Section 7(2) e of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 apply. The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.

As part of safer recruitment practices, we carry out pre-employment checks including references, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and right to work in the UK checks.