Operations Manager

Spider Web Recruitment Ltd; Ipswich; On-site; GBP 33,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading charity in Suffolk seeks an Operations Manager / Department Lead to oversee service delivery teams and manage operations across the East of England. The ideal candidate will have an undergraduate degree in a relevant field and at least five years of management experience. Strong leadership, safeguarding knowledge, and a trauma-informed approach are essential. A competitive salary of £33,000 – £40,000 per annum and excellent benefits are offered.

Benefits

Competitive salary

25 days annual leave plus birthday off

Pension scheme and health cover

Additional wellbeing benefits

Qualifications

• Minimum of five years' experience in service or operations management.
• Ability to work independently and drive operational improvements.
• Excellent IT skills and advanced organizational ability.
• Full, clean driving license required.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Service Delivery Department and oversee teams.
• Coordinate service delivery across East Anglia.
• Act as a safeguarding lead and oversee risk management.
• Manage case allocation and maintain service quality.
• Foster strong relationships with partners and agencies.
• Drive departmental performance through strategic planning.

Skills

Strong safeguarding knowledge

Excellent leadership skills

Communication skills

Data analysis skills

Budget management skills

Empathy and professionalism

Education

Undergraduate degree in Counselling, Psychotherapy, Psychology, Mental Health, or Social Care

Job description

Overview

Operations Manager / Department Lead – Do you want to be part of a transformative organisation that truly changes the lives of survivors?

Spider is advertising on behalf of our client who are seeking a dedicated, skilled, and compassionate Operations Manager / Department Lead to work alongside the Strategic Lead and CEO, overseeing service delivery teams in Ipswich and managing operations across the East of England.

About them:

Our client is a leading Suffolk-based charity that provides specialist support, advocacy, and resources for survivors of sexual violence. Grounded in trauma-informed principles, SiT offers safe, inclusive spaces that empower individuals to heal, recover, and thrive - driving meaningful and lasting social impact.

Benefits

• Competitive Salary: On offer is a competitive salary of £33,000 – £40,000 per annum (depending on experience)
• Holiday: 25 days annual leave, plus your birthday off and bank holidays
• Employee extras: pension scheme, health cover, and additional wellbeing benefits

About the role

As an Operations Manager / Department Lead, you will play a vital role in ensuring the effective and compassionate delivery of their services. Leading dedicated teams within their Therapies and Wellbeing departments, you will combine operational excellence with a trauma-informed approach, driving performance, maintaining compliance, and nurturing a supportive culture across all areas of service delivery.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Lead the Service Delivery Department, overseeing Therapies & Wellbeing teams to ensure staffing, resources, and contracts meet service and compliance requirements.
• Coordinate service delivery across East Anglia, managing subcontracted therapists to provide safe, effective, and person-centred support for survivors of sexual violence.
• Act as a safeguarding lead, overseeing risk management processes including MARAC and MASH involvement.
• Manage case allocation, staffing cover, supervision, and wellbeing support to maintain service quality and contractual performance.
• Foster strong relationships with partners and agencies, ensuring effective referral pathways, collaboration, and representation at regional forums.
• Drive departmental performance through strategic planning, data reporting, budget monitoring, and continuous improvement in line with organisational objectives.

About you

As an Operations Manager / Department Lead, you will hold an undergraduate degree in a relevant field such as Counselling, Psychotherapy, Psychology, Mental Health, or Social Care, along with at least five years’ experience in service or operations management. You’ll bring strong safeguarding knowledge, excellent leadership and communication skills, and a deep understanding of trauma-informed practice. You will be confident in operational efficiency, quality assurance, and resource management, with strong skills in data analysis and budget management. You will be able to work independently to drive operational improvements while maintaining empathy and professionalism in all interactions. Excellent IT skills, advanced organisational ability, and a collaborative, non-judgmental approach are essential - as is a sense of humour and resilience when working in a fast-paced, emotionally demanding environment. A full, clean driving licence is required.

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be performed on every individual taking up this role and may be repeated as appropriate

If you have the relevant skills and experience for the Operations Manager / Department Lead position and wish to be part of their journey that makes a difference in the lives of survivors, please apply by forwarding your CV with an expression of interest as a first page of your CV, as soon as possible.

No recruitment agencies, please

Please check your email inbox and spam / junk mail folder for any email correspondence for this role.

Additional keywords: Operations Manager, Department Lead, Trauma-Informed Practice, Sexual Violence Recovery, Safeguarding Leadership, Strategic Service Delivery, Advocacy, Mental Health Support, Counselling and Therapy, Organisational Development, Professional Growth, Counselling, Psychotherapy, Psychology, Mental Health, Social Care.

This vacancy is being advertised and handled through Spider, the region’s Online Job Advertiser on behalf of our client. We both take your privacy seriously. When you apply, your details are processed and available for us to directly review for this vacancy. As you might expect you may be contacted by email, text, or telephone. For full Privacy Policy details please see email correspondences on receipt of your application.