Operations Manager (Medway & Gravesham)

Forward Trust; Gravesham; Remote; GBP 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Family-friendly benefits

Training and development

Season Ticket Loan

Cycle to work scheme

Wellbeing days

Blue Light Card access

25 days annual leave (30 with length)

Job summary

The Forward Trust in Medway/Gravesham is seeking an Operations Manager to lead and grow the Connect to Work contract. You will oversee IAG, pre-employability, and employability services, ensuring IPS fidelity and strong outcomes.

The role requires 3+ years of managerial experience in the employability sector and a focus on high-quality delivery. You will build partnerships with prisons, NHS trusts, local authorities, and community providers while driving budgets, bids, and business growth

Qualifications

• Proven leadership in employability, IPS, or community services, with at least 3 years managerial experience.
• Expertise in performance management, quality assurance, and contract delivery.
• Strong relationship-builder with employers, partners, and stakeholders.
• Highly organized and analytical, able to juggle multiple priorities.
• Committed to empowering individuals into sustainable employment.
• Knowledge of IAG, ESFA/DWP compliance, apprenticeships, and local economic strategies.
• Desirable: experience in social enterprise or understanding of mental health, disabilities, and recovery services.

Responsibilities

• Lead operational management of IAG, pre-employability, and employability services.
• Ensure IPS standards are met through coaching, audits, and quality assurance.
• Drive performance management, KPI monitoring, and contractual compliance.
• Contribute to budgets, bids, and opportunities for business growth.
• Line-manage a high-performing team, fostering development and accountability.
• Strengthen employer engagement and deliver job fairs, workshops, and inclusive recruitment initiatives.
• Build and maintain partnerships across prisons, NHS trusts, local authorities, and community providers.
• Oversee caseloads and workflows to ensure efficient delivery and strong participant outcomes.
• Uphold safeguarding, compliance, and governance to keep services safe and effective.

Skills

Leadership in employability

IPS compliance

Performance management

Stakeholder engagement

Organizational efficiency

IAG knowledge

Social enterprise exposure (desirable)

Job description

Are you a passionate leader ready to drive impact in employability services?

We’re looking for a dynamic Operations Manager to lead, performance-manage, and grow our Connect to Work contract in Medway and Gravesham. This is a full-time role (35 hours/week) for someone with at least 3 years’ managerial experience in the employability sector.

You’ll be at the heart of our senior leadership team, championing high-quality delivery, IPS fidelity, and strong community partnerships. If you thrive in fast-paced environments and love turning strategy into results, this is your next challenge.

What You’ll Do:

• Lead operational management of IAG, pre-employability, and employability services.
• Ensure IPS standards are met through coaching, audits, and quality assurance.
• Drive performance management, KPI monitoring, and contractual compliance.
• Contribute to budgets, bids, and business growth opportunities.
• Line-manage a high-performing team, fostering professional development and accountability.
• Strengthen employer engagement and deliver job fairs, workshops, and inclusive recruitment initiatives.
• Build and maintain partnerships across prisons, NHS trusts, local authorities, and community providers.
• Oversee caseloads and workflows to ensure efficient delivery and strong participant outcomes.
• Uphold safeguarding, compliance, and governance, keeping services safe, effective, and accountable.

What We’re Looking For:

• Proven leadership in employability, skills, IPS, or community services, with at least 3 years managerial experience.
• Expertise in performance management, quality assurance, and contract delivery.
• Strong relationship-builder with employers, partners, and stakeholders.
• Highly organised, analytical, and able to juggle multiple priorities.
• Committed to empowering individuals into sustainable employment.
• Knowledge of IAG, ESFA/DWP compliance, apprenticeships, and local economic strategies.
• Desirable: experience in social enterprise or understanding of mental health, disabilities, and recovery services.

You’ll have the chance to make a real difference in people’s lives while working in a supportive, collaborative, and forward-thinking environment.

This is an opportunity to lead a team that values impact, innovation, and excellence, and to champion employment success across the community.

Please see attached Job Description for full details

About Us

We are The Forward Trust, the social enterprise with charitable status that empowers people to break the often interlinked cycles of crime and addiction to move forward with their lives. For more than 25 years we have been working with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past. We believe that anyone is capable of lasting change. Our services have supported thousands of people to make positive changes and build productive lives with a job, family, friends and a sense of community.

We are committed to our cause and the work we carry out as a charity. Equally the wellbeing and the employees who work for us are also important. Joining us an employee, we will offer you the following benefits -

• Support for Families – We support our employees through every stage of family life by offering enhanced maternity and paternity pay for eligible employees who have completed 26 weeks' continuous service, alongside family-friendly policies and a supportive, inclusive workplace. If you'd like more information about our family-friendly benefits, please contact our Recruitment Team at [e-mail]
• Training and development opportunities
• Simply Health Cashback Scheme (optional)
• Season Ticket Loan Scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Crisis Loan Scheme
• Electric Car Scheme
• 3 x Wellbeing Days (pro rata'd for part time employees)
• Access to Blue Light Card
• 25 days (rising to 30 with length of service) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays
• Contributory Pension Scheme – Employer matched contributions of up to 6% in the first two years’ service and up to 9% thereafter
• Death in Service Payment (2x annual salary)
• Critical Illness Insurance (subject to qualifying criteria)

Please note that we may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

Please note that remote roles may require occasional travel for site visits, training and meetings.

Diversity at Forward Trust

The Forward Trust commits to providing opportunities to everyone. We want to ensure we have a diverse team with a range of lived and professional experiences. This includes those with ‘Lived Experience’ of addiction, offending, or homelessness. Some of our roles may require a minimum period of sustained recovery (normally around years). This is assessed on a case-by‑case basis, and exceptions may be considered depending on the role and individual circumstances.

When we recruit, we welcome applications from everyone. This is inclusive of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion and/or belief, marriage and civil partnerships, pregnancy and maternity and socio-economic background. Where operationally possible, we will consider flexible working requests and make reasonable adjustments for all roles.

We want our recruitment process to be accessible to everyone. If you require any reasonable adjustments at any stage, please let us know.

Employee Screening and Eligibility to Work Dependent on role you may be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service Check, details of which will be shared with you at interview.

If successful in your application, you will be required to provide eligibility to work evidence in line with the ‘Eligibility to Work in the UK’ requirements.

Our Commitment to Safeguarding

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and adults at risk. Forward Trust follow safer recruitment practices and support a culture of openness and accountability.