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Head of Operations

A senior leadership role where your decisions will directly improve young people’s lives.

The Jack Hazeldine Foundation (JHF) is a small, ambitious youth charity with a big mission: to transform the lives of young people through high‑quality 1:1 mentoring, tutoring and personalised support.

We are now seeking a Head of Operations to play a pivotal role in shaping how our charity runs – strengthening our systems, supporting our people, and ensuring we are sustainable, compliant and impact‑driven as we grow.

This is a genuinely senior role, working closely with the CEO and Trustees, where your judgement will be trusted and your impact will be visible every day.

About the role

As Head of Operations, you will lead JHF’s operational strategy and oversee delivery across operations, finance, people, systems, programmes and compliance.

You will line manage a small, committed team and deputise for the CEO when required.

This is a role for someone who enjoys combining strategic thinking with hands‑on delivery, and who thrives in a small organisation where leadership is visible and change is possible.

Why join JHF?

• A senior leadership role with real influence over how the organisation operates
• The opportunity to shape and improve systems
• Close working relationships with the CEO and Trustees
• A manageable team size that allows for thoughtful, people‑centred leadership
• Clear, visible impact where your work directly supports better outcomes for young people
• A values‑driven culture rooted in integrity, collaboration and ambition for impact
• A supportive organisation that values learning, wellbeing and sustainable ways of working

We have strong operational foundations in place and have been awarded a CAF Resilience Grant to further strengthen our financial and operational sustainability – a key focus for this role.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and implement JHF’s operational strategy alongside the CEO and Trustees
• Oversee day‑to‑day operations across programmes, finance, HR and administration
• Lead financial planning, budgeting, reporting and controls
• Act as senior lead for governance, risk, GDPR and information security
• Own and develop our bespoke database to improve efficiency, reporting and impact measurement
• Provide high‑quality operational insight and data to inform Board decision‑making
• Support programme delivery to balance impact, quality, compliance and sustainability
• Lead and support staff development, wellbeing and inclusive practice

About you

You will bring:

• Significant experience in a senior operational leadership role, ideally in a charity, youth, education or people‑centred organisation
• Strong financial management experience, including budgeting and reporting
• Experience leading small, multi‑disciplinary teams
• Confidence overseeing service delivery, compliance and risk
• Experience owning or leading organisational systems or digital change
• A values‑driven, collaborative approach and strong commitment to safeguarding young people

We recognise that no candidate will meet every requirement. If you bring relevant experience and a strong commitment to our mission, we would love to hear from you.

#Head of Operations #Operations #Strategic Operations #Head of Operations

Samaritans Training School - or STS for short - is our dedicated central training team who deliver high quality Samaritans training on behalf of branches and hubs. Our busy team delivers training to new and existing volunteers and staff members, throughout the year.​

We’re looking for an experienced Training School Manager to lead our STS function. You’ll oversee high-quality training delivery and facilitation, leading on quality assurance, continuous improvement and the ongoing development of training practice.​

As an experienced leader, you’ll manage and develop our high-performing STS team, striving to ensure excellence in our training provision. You’ll also be responsible for rota management and scheduling of training courses, balancing organisational priorities along with the performance and wellbeing of your team.​

You’ll work closely with stakeholders across the organisation, including staff and volunteers, through building strong working relationships. You’ll work to understand training and development needs, ensuing joined up learning design and delivery.​

If you’re a strong leader with clear and positive communication skills, an aptitude for problem solving and experience in the operational delivery of training, this may be the role for you.​

Contract terms:

• £47,000 - £51,000 per annum, plus benefits
• Permanent
• Full time hours are 35 hours per week, but we are passionate about flexible working, talk to us about your preferences.
• Homebased contract
• In-person working: Meeting in person and working collaboratively are things we value. We work in person around 2 days or more per month
• This role requires regular out of hours working to oversee evening training delivery. Travel to our office in Ewell (Surrey) for in-person meetings is also required.

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​What you'll do:

• Lead the operational delivery of the Samaritans Training School, ensuring a high-quality virtual training provision
• Set and uphold standards of training delivery and facilitation across the Samaritans Training School
• Manage a high-preforming training team
• Support, coach and develop trainers to address skills gaps and drive continuous improvement
• Schedule training courses balancing trainer availability and resource
• Monitor and quality assess service delivery of training courses, using performance data and insight
• Ensure training delivery is in line with best practice
• Build strong relationships with staff, volunteers and other stakeholders

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What you’ll bring:

• ​Proven experience leading the operational delivery of learning or onboarding training programmes
• Experience of leading the delivery of virtual training
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in written form
• Ability to write clear and concise reports and presentations
• Ability to manage multiple systems
• Experience in building rotas and scheduling
• Experience in managing, leading and developing a high performing team
• Strong customer service and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build strong working relationships
• A training or facilitation qualification (desirable)
• Experience working with or managing volunteers, or within the charity sector (desirable)​

Please see Job Description and Person Specification 

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Why Samaritans?

At Samaritans, you’ll be part of a people-first organisation deeply committed to inclusion, compassion and learning. You’ll contribute to a team where your voice matters, your expertise makes a difference, and your work helps save lives.​

We welcome applications from individuals with lived experience and encourage those from underrepresented communities to apply. We are committed to creating an environment where all our people feel seen, heard and supported.​

You’ll join a values-led organisation with a powerful mission and a collaborative culture. We offer flexible hybrid working, excellent benefits, and the chance to make a tangible difference in suicide prevention across the UK and Ireland.​

For further information about Samaritans, including our charity structure, values, employee benefits, and application process, please read our recruitment brochure available here. You can also visit our careers website to access this.​

We recognise the enormous benefits and the social justice imperatives of ensuring diversity at every level of our organisation. Samaritans is wholly committed to inclusion and diversity and to building a culture and environment where everyone is appreciated for the unique person they are. To ensure Samaritans is representative of those we support and who support us, we particularly welcome applications from disabled, racialised minority and LGBTQ+ candidates, as these people are under-represented at Samaritans.

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Apply now

If this sounds like the opportunity for you, please apply. You will be asked to answer some short application questions and to upload your CV. 

Applications close: ​Sunday 12th April 2026.

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At Samaritans, human connection is at the heart of everything we do.​

We do not use AI at any stage during the selection process. Your application will always be carefully reviewed by the recruiting manager or a member of the Talent Attraction Team.​

We kindly ask that you avoid using AI tools to generate your application or interview answers. We want to hear your own ideas, insights, and writing style so your unique strengths can shine through.