Director of Operations
LEF
Reporting to Chief Executive
London/Hybrid 2 days per week in the office, ideally Tuesdays and Thursdays (off Tottenham Court Road, WC1E 7EB)
6-month FTC
Salary £70,000 - £95,000 depending on experience (pro rata for part time)
Full time, 35 hours per week (part time considered) with flexible working
Excellent benefits including 30 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time and for FTC) pension, private healthcare, employee assistance programme
Are you a strategic and values-led leader with significant senior experience leading core support functions, including HR, IT, organisational infrastructure, and contract and supplier management, and available for an interim contract starting in January?
Charity People are delighted to be supporting LEF, an independent foundation supporting communities across the UK to use the law to create a more just and equal society, to recruit an Interim Director of Operations.
LEF was established as the Legal Education Foundation in 2012. Over the years, the organisation has grown into providing broad support for organisations in relation to law and social justice, and, in 2025, they became LEF with a focus on the potential of the law to strengthen the power of communities to create a more just and equal society.
LEF is entering a bold new strategic phase, following a transformative rebrand and renewed focus on the power of communities to use and shape the law to achieve social justice. With financial assets exceeding £280 million, LEF is uniquely positioned to build bridges between the law and communities facing injustice, to tackle the root causes of inequality.
The Director of Operations is a member of the Senior Management Team. The overall purpose of the role is to work with colleagues across the organisation to develop and oversee effective and efficient administrative, IT, finance and operational policies, systems and services to support delivery of the foundation's strategy, while ensuring that these policies, systems and support services uphold the foundation's culture and values.
The Director of Operations also plays a key role in shaping and sustaining an inclusive, collaborative and values-driven organisational culture, ensuring that systems, processes and ways of working promote staff wellbeing, equity and learning across the organisation.
Key responsibilities
- Strategic Leadership: Provide organisational leadership across core operational functions and contribute to SMT and Board decision-making to ensure effective, compliant and future-focused operations.
- Human Resources: Oversee HR strategy, policies and processes to create an inclusive, supportive and high-performing workplace.
- Digital, IT, Facilities & Infrastructure: Ensure robust, secure and efficient digital, IT, facilities and infrastructure systems that enable staff to work effectively across all locations.
- Finance: Lead and support the finance function to maintain strong financial planning, control, compliance and investment oversight.
- Governance: Maintain effective governance structures, ensure regulatory compliance and provide clear, timely information to the Board and committees.
Who we're looking for:
We're seeking a strategic and values-led leader with
- Senior experience leading core support functions, including HR, IT, organisational infrastructure, and contract and supplier management.
- Strong strategic and operational leadership skills, with the ability to translate organisational strategy into effective systems, processes and delivery.
- Experience overseeing organisational risk, compliance, data protection and safeguarding frameworks, or the ability to develop these confidently.
- Proven ability to engage constructively and authoritatively with the Board of Trustees and its committees, providing clear information, insight and challenge.
- Excellent organisational, planning and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-moving environment.
- Experience leading and developing staff teams, demonstrating excellent interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence and a collaborative, empowering leadership style.
- Deep understanding and commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, with experience building diverse teams and fostering inclusive, trust-based cultures.
- Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, with sound financial literacy and the ability to interpret and communicate data and organisational information.
- Excellent communication skills, including the ability to write and speak clearly, persuasively and with authority.
- Eligible to work in the UK.
- Commitment to the Foundation's vision, mission and values, and to working in ways that advance social justice.
Senior experience in the foundation or wider voluntary sector, ideally with insight into the needs of social justice organisations and voluntary sector infrastructure is desirable.
LEF is based near Goodge Street tube station (WC1E 7EB). You will need to be willing to attend the office at least twice a week, as well as be able to attend meetings and events across London. This is an interim role for 6 months. LEF will be recruiting for the permanent position early next year and the successful candidate will be open to apply. Candidates will need full right to work in the UK, and the role is subject to satisfactory references. The ideal start date for the candidate will be mid/late-January so you will need to be immediately available or able to start in January.
How to apply
The application process is CV and answers to three questions to form your Supporting Statement. For more information and for the full Job Pack, please share your CV via the link below. The closing date is 9am on Thursday 18 December. Interviews will take place on Thursday 15 and Friday 16 January.
Charity People is a forward thinking, inclusive organisation that actively and deliberately promotes equity, diversity and inclusion. We know organisations thrive when inclusion is at the forefront. We evidence our commitment by matching charity needs with the skills and experience of candidates irrespective of background e.g. age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We do this because we believe that greater diversity leads to greater results for the charities we work with.
Thank you!
Woman’s Trust is a leading, specialist mental health charity supporting women and children affected by domestic abuse. As we approach our 30th anniversary in 2026, we stand at a powerful moment of growth and transformation. Each year, our trauma-informed, women-led services provide life-changing counselling, therapeutic support and advocacy to women and children across London. Our ambition is to scale this work to reach many more nationally. With a dedicated team of 45 staff, a strong financial foundation and annual income of £1.3m and a deeply committed Board of Trustees, we are poised to shape an ambitious new strategy for the years ahead.
We are now seeking an inspirational Chief Executive Officer to lead Woman’s Trust into this next chapter. This is a rare opportunity to guide a respected organisation whose work is not only transformative but often life-saving. The CEO will steer our strategic and operational development, strengthen and expand partnerships, grow sustainable income, and champion our voice across policy, public campaigns and mental health advocacy. Alongside a dedicated and collaborative team and Board, you will play a vital role in delivering and developing innovative services—supporting women and children, survivors navigating the justice system, and peer-led support groups—ensuring we remain responsive to the needs and experiences of those we serve.
We are seeking an inspirational and experienced people leader who combines strategic thinking with the ambition needed to position Woman’s Trust for growth. Confident in representing your organisation at a policy and advocacy level, you will act as a powerful ambassador for survivors’ mental health, influencing systems, shaping debate and strengthening our public voice. With strong financial and governance insight and the ability to build trusted, values-driven relationships across sectors, you will model a growth mindset and a commitment to continuous improvement. Above all, you will uphold our feminist, inclusive and survivor-centred values, nurturing an empowering and equitable culture for our staff, volunteers, partners, and—most importantly—the women and children we serve.
To read more about the opportunity and our work, including how to apply, please download the full appointment brief.
If you have the passion, clarity and commitment to champion the mental health and wellbeing of women and children survivors—and the leadership to guide Woman’s Trust into a bold new era—we would be delighted to hear from you.
Closing Date: 21 December 2025
People Beyond Profit Screening Conversations: 22 December - 6 January 2026
Woman’s Trust Panel Interviews:
· First Stage (online): 13 & 14 January 2026
· Second Stage (in-person): 22 January 2026
Please note:
This post is open to female applicants only as this is deemed a genuine occupational requirement under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010.
Thank you!
Purpose of the job
This role is responsible for the design of UK Youth’s support to young people, youth organisations and youth workers. This could include structured youth work programmes, funding and grants+ programmes, professional development programmes, and campaigns.
You will lead and oversee end-to-end design processes, ensuring that UK Youth develops fully packaged offers that respond to the evidence base and people’s needs, drive forward our strategy and achieve incredible impact. You will work across UK Youth teams, with external design partners, and meaningfully involving young people and the professionals who support them in the design process.
You will be experienced in developing high quality funding propositions (proactively and in response to new business opportunities). You will be confident in taking a human-centred design approach to tackle some of the youth sector’s knottiest problems. You will design solutions to important problems, ensuring that they are feasible, equitable, impactful and scalable.
In 2026, our priority topics for youth work programmes and network development are: mental health and wellbeing, employability, social cohesion and community safety.
As a leader, you will work closely with research, evaluation, policy, service delivery, network development, and fundraising teams. You will help to improve the skills and confidence of colleagues across UK Youth to apply design methods in their own work and collaborate effectively with the Design team.
Why work at UK Youth?
UK Youth wants all young people to be equipped to thrive and empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives. Youth work can be life changing (and even life saving.) In 2026, we will be launching our new strategy, positioning UK Youth to unlock youth work so that every young person in the UK can benefit. We work with others to ensure that the youth sector is strengthened and that provision is youth-led, evidence-informed, and delivers high-quality outcomes.
UK Youth plays a unique role in addressing the lack of investment in the youth sector, the lack of cross-sector understanding in how youth work makes a difference, and the limited opportunities to embed effective solutions. These factors lead to mass inequality of access to youth services for young people. Come and be part of this change in a driven and supportive team that puts evidence at the heart of our work.
Role Responsibilities
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Designing Solutions
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Developing new business and funding propositions
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Embedding Human Centred Design
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Building a strong external network to support the Design team’s work
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Operations
Experience we're after
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Significant experience of leading and overseeing the development of new business propositions and proposals to time-limited funding opportunities
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Significant experience of designing interventions (digital and/or physical) for young people and/or those who support them
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Experience using human-centred-design methods and mindsets; managing projects across the end-to-end design process
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Proven track record of inspiring and motivating diverse teams and improving collaborative ways of working across teams and departments
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Experience of developing high quality programme content and curricula for young people, youth workers and/or outdoor learning instructors (desirable)
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Experience of commissioning and managing external design freelancers and consultants (desirable)
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Experience of designing and/or delivering professional development programmes (desirable)
What we can offer you
We offer a competitive range of benefits, good work/life balance, excellent learning and development opportunities and vibrant organisational culture:
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Flexible/Agile Working
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27 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time employees)
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Funded training provided in; Safeguarding, GDPR, Information and Cyber Security & Equality & Diversity
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Other training available in support of your personal and professional development
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Pension scheme (currently UK Youth match employee contributions up to 5%)
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Membership of our life insurance scheme which would pay-out up to 4 times your salary
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Employee Assistance Programme to support employees both professionally and personally
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20% discount off bookings at Avon Tyrrell, our New Forest Outdoor Centre, including camping, lodges and outdoor activities.
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IT equipment provided for the duration of contract
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CycleScheme and TechScheme
How to apply
If you would like to be considered for this fantastic opportunity, please complete an application via our completely anonymised recruitment system provided by Applied which looks to create a fair and unbiased application process for all. Scroll to the top of the page and start your application.
Closing date: Sunday 4th January 2026 at 23:59pm
Provisional Interview Dates: 12th and 13th January 2026
As this role involves working in a regulated environment with young people, any offer will be conditional to satisfactory background checks, which include criminal record check and employment reference.
Registered Charity
51 - 100
UK Youth is a leading charity with a vision that all young people are equipped to thrive and empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.