Director of operations social care jobs in Wakefield, west yorkshire

We are seeking a collaborative and creative Director who is rigorous, centres care and supports people to flourish, to lead our brand new Playhouse Ensembles strand within Playhouse Connect's exciting new chapter.

The Playhouse Ensembles Director will be responsible for leading 10 ensembles in total, including:​​

• 7 Youth Theatre cohorts, ​​
• Heydays (Creative Ageing) ensemble, ​​
• Theatre of Sanctuary ensemble. ​​

​The role holder will take a strategic oversight to the work of the various ensembles and work with freelancers to deliver the sessions. Within this role, you will direct two of the ensembles yourself and manage freelance artists to lead the other ensembles.​

​The work you enable to happen will respond to the Leeds Playhouse mission and programme, the priorities of our key partners and the emerging needs of the city. Therefore, you will work closely with our Artistic team to ensure the work of the ensembles are in line with the organisation’s overall artistic vision.​ ​

This is a full-time, permanent contract of 35 hours a week, with working pattern to be discussed with your manager. Pay for the role is £32,000 per year. Benefits at Leeds Playhouse include 5 weeks holiday entitlement (plus 1.6 weeks of bank holidays), that increases with length of continuous employment; 2 wellbeing days a year; discounts across our food and drinks, free show tickets and a local gym and swimming discount. Please see our job pack for more benefits we offer.

Before applying for the role, please read our job pack. This includes the full list of responsibilities, person specification and information about Leeds Playhouse.

To apply, please fill in both of the forms linked on our website listing by the deadline.

The closing date for applications is 5pm Sunday 16 August 2026.

Interviews are scheduled for the weeks commencing 17 August or 24 August.

Finance Director  
22.5 hours per week (3 days) 
Salary: £37,800 per annum 
(Equivalent to approximately £63,000 full-time) 
Based in Leeds with flexible and hybrid working 

Advonet is an independent advocacy charity supporting people who may find it difficult to be heard, ensuring their rights are upheld and their voices are at the centre of decisions that affect their lives. 

We are seeking an experienced, qualified finance professional to join our Senior Leadership Team as Finance Director . This is a strategic role that combines financial leadership with oversight of IT, systems, data infrastructure and organisational resilience. 

Working closely with the CEO, Head of Business Development and Finance Manager, you will help ensure Advonet remains financially sustainable, well-managed and prepared for the future. Alongside responsibility for financial planning, governance, risk management, audit and Board reporting, you will lead work to strengthen our digital infrastructure, cyber resilience, data protection arrangements and organisational systems. 

This role will suit someone who enjoys operating at a strategic level, bringing clear judgement, constructive challenge and practical leadership. We are particularly interested in hearing from qualified accountants who have experience of supporting organisational change, overseeing systems and infrastructure, and working with senior leaders and trustees. 

Why join us? 

• Senior Leadership Team role reporting directly to the CEO 

• Opportunity to shape Advonet’s financial, digital and organisational future 

• Flexible and hybrid working 

• Up to 31 days annual leave plus bank holidays 

• Generous pension contribution 

• Health cashback plan and employee support scheme 

• Friendly, values-led and inclusive culture 

Key dates 

• Applications open: Monday 20 July 

• Closing date: Monday 17 August at 12 noon 

• Shortlisting: Friday 21 August 

• Interviews: Thursday 10 September in Leeds 

How to apply 

Please submit: 

• A CV 

• A covering letter of no more than 500 words explaining how you meet the requirements of the role and why you would be a good fit for Advonet 

• A completed diversity monitoring form

For an informal conversation about the role, please contact Angela Ellis, Chief Executive Officer. 

We are looking for someone who cares deeply about our ambitious plans, and who has the skills to manage large scale programmes, whilst also being able to independently take action to deliver operational tasks. 

Your work will be central to enabling our continued growth, directly supporting the development of strong partner relationships and shaping the experience they have across our programmes, so that they can deliver excellent outcomes for babies, children and young people.

Role Overview

We are looking to appoint three Programme Officers, who will be responsible for supporting programme delivery and programme operations at the Reach Foundation. 

We have 3 vacancies across our portfolios of work:

Role 1: Programme Officer (Leadership)

This includes our x100 programmes across the West, East, Yorkshire and Greater Manchester, our leadership programme with A Million Realities, and newly established place based leadership programmes for heads and executive leaders.

Role 2: Programme Officer (Cradle-to-Career)

This includes our Cradle-to-Career catalyst, foundations and leadership programmes (which are each distinct phases of our Cradle-to-Career core offer), our Accelerator programme, and a number of bespoke Cradle-to-Career catalyst programmes run directly for partner organisations. 

Role 3: Programme Officer (Educational Breakthroughs)

Helping to launch our newest strand of work, developing and growing ‘educational breakthroughs’ that enable all children to enjoy lives of choice and opportunity. This will include delivery of existing elements of our ‘breakthrough portfolio’ (Languages for All, developing mapping/ data tools to support local breakthroughs, re-imagining key stage 3 for Lift Schools) and supporting new clients as we begin partnerships with them. 

Each role has a distinct portfolio of programmes you will support, but the duties, skills and capabilities required for each role are aligned. We expect the three Programme Officers to work together closely to ensure consistency of delivery across our work, to share learning and to develop a community of practice. 

You will work closely with the Directors responsible for each programme, alongside our Events and Operations Officers, who work across all programmes,  to ensure our programmes are planned and delivered to a high standard. 

The role of the Programme Officer has three core areas of responsibility:

1. Programme Planning and Project Management

• Project manage multiple, simultaneous programmes across the portfolio with rigour. Work with other programme managers to embed consistent programme management across our organisation. 

• Work with the Events and Operations Officers to complete the annual calendar-setting process, setting event dates and key programme milestones. Ensure all events are appropriately staffed. 

• Utilise Asana to monitor project milestones, proactively identify off-track delivery risks, and lead status updates during programme meetings to ensure timely intervention.

• Champion the use of HubSpot (CRM) and set up progress dashboards alongside evaluation colleagues.

2. Programme Delivery

• Improve (or establish) processes that ensure that every participant on our programmes has a great experience from the moment they find out about us, to when they exit working with us. 

• Manage the main programme inbox, serving as the responsive, warm, and professional first point of contact for routine enquiries from participants and external partners

• Coordinate regular, high-quality programmatic communications (e.g. programme blasts or event invites) to keep participants informed and engaged throughout the year. You may author these, or work with others to ensure they are circulated in a timely manner.

• Ensure all programmatic data collection is in line with GDPR guidelines.

• Support in programme administration tasks, such as preparing papers for steering group meetings, taking minutes and circulating actions. 

• Actively participate in cross-organisational reviews, sharing delivery insights in order to improve the quality of our work. 

• Programme-Specific Deliverables: 

Participant Recruitment & Onboarding: Lead the end-to-end application and onboarding journey for new programme cohorts, including coordinating assessment or sign up windows, distributing welcome materials, and managing intake data. 

Coaching Offer Management: Act as the end-to-end operational lead for the leadership coaching offer, managing coach-matching logistics, scheduling, and tracking completion rates.

Contract and Agreement Tracking: Administer the distribution and tracking of Service Level Agreements (SLAs), ensuring signed copies are received prior to delivery. 

3. Stakeholder and Relationship Management

• Coordinate the operational onboarding of new bespoke partners, guiding both internal and external senior stakeholders through this initial phase

• Invest deeply in building strong, warm, and respectful relationships with senior external stakeholders across identified bespoke partnerships, acting as a point of contact for any queries and ensuring excellent customer service

• Develop strong relationships internally, particularly with Regional Directors or Breakthrough Project Leads , providing them with regular progress updates, risk assessments, and actionable recommendations ahead of key delivery milestones.

• Actively collaborate with fellow Programme Officers to share operational learnings, standardise delivery templates, and build a supportive internal community of practice.

Please review the attached Job Description for more details.

Role Overview

As part of the CfA funding, we have an exciting opportunity for a Finance Officer to join GSF. This is a part-time role, based remotely within the UK.

This role will be central to ensuring that all financial aspects of the Communities for Afghans programme are delivered to the highest standards of accuracy, compliance, and transparency. You will oversee budget management, financial reporting, grant payment processes, and fraud prevention measures, ensuring that every pound is spent in line with government and contractual requirements.

You will work closely with other team members, Sponsor Groups, and funders to ensure financial processes are efficient, clear, and fully compliant. This is an opportunity to make a real impact by ensuring that funding reaches Afghan families quickly and appropriately, enabling them to settle into safe homes and begin building their new lives in the UK.

About the Role

As Finance Officer, you will:

· Manage programme budgets, spending, and grant tracking to ensure every aspect of funding is compliant with grant conditions.

· Act as the primary point of contact for Sponsor Groups and internal staff on finance-related queries.

· Maintain meticulous financial records for audit purposes and ensure timely and accurate reporting to funders.

· Implement strong controls and authorisation processes to ensure financial probity.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

The role will involve the following, but is not exhaustive:

Financial Management & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with government grant conditions and all funder requirements.

• Manage the Communities for Afghans programme budget and track expenditure.

• Contract management and compliance monitoring for all funding contracts.

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date financial records for audit purposes.

• Arrange deposits for accommodation when required.

Payments & Authorisation

• Design and maintain a clear payment authorisation flow.

• Process payments and invoices efficiently and accurately.

• Require proof of spend / evidence packs from Sponsor Groups using standard templates.

• Process payments to Sponsor Groups only after authorisation.

Monitoring & Fraud Prevention

• Work with the Sponsor Group Relationship Manager and Sponsor Groups to ensure grant funds are used correctly, providing guidance on compliant spending and supporting them to submit evidence packs using standard templates.

• Carry out periodic spot checks and reconciliations of Sponsor Group expenditure to confirm accuracy and transparency.

• Implement fraud controls, such as dual sign-off and audit trails, to safeguard programme funds.

• Provide independent assurance of correct grant usage within six months after the end of the financial year, helping to identify and address any issues proactively.

• Report any significant compliance concerns to the Operations Director and contribute to improving financial processes where needed.

Sponsor Group Support

• Ensure guidance and templates are clear, accessible, and consistent with funder requirements.

This is a rare opportunity to lead one of Yorkshire’s most respected community foundations and help shape the future of giving across Calderdale.

For over 35 years, Community Foundation for Calderdale (CFFC) has connected people who care with causes that matter. We believe local generosity has the power to transform lives, strengthen communities and create opportunities for everyone to thrive.

As an independent charitable funder, we work with individuals, families, businesses and organisations to invest in local charities and community groups tackling some of Calderdale’s biggest challenges. Every year, we distribute more than £2 million in grants to support people and places across the borough. At the same time, we are building our permanent endowment, creating a lasting legacy that will continue supporting local communities for generations to come.

This is what makes CFFC unique. We do not just make a difference today. We create a legacy that will benefit Calderdale in perpetuity.

Following many years of successful leadership from our current Chief Executive Officer, we are seeking an exceptional leader to build on this strong foundation and lead CFFC into its next chapter.

About the role

Reporting to the Board of Trustees, you will provide strategic and operational leadership, ensuring CFFC continues to grow its impact, strengthen partnerships and inspire philanthropy across Calderdale.

You will lead and develop a committed staff team, work closely with Trustees, build trusted relationships with donors, businesses, professional advisers, charities and public sector partners, and ensure the organisation remains financially sustainable, well-governed and ambitious for the future.

You will also act as CFFC’s public ambassador, representing the organisation across Calderdale and beyond, while championing the importance of local giving and community investment.

About you

We are looking for an inspiring and collaborative leader with significant senior leadership experience and the ability to build confidence and credibility with a wide range of stakeholders.

You will demonstrate:

Proven strategic leadership and organisational management experience.

Experience of developing successful partnerships, fundraising, income generation or business development.

Strong financial and governance awareness.

Excellent relationship-building, communication and influencing skills.

Experience of leading and developing high-performing teams.

A genuine commitment to community impact and the values of the voluntary sector.

You may come from a community foundation, charitable trust, grant-making organisation, charity, public sector, social enterprise or a commercial organisation with a strong social purpose.

What we offer

Salary in excess of £60,000, dependent on experience.

Permanent, full-time position.

Flexible and hybrid working, with a regular presence required in Calderdale.

20 days annual leave plus bank holidays, additional Easter Tuesday leave and office closure over the Christmas period, rising to 25 days after five years’ service.

Employer pension contribution, with details available in the candidate information pack.

The opportunity to lead a respected local foundation with a strong legacy, deep local relationships and ambitious plans for the future.

Closing date: 31 July 2026

First round interviews: Week commencing 17 August 2026

Second round interviews: Week commencing 24 August 2026

CFFC is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and are happy to discuss any adjustments candidates may need during the recruitment process.

If you are an ambitious leader who wants to build on a strong legacy, inspire local philanthropy and help create lasting change for communities across Calderdale, we would love to hear from you.

Job Purpose

Sequence ME & Long Covid is one of the most ambitious whole-genome sequencing studies ever undertaken into ME and Long Covid, co-led by Action for ME. Building on the success of DecodeME, this proposed £20 million study will use large-scale, long-read whole-genome sequencing to analyse the entire genetic code of 9,000 people with ME and 9,000 people with Long Covid - making it the world's largest 'long-read' whole-genome sequencing study of any disease.

Current funding supports project mobilisation, partnership development, and the development of the Long Covid arm of the study, including agreeing case definitions and gathering expressions of interest from people with Long Covid. Phase 2 has recently been confirmed, backed by £4.75m from the UK government and a further £174,414 from the WE&ME Foundation, and will focus on sequencing 6,000 ME/CFS samples previously collected through DecodeME using Oxford Nanopore's long-read sequencing technology, running alongside Phase 1.

You will play a pivotal role supporting the Sequence ME & Long Covid project in several different ways. Working closely with the project's management team and other team members, you will help ensure the smooth day-to-day running of this landmark study, providing administrative support to the various people and partners involved in delivering it.

As a self-starter, you will manage a range of tasks including meeting scheduling, taking meeting minutes, preparing governance documents, event administration, and broader project support - no two days will be the same.

You will need to maintain a high level of confidentiality at all times, particularly when supporting governance meetings and handling sensitive project documentation.

As a team player, you will provide comprehensive, confidential and organised administrative support, developing a deep understanding of the project and building strong, effective working relationships with colleagues, researchers and external partners.

Remote working at home can be challenging for some and works incredibly well for others. You will need to be able to work independently, use your own initiative, and remain proactive in maintaining good levels of communication with colleagues.

Key Duties

• Help monitor inboxes and respond to routine project enquiries in a timely and sensitive manner, escalating more complex matters as appropriate
• Assist the project's management team and other team members with meeting scheduling and diary coordination
• Take accurate minutes at project, management and other project-related meetings, and follow up and track resulting actions to completion
• Prepare, format and proof-read governance documents and papers
• Maintain and update project databases including the Teams channel, ensuring documents are saved correctly, other management information/recording systems to ensure accurate and timely record-keeping. Help with the tracking of expressions of interest from potential study participants.
• Provide administrative support for project events - from planning and logistics through to on-the-day support
• Help prepare presentations, slide decks and briefing materials for internal meetings, funders, partners and participant-facing communications
• Support the drafting, formatting and coordination of project communications, such as updates for partners, funders or the wider ME and Long Covid community
• Support coordination between internal teams and external partners, including research and funding partners
• Maintain project files and documentation in line with agreed communication operating procedures with internal and external partners ensuring information is well organised, up to date and easy for the team to access
• Maintain confidentiality at all times and in line with relevant policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with GDPR and that all data consent processes have been followed in relation to data protection
• Positively promote the work of the Sequence ME & Long Covid project and Action for ME at all times
• Undertake any other reasonable activity in line with the responsibilities of the post, as requested by the CEO, Business Development & Partnerships Manager, Senior Research Manager or the project's Management Team

Person Specification

Essential skills and experience

• Organisational skills - Highly organised with the ability to manage multiple tasks across a fast-moving research project, with attention to detail and accuracy maintained under pressure
• Communication - Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to interact effectively with diverse audiences including researchers, funders and people affected by ME and Long Covid
• IT literacy - Proficient with common office software, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, PowerPoint), and able to quickly learn relevant project management, database or communications systems as needed
• Problem-solving - A creative and solution-focused mindset to address challenges and find innovative ways to improve processes
• Adaptability - Capable of managing changing priorities, working flexibly, and adapting to the needs of a fast-paced, ambitious research programme
• Initiative - A proactive approach, with the ability to work independently and take initiative, while also following clear instructions when given
• Teamwork - A collaborative team player with a proven ability to work effectively as part of a team, including a remote-working team spanning multiple partners and stakeholders
• Interest in the sector - A genuine interest in health research, the Third Sector, and a desire to take action to improve the lives of people with ME and Long Covid
• Experience - Demonstrable ability to be an effective administrator, ideally within a charity, research, or project environment. Experience supporting governance processes, events, or communications would be an advantage but is not essential

Desirable skills and experience

• Experience providing administrative support for scientific or research-related projects
• Experience writing and communicating with non-specialist or general audiences