Employability services manager jobs in Birmingham

Job Title: Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Organisation: The Skill Mill
Location: Remote, with expectations to travel to Gateshead and occasional travel to other UK locations
Salary: £45,000 pa 
Contract Type: 2 years fixed term contract, Full-Time
Reporting to: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Job Purpose:

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) will play a pivotal role in driving the operational success of The Skill Mill. Working closely with the CEO, the COO will oversee day-to-day operations through line-management of the 3 regional Operations Managers, will ensure the delivery of exceptional services, and will support the growth of our social enterprise model across the UK and beyond. This is a strategic leadership position, requiring a dynamic individual with a passion for social impact, operational excellence, and business development.

Key Responsibilities:

• Operational Leadership: Oversee all operational functions, including service delivery, project management, and workforce coordination, ensuring high standards and client satisfaction.

• Strategic Growth: Collaborate with the CEO to develop and implement expansion plans, identifying new partnerships, contracts, and opportunities to scale The Skill Mill’s impact, ensuring operational readiness and quality as the organisation scales.

• Team Management: Lead, motivate, and develop The Skill Mill’s operational delivery teams (see attached structure chart), including the Operations Managers, the Pathway Advisors, and the Supervisors, fostering a culture of inclusion, accountability, and continuous improvement. Lead workforce planning, staff development and wellbeing to ensure a sustainable, motivated and resilient workforce.

• Financial Oversight: Work with the finance team to manage budgets, monitor performance against targets, and ensure cost-effective operations while maintaining quality.

• Governance: Supporting organisation and partnership governance by contributing to papers, risk registers and performance reports, engaging in solution-focused discussion at relevant forums, and ensuring feedback loops with operational delivery teams.

• Stakeholder Engagement: Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including local authorities, commercial clients, criminal justice partners, and community organisations.

• Compliance and Risk Management: Ensure all activities comply with legal, regulatory, and health and safety standards, mitigating risks effectively and escalating through appropriate organisational and legal pathways where necessary.

• Safeguarding: Act as senior lead and an initial escalation point for safeguarding, ensuring robust policies, training, reporting and continuous improvement.

• Impact:

         - Measurement: Monitor and report on social and environmental outcomes, ensuring alignment with The Skill Mill’s mission and funding requirements.

         - Performance: Work alongside partners, including Social Outcomes, evaluation and funding partners to drive performance in line with key success milestones, and engage in collaborative problem-solving to improve the offer and overcome challenges.

         - Quality Assurance: Contribute to organisational quality assurance processes by providing operational insight to support effective monitoring and review. Facilitate and support quality assurance audits, reviews and continuous improvement practices across operational delivery, working closely with operational delivery teams and relevant partners to ensure learning is embedded and service standards are consistently met.

• Innovation: Drive operational efficiencies and explore innovative approaches to service delivery and trainee support.
   

Person Specification:
Experience:

• An understanding of, and sensitivity to, working with vulnerable or disadvantaged groups.

Skills and Abilities:

• A values-led approach to strategy, with the ability to balance social impact, quality, and financial sustainability in strategic and operational decision-making.

• Exceptional leadership and people management skills, with a collaborative and empowering approach.

• Confident in using insights from performance data and information to drive continuous improvement

• A clear, confident and inclusive communication style, with the ability to engage, motivate and align within the organisation and externally

• A collaborative approach to partnership working, with the ability to navigate differing priorities and build trusted relationships across sectors/ stakeholders.

• Proficiency in working with digital tools that support operational efficiency (e.g., CRMs, project management software, Microsoft Office/Google Suite)

• Ability to translate organisational strategy into actionable operational plans
  ​

Personal Attributes:​

• Passionate about social justice, youth development, and environmental sustainability

• Resilient, adaptable, and solution-focused, with a hands-on approach to problem-solving.

• Commitment to The Skill Mill’s values of opportunity, integrity, and excellence.
  ​

What We Offer:​

• The chance to make a tangible difference in the lives of young people and the environment.

• A supportive and purpose-driven work environment.

• Opportunities for professional growth as part of a growing social enterprise.
   

Essential Requirements:

Experience:

• Proven senior leadership experience in managing operations, ideally within criminal justice or a social enterprise, charity, or environmental services sector.

• Demonstrable ability to lead and manage complex operational delivery in multiple geographical areas, ensuring quality and consistency across teams.

• Demonstrable success in growing an organisation or enhancing service delivery, including securing contracts and partnerships.

• Experience managing diverse teams in a hybrid work environment

• Experience of working effectively with external partners, including commissioners, criminal justice agencies and/or commercial organisations.
   

Skills and Abilities:

• Analytical mindset with experience in budgeting, performance monitoring, and process improvement.
   

Qualifications and Certifications:

• A relevant degree or equivalent professional qualification (e.g., business management, operations, or social enterprise leadership) is preferred but not essential.

• Enhanced DBS check is required.

About The Skill Mill:

The Skill Mill is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified individuals, regardless of background.

The Skill Mill is an innovative social enterprise dedicated to transforming lives and communities. We provide employment opportunities for young people with criminal convictions, equipping them with skills and experience through delivering high-quality environmental services, such as grounds maintenance, horticulture, and flood prevention. Our mission is to reduce reoffending, enhance employability, and create sustainable social and environmental impact.

About the Role

As a passionate professional in the identification, development and management of a wide range of relationships in support of our programme partnership, you will ensure the Career Ready programme in Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire continues to thrive, which includes securing charitable donations from supporting partners. You will work closely with our Programme & Partnerships Manager for Glasgow, in support of our work growing there.

This role requires experience of partnership and account management and the scale and ambition of our social mobility work means you will need to be well organised, confident and able to positively influence a wide range of people including headteachers, teachers, CEOs and HRDs.

You will identify and approach opportunities that are well researched and pursue with unswerving perseverance. It’s also a great chance to develop personally.

Programme & Partnership Managers lead the delivery of our programme locally. In this role, you’ll grow, develop, and maintain the employer and education partnerships that make the Career Ready programme work — including our Local Advisory Boards, Local Authorities, school coordinators, the Developing the Young Workforce Regional Group, and the employers and volunteers who provide mentoring with the accompanying paid internship, deliver engaging masterclasses, and support events.

Once you’re confident in what, why, when, and how of our work, you will:
1. Lead, grow, and strengthen the Career Ready partnerships in Renfrewshire & West
Dunbartonshire.

You’ll ensure an excellent programme experience for all stakeholders and secure employer engagement for approximately 60+ students each year (with growth expected) who take part in our 18-month programme. This includes ensuring
sufficient mentors with the accompanying paid internship, high-quality masterclasses and purposeful events.

2. Support programme delivery, stakeholder engagement and the generation of new programme and funding partnerships across Renfrewshire & West Dunbartonshire. 

You’ll work closely with the Career Ready Glasgow & West Areas Local Advisory Board, the Programme & Partnerships Manager for Glasgow, the Head of Programme & Operations, the Scotland Partnerships Manager, Partnerships Lead, and your fellow Programme & Partnerships Managers — all committed to delivering quality, impact, and sustainability. You’ll also collaborate with the Scotland Operations Team to
ensure accurate data, strong processes, and effective management information for the area.

Find out more

You can find out more about the role, and working at Career Ready, in our candidate pack.

• £36,000 - £39,870 DOE (pro rata for part time)
• A working from home allowance of £300 pa is provided (pro rata for part time)
• Annual leave: 27 days holiday plus bank/public holidays. In addition, Career Ready is closed between Christmas and New Year. Career Ready also allows flexible use of some Bank & Public Holidays
• 6% of salary contribution to a private pension subject to an employee contribution of 3%
• Access to both our Reward Gateway Portal and an Employee Assistance Programme
• Business expenses including mileage allowance for car usage

How to apply

Please visit our website for full details of how to apply.

Timetable

• Closing date: 5 pm, Monday 16 March 2026 (early applications are encouraged)
• Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an initial screening conversation prior to interview
• Interviews will take place from w/c 30 March 2026