Head of service jobs in London, greater london

This position is offered on a full-time basis, though we welcome applications from candidates interested in working 3–4 days per week

This is a really exciting time to lead on Service Design at UK Youth. The Government’s recently-launched National Youth Strategy represents a shift in youth work’s recognition. UK Youth is about to launch its own new Strategy and we have big ambitions for the coming year – in this crucial leadership role, you’ll drive forward our ambition to design, test and scale the very best solutions to the challenges faced by young people and the professionals supporting them. 

UK Youth’s Impact Function has grown over the last year – we’re investing in the power of evidence, human-centred design and influential storytelling to improve the equity and effectiveness of youth work. Join us and help build a society that backs every young person – through each spark, struggle, and success.​

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 initiatives, 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

• Designing Solutions

• Developing new business and funding propositions

• Embedding Human Centred Design

• Building a strong external network to support the Design team’s work

• Operations

Experience we're after

• Significant experience of leading and overseeing the development of new business propositions and proposals to time-limited funding opportunities

• Significant experience of designing interventions (digital and/or physical) for young people and/or those who support them 

• Experience using human-centred-design methods and mindsets; managing projects across the end-to-end design process

• Proven track record of inspiring and motivating diverse teams and improving collaborative ways of working across teams and departments

• Experience of developing high quality programme content and curricula for young people, youth workers and/or outdoor learning instructors (desirable)

• Experience of commissioning and managing external design freelancers and consultants (desirable)

• 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:

• Flexible/Agile Working

• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time employees)

• Funded training provided in; Safeguarding, GDPR, Information and Cyber Security & Equality & Diversity

• Other training available in support of your personal and professional development

• Pension scheme (currently UK Youth match employee contributions up to 5%)

• Membership of our life insurance scheme which would pay-out up to 4 times your salary

• Employee Assistance Programme to support employees both professionally and personally

• 20% discount off bookings at Avon Tyrrell, our New Forest Outdoor Centre, including camping, lodges and outdoor activities.

• IT equipment provided for the duration of contract

• 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: 25th March 2026 at 23:59pm (midnight)

Provisional Interview Dates: 1st and 2nd April (In person at our London Office)

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.

About the role

This senior leadership role provides strategic and operational oversight of WGN’s Clinical Services, ensuring the delivery of innovative, safe, high-quality, survivor-centred, trauma-informed and culturally responsive therapeutic support for survivors of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).

As Head of Clinical Services, you will lead a multidisciplinary team delivering individual therapy, group work, body-based therapies and web-based counselling within WGN’s intersectional Black feminist framework and Holistic Empowerment Recovery (HER) Model. You will shape the strategic direction of clinical services, strengthen partnerships, embed strong clinical governance and safeguarding practice, and foster a culture of collective care, reflective practice and anti-oppressive leadership.

This role combines strategic leadership, service development, clinical oversight and people management to ensure WGN’s therapeutic services remain sector-leading, accessible and survivor-led.

About you

As Head of Clinical Services, you will:

• Provide strategic and clinical leadership across all therapeutic services, ensuring high-quality, trauma-informed, strengths-based and non-pathologising support within an intersectional feminist framework.

• Lead and develop multidisciplinary teams, line managing senior clinical staff and embedding reflective practice, wellbeing and anti-oppressive leadership.

• Hold responsibility for safeguarding and risk management as Designated Safeguarding Lead, ensuring robust case oversight and partnership working to keep survivors safe.

• Drive service development and innovation, using data, survivor feedback and best practice to shape responsive therapeutic pathways and specialist trauma interventions.

• Ensure equitable and inclusive access, strengthening referral pathways, managing demand with service managers and reducing barriers for marginalised survivors.

• Oversee monitoring, evaluation and quality assurance, ensuring compliance with professional standards and funder requirements and using learning to improve services.

• Build partnerships and sector influence, representing WGN externally and contributing to training, knowledge-sharing and policy discussions.

• Embed survivor voice and co-production across service design, delivery and development.

Closing date and Interviews

This vacancy is open to applications on a rolling basis with interviews taking place on a rolling basis.

We encourage early applications, as the role may close before the advertised date if a suitable candidate is appointed.

About us

Women and Girls Network (WGN) is a pan-London organisation that supports women and girls affected by all forms of gendered-based violence. Our overall aim is to promote, preserve and restore the mental health and well-being of women and girls who have experienced, or are at risk of, gendered-based violence, whilst working towards a society free of gendered-based violence.

We do this by:

• Providing women-only holistic and seamless therapeutic services, which meet women and girls’ needs and contribute to total and sustainable recovery from the experiences of violence.
• Evidencing the impact of gendered-based violence and presenting this information in appropriate forums to affect social change in attitudes towards, and responses to, gendered-based violence.
• Developing good practice in the sector by providing training and guidance on specialist service provision and the development of culturally appropriate service delivery.

WGN is proud to be an accredited Living Wage Employer and a member of The London VAWG Consortium, Halo Code, and Helplines Partnership.

Join us and be part of a team that values your well-being, growth, and contribution.

We are deeply committed to creating a workforce that reflects the diversity and strength of the women and girls we serve, and we strongly encourage candidates from Black and Global Majority backgrounds with Lived Experience who may not meet all criteria to apply.

WGN is an equal opportunities employer. 

The above post is exempt under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, Part 1.