Deputy director of operations jobs

Location: London

Location type:Hybrid

Reporting to: Director of People and Operations

Annual salary: £60K - £70K GPB

Contract type: Permanent

Working hours: Full-time (35 hours per week)

Candidate level: Manager

Closing date: Monday 9th February 2026, at 9:00 am CET

Background

Lumos Foundation works to realise every child’s right to a family by transforming care systems around the world. Our vision is a world in which all children grow up in safe and loving families within supported communities. Founded in 2005 by author J.K. Rowling, Lumos partners with governments, civil society, and young people with lived experience to transform care systems globally and advocate for family-based solutions that help children thrive.

We ensure that families receive the support they need to stay together or reunite, and that children grow up in family-based settings such as foster or kinship care, not institutions. Despite clear evidence of the harms of institutionalisation, more than 5 million children worldwide continue to live in institutions. And a much larger number of children are at risk of family breakdown and separation – those living in poverty, experiencing domestic violence and abuse, and living in countries affected by conflict.

We are ambitious for children. In the next 10 years, Lumos will enable 500,000 children in care to return to family-based care and prevent 10 million children from experiencing family breakdown and separation – so that they can thrive in their own families. Working with local, national, and global partners, Lumos supports government-led transformation of childcare systems across Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America- driving systemic and sustainable change. Lumos’ ambition for children is significant and will require the organisation and its partners to work in new ways – with a pace, drive and urgency that this moment demands – and that children everywhere deserve. Lumos’ success will continue to be based not just on what we do, but on how we do it – our values. We embrace collaboration. We strive for excellence. We show respect. We always care. And we are passionate. We are Lumos.

Purpose of role

This is an exciting opportunity to play a pivotal leadership role at Lumos at a time of organisational strengthening and global growth. As a member of the wider leadership team, the Head of People will be central to building and embedding high-quality, values-led, and risk-aware people practices that enable Lumos to deliver its mission and long-term ambitions.

Working closely with Country Directors and HR focal points in country offices, the role supports the consistent application of global people frameworks while enabling appropriate local practice. The Head of People will play a key role in supporting Lumos to grow and operate safely across existing and new geographies, ensuring that people practices underpin organisational readiness, duty of care, and sustainable impact.

In close partnership with the Director of People & Operations, the Head of People provides expert insight into People strategy and organisational priorities and is accountable for translating agreed direction into consistent, effective delivery across the organisation. The role combines strategic thinking with strong operational leadership, ensuring that people frameworks, systems, and practices are embedded, trusted, and fit for purpose, and that values, culture, and ways of working are reflected in how work is done every day. This role will suit an experienced senior HR professional who enjoys shaping and embedding sustainable people practice, exercises sound judgement, and enables others to lead well. You will be motivated by values-led work, long-term impact, and the opportunity to grow with an organisation, strengthening organisational capability within a complex, international environment.

Primary responsibilities

People strategy contribution & execution

• Contribute expert insight, options, and analysis to the development of the People strategy, operating model, and organisational priorities.
• Translate the agreed People strategy into clear frameworks, plans, and delivery across the organisation.
• Ensure people initiatives are prioritised, resourced, and implemented effectively.
• Monitor impact and effectiveness, recommending adjustments based on data, risk, and organisational need.

Full employee lifecycle ownership (global)

• Own and oversee the operational delivery and quality assurance of the full employee lifecycle across all geographies.
• Ensure consistent, values-led, and safer recruitment practices are embedded across Lumos.
• Lead the design and delivery of high-quality induction and onboarding, embedding EDI, duty of care, and organisational culture from the outset.
• Oversee probation, performance cycles, development, progression, and exit processes.
• Ensure leaver processes, exit interviews, and data capture support organisational learning.

Performance, capability & leadership development

• Lead the implementation and embedding of Lumos’ performance management framework.
• Oversee annual objective-setting, performance reviews, and development planning.
• Build leadership and line manager capability through training, guidance, and coaching.
• Enable managers to take confident ownership of people management, feedback, and performance conversations.

Pay, rewards & progression

• Lead the delivery of pay and reward activity, including time-bound pay and reward reviews and job evaluation processes.
• Ensure reward approaches are equitable, transparent, affordable, and aligned with organisational values.
• Work closely with Finance and the Director of People & Operations to align reward activity with budgets and governance.
• Support the implementation of progression frameworks and guidance.

Employee relations, policy & legal frameworks

• Oversee the review, update, implementation, and monitoring of people-related policies, ensuring they are accessible, legally compliant, and consistently applied, while allowing for appropriate local context.
• Provide senior HR oversight and judgment on disciplinary, grievance, and complex employee relations matters.
• Act as an escalation point for managers and the Global HR Advisor, supporting proportionate and defensible decision-making.
• Ensure people practices reflect relevant legal frameworks across all countries of operation.

People risk & governance

• Lead the development and embedding of people-related risk frameworks across existing and new geographies.
• Ensure people risks are identified, mitigated, and monitored.
• Work closely with safeguarding, security, and operations colleagues to support joined-up risk management.
• Contribute to organisational governance and assurance through clear documentation and reporting.

Global partnership & country support

• Work closely with Country Directors and HR focal points to embed global people frameworks in country offices.
• Provide guidance, support, and constructive challenge to ensure consistent application of people policies and practices.
• Balance global consistency with appropriate local adaptation in line with legal and cultural contexts.
• Build HR capability and confidence across country teams.

EDI, culture & engagement

• Ensure equity, diversity, and inclusion are embedded across the employee lifecycle, policies, and people practices.
• Lead staff engagement activity, including surveys, analysis, and action planning.
• Support the development and reinforcement of a healthy, inclusive, and values-led organisational culture.

HR systems, data & insight

• Oversee people systems, tools, and workforce data to ensure accuracy, consistency, and insight.
• Work with the Global HR Advisor to strengthen tracking, dashboards, and reporting.
• Use people data to identify trends, risks, and priorities to inform effective decision-making.
• Ensure compliance with data protection and confidentiality requirements.

Leadership of the people function

• Line manage and develop the Global HR Advisor, providing clear direction, prioritisation, and support.
• Oversee time-bound HR consultancies, ensuring clear scope, value for money, and effective knowledge transfer.
• Act as a close partner to the Director of People & Operations, providing trusted judgment, operational leadership, and space for strategic focus.
• Deputise for the Director of People & Operations in people-related matters, as required and appropriate, including representing the People function in internal and external forums.
• Ensure the People function operates with professionalism, consistency, and strong internal credibility.

Profile

The postholder will:

• Strengthen Lumos’ ability to attract and retain talented people through fair and transparent rewards, clearer progression, and a positive employee experience aligned to our mission and values.
• Embed consistent, values-led people approaches across the organisation, while supporting appropriate local context and delivery of impact in country offices.
• Improve safer recruitment, induction, and onboarding to support safe, sustainable growth across existing and new geographies.
• Embed clear performance expectations and accountability that link individual and team contribution to organisational impact for children.
• Strengthen a values-led culture by reinforcing behaviours that support collaboration, trust, inclusion, and operational excellence.
• Build manager confidence and capability to lead people through change, manage performance well, and support development and wellbeing.
• Strengthen people-related risk management and the use of people insight to support sound decision-making, duty of care, and organisational resilience.
• Bring thoughtful, evidence-informed people practice into Lumos, drawing on best practice while ensuring approaches are proportionate, values-led, and appropriate to a complex international context.
• Operate as a trusted senior People leader and deputy to the Director of People & Operations in people-related matters, providing continuity, sound judgement, and credible leadership.

Essential experience:

• Experience operating at a senior level within a People/HR function, with experience of/or readiness to lead at the Head level.
• Experience owning and overseeing the delivery of the full employee lifecycle.
• Experience leading performance management, pay and reward, and employee relations.
• Experience building and embedding people policies, frameworks, and systems.

Desired experience:

• Experience working in international or multi-country organisations.
• Experience working closely with Country Directors or senior operational leaders.
• Experience overseeing outsourced or consultancy-based HR support.

Essential knowledge/skills

• Senior-level HR/People expertise across the full employee lifecycle.
• Strong working knowledge of UK employment law and HR best practice.
• Ability to translate strategic direction into practical, high-quality people delivery.
• Sound professional judgment and confidence in handling complex people matters.
• Understanding of pay, reward, and progression frameworks.
• Ability to build and embed a values-led organisational culture.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills at a senior level.
• Ability to use people data and insight to inform decision-making.
• High standards of professionalism, confidentiality, and integrity.

Desirable knowledge/skills

• CIPD Level 7 (or equivalent professional learning and experience).
• Experience applying HR practices across multiple international jurisdictions.

Essential personal characteristics

• Strong alignment with Lumos’ mission and values.
• Calm, pragmatic, and thoughtful approach to complex situations.
• Ability to build rapport and trust with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Strong influencing skills, with the confidence to challenge constructively.
• Sound judgment in identifying, managing, and escalating people-related risk appropriately.

Desired personal characteristics

• Collaborative and credible working with senior stakeholders.
• Ability to balance consistency with flexibility and local context.
• Comfortable working in evolving or ambiguous environments.
• Curiosity and openness to learning across cultures and contexts.

Benefits

Alongside the opportunity to contribute to a truly life-changing mission, you’ll enjoy excellent benefits, a supportive and inclusive culture, and a genuine commitment to your personal and professional development. Some of the benefits we offer include:

• Direct impact on operational systems supporting our global mission, with exposure to senior decision-making during a transformative period.
• Hybrid and flexible working with occasional international travel opportunities.
• 30 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Enhanced family-friendly leave (maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental) and enhanced sick pay.
• Competitive employer pension scheme.
• Learning and development opportunities.
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme for confidential wellbeing support and advice.

Safeguarding statement

Lumos recognises that the rights of safety and security are aligned with its core mission for children, families, and communities. Effective and robust safeguarding sits at the heart of our mission and values, and accordingly, Lumos is committed to ensuring the safety and protection of children and adults at risk in all of its work. We expect all staff, associates, and volunteers to share this commitment. Lumos has a zero-tolerance approach towards all forms of abuse, bullying, harassment, and sexual exploitation. Lumos is a member of The Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and will carefully screen all applicants. Offers of employment are subject to checks and suitable references.

All staff and associates must:

• Carry out all duties with an awareness and understanding of Lumos safeguarding and PSEA requirements
• Ensure work complies with all safeguarding and PSEA policies and procedures
• Ensure that their behaviours and actions support the safeguarding of children, young people, and adults at risk as appropriate.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion statement

Lumos is wholly committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion and against all forms of discrimination.  

We are committed to creating and sustaining a positive working environment that encourages, supports, and gives a voice to all, so that we can best support the children we serve.  

We must ensure that all staff are equally valued, included, empowered, and respected across the organisation and in everything we do. Lumos is fundamentally built on diverse, multi-national and multicultural teams.  

This is something we cherish as a key strength and an integral part of our identity. Our organisation values and celebrates the diversity, culture, and experience of each member of staff, provides equality of care, and support to everyone.   

We pledge to listen carefully, to educate ourselves continually, to promote open dialogue, and to seek out and deal with discrimination and prejudice wherever it occurs in Lumos.

· The deadline for applications is Monday 2nd February, 9:00 am CET ·

Upsall International actively promotes equality, diversity, and inclusion. In recruiting candidates, we seek candidates with the proven skills required, irrespective of race, gender, religion or belief, age, disability, or sexual orientation.

Salary: £37,000 – £41,000 per annum (depending on experience)
Location: Reigate, Surrey (with some hybrid working)
Contract: Full-time
Closing Date: 12th February 2026
Start date: ASAP with consideration given to notice periods

Do you have the vision, leadership and compassion to transform the futures of women experiencing homelessness?

Keychange is a Christian charity with over 100 years of experience supporting people facing vulnerability. Today, we provide specialist housing for women and young people experiencing homelessness, alongside residential care for older people across the South and South West of England.

We are now seeking an exceptional Women’s Homelessness Lead (Surrey) to shape and lead our specialist women’s homelessness service at Wayside Community in Reigate. This community is a 19 bed, 24-7 supported housing for women experiencing homelessness. This is a rare opportunity to combine frontline leadership, strategic development, and church and community partnership building in a role with real depth, influence and impact.

About the Role

• This is a leadership role with both operational and strategic responsibility. You will:
• Provide leadership and line management to the Deputy Manager, Senior Administrator and a skilled team of support workers
• Lead the delivery of trauma-informed, strengths-based, person-centred support
• Develop strong partnership networks across local authorities, charities, housing providers and churches
• Shape the future of Keychange’s women’s homelessness strategy across Surrey
• Represent Keychange externally and explore opportunities for future service growth

At the heart of this role is a deep commitment to co-production, dignity, recovery, community and belonging.

Who We’re Looking For

You will bring:

• Substantial experience supporting or managing services for vulnerable individuals
• A strong understanding of trauma, safeguarding, risk and recovery-based practice
• Proven ability to build partnerships and influence across multiple stakeholders
• Excellent communication and leadership skills
• Confidence engaging with churches and Christian networks across traditions
• A values-led approach aligned with Keychange’s Christian ethos

Desirable experience includes:

• Managing accommodation-based services
• Existing Church partnerships across Surrey

What We Offer

• Salary of £37,000 – £41,000
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Hybrid working (with 4 days regularly site or community based)
• Employee Assistance Program and Life Insurance
• Contributory Pension Scheme with matched employer contributions
• Ongoing personalised learning and professional development
• A supportive, faith-centered, values-driven culture

For more information about the opportunity and for details on how to contact us informally to discuss the role in greater detail before applying, please see the job pack attached to this advert.

How to Apply
Please submit a cover letter clearly addressing the essential and desirable criteria and an up-to-date CV focused on relevant experience. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

Recruitment Timeline

• Deadline for submitting your application: 12 February 2026
• First screening interviews, remotely: 16 February 2026
• Full interviews in person in central London: 23 February 2026
• Start date: ASAP with consideration given to notice periods

Organisational Vision & Context:

As we journey towards our vision to bring fulness of life for every child, no matter what struggles they face, we’re looking for a motivated and mission-driven individual to join our team as Head of Programme Development.

While our programmes vary, they share one common thread: an unwavering commitment to seeing lives transformed for good. With two well-established and hugely effective volunteer-driven programmes operating at scale, and two new developing programmes in the early stages of roll-out, TLG is at a pivotal time of innovation.

This Role’s Impact:

We are looking for a dynamic, pioneering leader to energise, shape, and elevate the impact of TLG’s programmes. This person will bring strengths in innovation, collaboration, and strategic delivery – able to inspire others, spot emerging opportunities, and drive meaningful change across the organisation. They will have a strong track record in developing high-quality resources and training, ensuring best practice is consistently embedded across all functions. Naturally creative and forward-thinking, they will champion the exploration and implementation of digital solutions that enhance programme delivery and extend our reach.

The new Head of Programme Development will navigate change with resilience and optimism, leading the way as we explore new approaches and refine what we already do so well. Confident on their feet, yet equally comfortable developing content and materials, they will balance big-picture thinking with a keen eye for detail. Their leadership will drive continuous improvement, so our programmes remain relevant, missional, and high-impact as we pursue our ten-year vision.

As TLG positions itself as a leading practitioner in therapeutic coaching, this leader will bring a solid understanding of coaching practice and how therapeutic coaching can transform a young person’s thinking and strengthen the culture of support we offer. Their expertise will help embed coaching-informed approaches across TLG, shaping programme design and creating richer opportunities for children and young people to reflect and grow, strengthening their wellbeing and future outcomes.

TLG is a Christian charity and, as a team, we want to bring our faith to the work we do; as such, we are recruiting an individual with a strong and vibrant Christian faith. We would welcome applications from candidates from diverse backgrounds to enable us to better reflect the needs of the communities we serve.

Hours: Part time, 30 hours per week (0.8 FTE, equivalent 4 days)

Closing Date: Sunday 15th February 2026

Initial Interviews: Monday 23rd February – Online

Final Interviews: Monday 2nd March – at our National Support Centre in West Yorkshire

Harris Hill is delighted to be working with Liverpool Zoe’s Place (LZP) to recruit its first Chief Executive Officer.

Zoe's Place was founded in Liverpool in 1995 as the first hospice in the UK specifically providing for the needs of babies and younger children. Liverpool Zoe’s Place (LZP) was established in December 2024 and took over full responsibility for the management of the hospice on May 1st 2025. In late 2024 the people of Liverpool, the North West, and even further afield helped us to raise more than £7,000,000 to secure the future of our hospice, and to build a state-of-the-art new facility in West Derby.

Our team of specialist nurses and healthcare assistants are supported by a wide range of other healthcare professionals to provide respite care, therapies and bereavement care to babies and children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, and their families.

As Chief Executive, you will:

· Bring inspirational leadership to the LZP.

· Manage, plan and implement LZP’s strategy.

· Ensure the Hospice provides and promotes excellent clinical care.

If you are inspired and excited by what Liverpool Zoe’s Place does, we’d love to hear from you.

Job title: Chief Executive Officer

Salary: £75,000 - £80,000 p.a.

Contract: Permanent / Full-time

Location: Zoe's Place, Yew Tree Lane, West Derby, Liverpool, L12 9HH

How to apply:

Please review the Recruitment Pack for further information about Liverpool Zoe’s Place, the CEO position and for details on how to apply.

Closing date for applications: 9am, Friday 13th February 2026

Both Liverpool Zoe’s Place and Harris Hill operate an equal opportunity policy and commit to treating all of our candidates and jobseekers fairly. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.