Head of Operations

Head of Operations

Location: Hybrid – Birmingham (minimum two days per week in the office)
Hours: Full time – 36 hours per week
Salary: £55,082

Help us turn ambition into action

The British Dietetic Association (BDA) is the professional body and trade union for dietitians in the UK, representing more than 12,500 members.

It's an exciting time to join us. We're an ambitious organisation with plans to grow our membership, strengthen the support we provide to members, increase our influence and continue improving how we operate behind the scenes.

To help us deliver those ambitions, we're looking for a Head of Operations who can bring energy, organisation and a real focus on getting things done.

About the role

This is a newly created leadership role, reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer, with the opportunity to make a visible difference across the BDA.

We're looking for someone who enjoys getting under the skin of how an organisation works: bringing structure to plans, joining up activity across teams, improving processes and making sure decisions and actions don't sit on a list but actually get delivered.

You'll have an important role in strengthening our governance and corporate processes, working with colleagues to ensure Board and committee decisions are followed through, policies and controls remain effective, and the organisation has clear oversight of its priorities and performance.

You'll also help us improve how we use data, digital technology, automation and AI, finding practical ways to simplify how we work and create more capacity for the things that matter most to our members.

This isn't a role for someone who simply wants to maintain existing systems. We're looking for someone who will ask good questions, spot opportunities, bring people together and take ideas from discussion through to delivery.

You'll lead several key functions, including governance and administration, communications, digital, and design and brand, while working across the whole organisation and with our outsourced finance, HR and IT partners.

We'd love to hear from you if you:

• Have strong operational leadership experience and enjoy making organisations work better.
• Can turn strategy and decisions into clear plans, actions and results.
• Have experience of governance, organisational planning and performance.
• Are confident leading people and working across different teams and functions.
• Can identify what's getting in the way of delivery and find practical solutions.
• Are curious about how data, digital technology, automation and AI can improve the way organisations work.
• Can move comfortably between the bigger picture and the practical detail needed to get something over the line.
• Bring energy, judgement and a collaborative approach to change.

You don't need to come from dietetics. Experience within a membership body, professional association, charity or trade union would be useful, but we're particularly interested in what you've achieved, how you work and the difference you could make here.

Why join the BDA?

You'll be joining at a point where there is genuine appetite for change and improvement, with the backing and opportunity to make things happen.

You'll have significant scope to shape a new role, work closely with senior leaders and contribute to the future development of a respected national organisation.

We offer hybrid and flexible working, generous annual leave and pension arrangements, and a supportive working environment with a strong commitment to learning and development.

Interested?

Take a look at the full Job Description and Person Specification for more information about the role and what we're looking for.