At Ambitious about Autism, we are looking for a Programme Director – Service Development to join our team. You'll develop Ambitious about Autism's and the Trust's education and care services for autistic children and young people.
You'll lead on key strategic projects to extend existing or develop new education and care services for autistic children and young people, providing strong project leadership, strategic integration and managing project-related governance. You'll identify and pursue new business opportunities to drive growth and expansion of our educational settings, including school bids.
You'll be involved in new service development, conducting thorough assessment to identify gaps and opportunities for new provisions or products, whilst developing innovative concepts for new services and seeking approval through business cases. You'll also provide leadership to the Service Development team, with line management of 3 direct reports, whilst upholding Ambitious about Autism's core values.
We are looking for someone who has:
- Extensive business development and project planning knowledge
- Working knowledge of the education, health or social care of children/young people with SEND
- Working knowledge of: The social, policy, regulatory issues affecting children and young people with special educational needs or Commissioning and service delivery for children, young people and their families
- Proven experience of leading the development and delivery of new services for children, young people and/or adults with special educational needs or disabilities either from a third sector, educational, health or local authority background
- Experience of developing strategic and business plans
In return, we offer great benefits including a generous holiday allowance and commitment to continued professional development (CPD), flexible, hybrid working and more!
This is a fantastic opportunity for an ambitious individual who would like to work for a forward-thinking, open and honest organisation and make a real impact to the young people we work with. Please find our full recruitment pack on the link below.
If you have any questions about the role or would like to have a confidential chat, please contact James Axford, Recruitment Officer.
Ambitious about Autism is committed to fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion at every level of our organisation. We warmly welcome applications from all qualified candidates, valuing the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives they bring. We encourage applications from individuals regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or parental status, disability, or age.
Our recruitment process promotes equal opportunities, and we are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for candidates with disabilities or additional needs throughout the recruitment process. Please contact our Recruitment Team for accommodations. We recognise disability as a physical or mental impairment that significantly and long-term affects a person's ability to perform day-to-day activities, as defined by the UK Equality Act 2010. All applications will be considered solely on merit, aligned with our mission to support autistic children and young people.
Ambitious about Autism is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and successful candidates will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check. As part of our Safer Recruitment checks, an online search maybe carried out in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.
The Safeguarding responsibilities of the post as per the job description and personal specification.
Whether the post is exempt from the rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendment to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2021. This means that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected', so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS Filter Guidance.
Registered Charity
101 - 500
We stand with autistic children and young people, champion their rights and create opportunities.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
The purpose of the post is to take responsibility for the HR oversight, day to day HR matters and the overall HR management of the charity.
The role will require initially regular meets on the sites with the CEO & Senior Management Team to build relationships, understand current processes and to establish and implement a best-in-class HR service to managers and employees across the organisation, allowing the CEO & Senior Managers to focus on the essential strategic management of the charity.
We envisage the first 6 months being a comprehensive review & reset of the charities HR policies, procedures and protocols.
This will be a part-time role for 21 hours per week across 3-4 days. This role will be busy, interesting and provide an opportunity for you to make your mark within the charity. You will have line management responsibilities for a part time HR administrator who you will be working closely with.
To succeed in this role, you must demonstrate that you have the necessary skills, knowledge and practical experience to perform effectively. You should also hold a CIPD Diploma-level qualification and have a thorough, up-to-date understanding of current UK employment legislation.
Your strong organisational skills and excellent attention to detail should enable you to manage documentation and records effectively, ensuring processes run smoothly and efficiently.
We are looking for a self-starter and someone with a demonstrable positive approach that has the ability to always remain calm and consistent with personnel at all levels, but capable of dealing with difficult situations.
It is essential you have excellent English speaking and writing skills. You must have demonstrable skills for writing policy, procedures, letters, reports etc., and you must also be able to work in Office365 with confidence.
Please read the full Job Description and Person Specification for this role.
To apply please click the Redirect to Recruiter button by 5pm on Tuesday 7 April 2026 and fill in all forms. Please note that CVs will not be considered. We may close this vacancy early if we believe we have enough strong applications to be able to successfully fill the role(s). Interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
Unsuccessful applicants must wait 6 months before reapplying for similar roles. Application data is retained securely for 6 months in line with our data and privacy policy.
Registered Charity
Off the Record was founded in 1994 to provide free, independent and professional counselling for 14 – 25 year olds in the Croydon area
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.