333 Early years jobs

For more than 140 years, SSAFA has been a trusted source of support for serving personnel, veterans and their families. As the UK’s oldest national tri-service charity, SSAFA understands the unique demands of service life and the challenges people can face both during service and in the transition to civilian life. In 2025, its employees and volunteers supported more than 50,000 people.

Through its extensive network, SSAFA provides practical, emotional and financial support in the UK and around the world, including welfare advice and casework, Forcesline, mentoring, housing, specialist family support, and health and social care services.

Director of Welfare Services
Salary: £105,000
Location: London, with flexibility to work remotely

This is a significant Executive Team appointment at an important point in SSAFA’s development, as it continues to strengthen and evolve its services in response to changing and increasingly complex beneficiary needs.

Reporting to the Chief Executive, the Director of Welfare Services will provide strategic and operational leadership across SSAFA’s welfare services, spanning prevention, early intervention, specialist intervention and casework. You will lead through a geographically dispersed workforce of employees and volunteers, ensuring services are safe, accessible, effective, sustainable and centred on beneficiaries.

You will set a clear strategic direction, strengthen joined-up beneficiary pathways and service standards, and use evidence and insight to drive quality, innovation and continuous improvement. As a member of the Executive Team, you will also contribute to SSAFA’s wider strategy and represent the charity with senior partners, funders and stakeholders.

We are looking for an accomplished, collaborative and values-led senior leader with experience of leading complex services or operations at scale. You will have a strong track record of leading and developing multidisciplinary teams and translating strategy into high-quality, sustainable delivery. 

You will combine strategic perspective with strong operational judgement and be comfortable leading through complexity and change. Strong relationship-building and influencing skills will be essential, alongside a genuine commitment to SSAFA’s purpose and values.

For further information and full the appointment brief, please follow the link below. To apply, please submit your CV and a supporting statement of no more than 1,000 words.

Closing date: 30th October 2026

Prospectus Interviews: From 6th November 2026

Client Interviews: From 19th November 2026

SSAFA is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcomes applications from people with a wide range of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences.