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Director of Operations with National Landscapes Association

Charity People is delighted to be partnering with the National Landscapes Association to recruit for their next Director of Operations.

The National Landscapes Association is a national charity supporting the family of 38 National Landscapes across England and Wales and working closely with Landscapes NI. Its vision is of beautiful landscapes where nature and people thrive together, championing and supporting some of the UK's most outstanding landscapes so they can be protected, restored and enjoyed by everyone.

This is an exciting moment to join the Association. Over the past five years, it has grown from around four full-time equivalent staff and a budget of approximately £400,000 to more than 30 staff and a budget exceeding £10 million. With that growth has come greater operational complexity, and the Association is now looking for an experienced Director of Operations to strengthen the systems, processes and organisational foundations that will enable it to thrive into the future.

Role: Director of Operations
Salary: £70,000 plus 10% non-contributory pension
Contract: Permanent, Full Time, 37 hours per week, part-time considered
Location: Homeworking, with some travel
Reports to: Chief Executive
Closing date: Friday 2nd October 2026
Interviews:
First stage (online) - Monday 19th October 2026
Final stage (in person) - Friday 23rd October 2026

About the Role

This is a pivotal senior leadership position with responsibility for ensuring the Association operates legally, effectively and efficiently.

Working closely with the Chief Executive, Leadership Team and Board of Trustees, you'll provide organisational assurance while helping translate ambition into clear plans, robust systems and effective delivery. You'll strengthen operational frameworks spanning finance, HR, IT, governance, risk, contracts and programme delivery, while creating proportionate processes that enable rather than hinder colleagues.

Importantly, this isn't simply a compliance role. You'll help shape an ambitious, inclusive and high-performing organisation, creating the conditions for people and teams to do meaningful work while ensuring accountability, resilience and good decision-making.

Key responsibilities include:

• Providing senior operational leadership and assurance across the organisation
• Working with the Chief Executive and Trustees to turn organisational ambitions into realistic plans, clear priorities and accountable delivery
• Directly managing and supporting the Head of Finance and Head of Corporate Services
• Strengthening systems and processes across HR, IT, finance, CRM, procurement, contracts and internal reporting
• Developing governance, compliance and risk management arrangements
• Ensuring grant, funding, partnership and contractual obligations are understood, monitored and reported effectively
• Overseeing organisational performance, business continuity and resilience
• Providing clear reporting on operational performance, compliance, financial exposure and organisational risk
• Supporting an inclusive, high-trust and high-performing organisational culture

About You

We're looking for an accomplished operational leader who can combine strategic thinking and professional rigour with a practical, collaborative and people-centred approach.

You'll bring:

• Significant experience in organisational review and change management.
• Experience in organisational leadership, business management, corporate services or service delivery.
• Strong knowledge of governance, compliance, risk management and organisational assurance.
• Experience improving organisational systems, processes and controls across areas such as HR, IT, finance, procurement, contracts or information management.
• Experience leading and supporting senior colleagues and providing constructive challenge.
• Sound judgement and the confidence to interpret complex information, assess risk and make clear recommendations
• Excellent planning, prioritisation and delivery skills
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to bring people with you through change
• A leadership style combining rigour with warmth, humility and resilience
• A strong commitment to fairness, inclusion, wellbeing and a values-led culture

Experience within the charity, environmental, public, grant-funded, membership or wider mission-led sectors is beneficial. Experience of property or premises, external funders, or implementing and improving CRM, digital, finance, HR or operational management systems would also be valuable.

Why Join the National Landscapes Association?

This is a rare opportunity to help shape the next chapter of a rapidly growing national charity with an important mission.

The Association's work ranges from influencing government and securing investment to major nature recovery programmes, arts and engagement initiatives, climate adaptation, biodiversity and leadership development.

As Director of Operations, you'll be strengthening the organisation behind this work, ensuring its growing ambition is supported by the systems, culture and organisational resilience needed to deliver lasting impact for people, places and nature.

If you're an experienced Director of Operations, Head of Operations, Director of Corporate Services or senior operational leader looking for an opportunity to combine purpose with organisational transformation, we'd love to hear from you.

Charity People is a forward thinking, inclusive organisation that actively and deliberately promotes equity, diversity and inclusion. We know organisations thrive when inclusion is at the forefront. We evidence our commitment by matching charity needs with the skills and experience of candidates irrespective of background e.g. age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We do this because we believe that greater diversity leads to greater results for the charities we work with