Service director jobs in Holborn, greater london

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.

Age UK Kensington & Chelsea (AUKC) is a vibrant, values led local charity dedicated to helping older people live well — staying connected, independent and fulfilled at every stage of life. We work alongside our community to codesign and deliver impactful services that promote wellbeing, tackle loneliness, influence local policy and ensure dignity and independence for people across the borough. 

As we look to the future, we are focused on innovation, growth and lasting impact. Building on the success of resecuring our two largest contracts in 2025 (for three and up to nine years respectively) we are seeking to strengthen our partnerships, diversify the ways we deliver support, and create new approaches to have even greater impact for older people in Kensington & Chelsea.

This is an exciting time to join a charity widely recognised for its compassion, quality and influence with a strong reputation among NHS, local authority and community partners.

We are now seeking an exceptional Director of Services & Deputy CEO to join our leadership team and help shape the next stage of our journey. 

Director of Services & Deputy Chief Executive Officer 

Kensington & Chelsea, London (hybrid working) 
Circa £75,000 FTE for 4 days per week (circa £60,000 for 4 days) 

The Opportunity 

This is a rare and exciting leadership role for someone who is passionate about community impact and aspires to become a CEO in the future. 

As Deputy CEO, you will work closely with our Chief Executive to provide inspiring, values driven leadership across the charity. You will help develop and deliver our new three-year strategy, steer organisational priorities, strengthen our culture, and ensure we continue to grow and thrive — as well as deputising confidently for the CEO when required. 

As Director of Services, you will lead our Health, Wellbeing and Community Services, ensuring they remain high quality, evidence based and financially sustainable. You will champion innovation, drive integration across programmes, and make sure our work delivers measurable outcomes for older people. 

A key part of your role will be building strong relationships with commissioners and partners, developing compelling proposals, and supporting the growth and diversification of our services. You will also lead our impact and quality agenda, embedding a culture of learning, continuous improvement and accountability. 

If you are an ambitious, strategic and collaborative leader who thrives on variety and purpose — and who is energized by working alongside communities — this is an exceptional opportunity. 

About You 

We are looking for a confident and compassionate leader who brings: 

• Significant senior leadership experience in the voluntary, community or public sector. 

• A strong track record of developing and delivering health, wellbeing or community services. 

• Expertise in impact measurement, quality assurance and evidence driven service design. 

• Experience of business development, including securing grants, contracts or new partnership opportunities. 

• Excellent relationship building skills across health, care, local government or community sectors. 

• A leadership style that is collaborative, inclusive and aligned with our values of kindness, respect and integrity. 

• Experience working within integrated care systems or commissioning environments

What We Offer 

• A rare career development opportunity for someone who may be aspiring to become a CEO. 

• A supportive and ambitious organisation committed to innovation, inclusion and impact. 

• The chance to shape high quality services that make a real difference to people’s lives. 

• Competitive salary, pension and ongoing professional development. 

How to Apply 

If you would like an informal conversation about the role, please contact our retained advisors Anna Gardet or Erica Ritchie at Prospectus. 

Recruitment Timetable 

Deadline for applications: Sunday 12th April 2026 

Interviews with Prospectus:  20-24th April 2026 

First stage interviews with Age UK Kensington & Chelsea:  7th May 2026

Second stage interviews with Age UK Kensington & Chelsea:  12th May 2026   

We’re Bank Workers Charity – the only UK charity dedicated to supporting the health and wellbeing of UK bank workers, past and present, and their families.

Each year, we help thousands of people facing financial difficulty, health challenges, caring responsibilities, domestic abuse and more through our 40 strong passionate staff team and by investing £5.4m. Through advice, specialist referrals and financial assistance, we offer practical, personalised support to those who need it most.

Demand for our services continues to be high – and the financial pressures on our organisation have grown. That’s why we’ve launched a new strategy focused on deepening our impact, building long-term resilience, and reaching those most in need. 

Director of Client Services
Bank Workers Charity
Hybrid with typically three days a week in the London Office (City)
£75,000 to £80,000 depending on experience

It’s an exciting time to join Bank Workers Charity as we evolve the way we work, grow new income streams and strengthen our influence across the banking sector.  We’ve embarked on a new three-year strategy which will see us develop an impact framework, proactively review areas of service provision and ensure insight is at the heart of our decision making.

As Director of Client Services you will oversee the Service and Grants and Wellbeing teams of 23 people and an annual budget of c£3.5M. You’ll be instrumental in reviewing our services, ensuring our support meets our clients’ needs. You’ll also play a key role in ensuring organisational effectiveness alongside other members of the senior team.

We’re looking for a visionary leader who will inspire their team and bring:

• A proven track record of leading high-quality client facing services such as wellbeing, information, advice and grants, at a senior level
• Demonstrable experience of change management, including implementing successful change
• Strong experience in client advocacy and engagement
• A collaborative, supportive and visionary leadership style
• Proven ability to influence and collaborate with internal and external stakeholders

Bank Workers Charity believes that diversity enriches our workplace and enhances our ability to innovate and excel. We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to join us.

For further information, to access the appointment brief and to apply to this role, please visit the Prospectus website. 

If you have any queries or wish to have an informal discussion about the opportunity, please contact our retained advisors Anna Gardet and Erica Ritchie via email with a copy of your CV.

Recruitment Timetable
Deadline for applications:  Monday 6th April 2026
Interviews with Prospectus: 13-21st April 2026
Engagement meeting with BWC: 24th April 2026
Panel interviews with BWC: w/c 27th April 2026