Senior Operations Manager - Dependency & Recovery, 12 month Fixed-term Contract in London

Catch22 exists to help build a society where everyone has a good place to live, good people around them, and a fulfilling purpose. We call these our '3Ps'. We achieve this in two ways: improving lives on the frontline through delivery of public services and using our knowledge to change 'the system', fixing the complex web that can trap and disempower those it was set up to help.

In Justice, we work with young people and adults in custody and in the community, providing a range of services including offender management and resettlement, mentoring, veterans in custody, victim services, gangs work, and youth justice. We believe that with effective support mechanisms and the correct interventions, we can change service users’ ideology, helping them desist from crime and reach their true potential.

As Senior Operations Manager, you will lead the delivery of Catch22’s Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRS) across London with a primary focus on our Dependence & Recovery (D&R) service, ensuring high-quality, contractually compliant services that support people on probation to successfully reintegrate into their communities and reduce reoffending.

Reporting to the Assistant Director, you will provide leadership and line management to a team of Team Leaders and practitioners, driving performance, quality, and continuous improvement across multiple sites. You will work closely with HMPPS, Probation, commissioners, and partner agencies to ensure services achieve agreed outcomes, manage risk effectively, and deliver positive results for service users.

This role combines operational oversight, performance management, partnership development, and strategic leadership, ensuring services remain innovative, responsive, and aligned with Catch22’s values. The position is home-based with regular travel across London, including to HMP Wandsworth.

Qualifications

• Evidence of continual professional development.
• Experience working with Microsoft Office - Word and Excel.
• Extensive experience of leading a team particularly those working with vulnerable people.
• Experience of working within an organisation's policies and procedures, including those relating to health and safety, confidentiality, and handling sensitive information.

Desirable:

• A qualification in leadership and management (or working towards).
• Any qualification relevant to working with those in prison, for example Criminology/ Criminal Justice/ Social Care/ Mental Health/ IAG.
• Experience of setting up a new service and of establishing procedures, processes, and protocols.
• A track record of establishing project monitoring and evaluation frameworks, ideally with some knowledge of output-based funding.

Contract: Fixed term 12 months from start date. Hours & work pattern: Full time, 38 hours per week. Salary: £47,950. Location: Various London sites. Closing Date: 18th June 2026.

Catch22 reserves the right to withdraw the vacancy at any time, for any reason before the stated closing date. We aim to review applications as quickly as possible. However, due to the volume of interest we receive, we may not be able to contact all applicants individually. If you have not heard from us within two weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application has not been successful this time.

Screening: Successful admission to post subject to enhanced DBS check, HMPPS Enhanced Level 1 vetting check, and employer Right To Work in the UK check. The post-holder must have right to work in the UK. Catch22 does not currently provide a licence to sponsor visas.

To Apply: Please provide your CV and cover letter, along with the completion of the screening questions to express your interest in this opportunity.

Catch22 is committed to rigorous safeguarding and safer recruitment practices; ensuring that every individual within the organisation has been safely and appropriately checked.