Regional Operations Director in Lowestoft

About The Company

At Kingsley Healthcare, we are more than just a care home group - we are a proud, family-run business driven by a passion to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives every single day. Our dedicated teams transform care into a calling, delivering excellence with compassion, integrity, and respect. As the UK’s only large care home provider to achieve B Corp certification, we continue to lead the sector in responsible, values-driven care. In 2024 and again in 2025, we were honoured to be named Health Investor’s Residential Elderly Large Care Provider of the Year, a testament to our commitment to quality and innovation. For eight consecutive years, we’ve been recognised among the Top 20 Large UK Care Home Groups by carehome.co.uk, reflecting consistently high standards and resident satisfaction. We are also proud to be a Real Living Wage employer, ensuring that the dedication of our team members is valued and fairly rewarded. Our commitment to people-first values has earned us outstanding workplace recognition, including a 4.7 rating on Glassdoor, a 4.5 rating on Indeed, and the No.1 ranking in the UK for wellbeing at work (Indeed’s Better Work Awards 2023). If you're passionate about delivering exceptional care and want to be part of a forward-thinking organisation that puts both its residents and people at the heart of everything it does, we’d love to hear from you.

About The Role

This is a senior leadership position responsible for the operational performance, quality, and strategic development of Kingsley's East region portfolio. You will provide visible, hands-on leadership to a cluster of homes across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex, driving a culture of high-quality, person-centred care alongside strong commercial performance. Reporting directly to the Co-Chief Operating Officer, you will be a key member of the Group's operational leadership team, contributing to business-wide strategy while owning the day-to-day performance of your region.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Operational Leadership
  • Provide strategic and operational oversight for all care homes and services within the East region
  • Support, coach and develop the operations Managers to deliver outstanding care and meet regulatory requirements
  • Conduct regular structured visits to homes, maintaining a visible and accessible leadership presence
  • Lead the operational response to any quality or compliance concerns, working closely with the Group's Quality team
• Quality & Compliance
  • Ensure all homes in the region maintain or achieve CQC ratings of Good or Outstanding
  • Drive continuous improvement in care quality, resident experience and clinical outcomes
  • Oversee preparation for CQC inspections and lead the response to regulatory findings
  • Embed Kingsley's values and care standards across every home in the region
• Commercial Performance
  • Take ownership of regional occupancy, revenue and EBITDA targets
  • Work with Business Development and Sales teams to maintain strong referral pipelines and occupancy levels
  • Manage regional budgets, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency without compromising care quality
  • Support fee negotiations and local commissioner relationships
• People & Culture
  • Support recruitment, retention and succession planning at Home Manager and operation manager level across the region
  • Foster a positive, inclusive culture that supports staff wellbeing and reduces turnover
  • Work with People team to manage complex employee relations matters at regional level
  • Champion Kingsley's values and embed them throughout the regional workforce

Skills and Attributes

• Essential
  • Proven senior operational leadership experience in the care home or wider healthcare sector
  • Track record of managing multiple sites or services simultaneously
  • Strong working knowledge of CQC standards and the regulatory environment for adult social care
  • Demonstrated ability to drive quality improvement and manage underperformance
  • Commercially astute, with experience owning P&L or budget accountability
  • Outstanding people leadership skills — a developer of talent, not just a performance manager
  • Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills
• Desirable
  • Experience operating at regional director level or equivalent
  • Registered Manager qualification or equivalent clinical/care leadership background
  • Familiarity with the care market and local commissioning landscape
  • Experience supporting new home openings or acquisitions

What Will You Gain

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience
• Company car or car allowance
• Performance-related bonus
• Private healthcare on qualifying
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Pension scheme
• Kingsley Healthcare HQ, Lowestoft, Suffolk
• Pay: £85,000 per year
• Type: Permanent
• Shift: Days

Benefits

• Comprehensive induction and training programme.
• Opportunities for career development and progression.
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Blue Light Card Scheme. We’ll reimburse the enrolment fee of this fantastic scheme that offers discounts on holidays, days out and over 15,000 national brands.
• Loyalty Bonus: Accrue up to 5 additional holiday days depending on length of service. We’ll pay for your full DBS disclosure
• Excellent performance related bonus
• Monthly Car Allowance
• Private Healthcare

Your right to work in the UK: In accordance with the Asylum and Immigration Act 2006 you will need to demonstrate your eligibility for employment in the United Kingdom.