Chief Operating Officer in Harrogate

Reporting to: CEO

Hours: Full Time

Salary: Competitive executive package with benefits (Circa £100k)

A Leadership Role with Real Impact

For over 25 years, Oakdale has been transforming lives through evidence-based therapies and assessments for children, young people, and adults. As a values-driven, not-for-profit organisation, we work with the NHS, schools, local authorities, and private clients, always committed to making a real difference. Now, we’re looking for an experienced and visionary Chief Operating Officer to join our senior leadership team. In this pivotal role, you’ll help shape organisational strategy, inspire high-performing teams, and ensure we continue to deliver services that meet the highest standards. If you’re a strategic leader who wants to combine professional excellence with purpose-driven work, this is your opportunity to make a lasting impact.

Role Purpose

The Chief Operational Officer is a new post which is expected to become a pivotal executive role at Oakdale, responsible for ensuring operational excellence, consistency and alignment across all divisions. The COO will provide oversight and leadership to Oakdale’s two core operational divisions:

• Neurodevelopmental Assessment and Treatment Services
• Psychological Therapies for Children and Adults (commissioned, privately funded, and grant-funded streams)

The COO will ensure these divisions are delivering effectively and consistently, meeting all contractual obligations and expected quality and financial standards in line with Oakdale’s values, governance frameworks, and Board strategy. The COO will not duplicate the responsibilities of divisional heads of operations but will hold them accountable for delivery, supporting their leadership, and ensuring divisional work aligns with Oakdale’s wider company objectives. As Oakdale grows, the COO will also oversee any future operational service arms, ensuring scalable systems, governance, and leadership structures are in place.

Duties And Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Work closely with the Board to ensure divisional objectives are aligned with Oakdale’s group strategy.
• Provide line management, support, and accountability for divisional Heads of service.
• Manage divisional performance to meet expected KPIs, contracts, and governance requirements.
• Act as the escalation point for significant operational issues, risks, or underperformance.
• Lead on operational planning for future service diversification, ensuring Oakdale remains agile and is well positioned for long term growth and a time of system change amongst our NHS and other commissioners.

Governance and Culture

• Ensure services comply with all statutory, regulatory, and professional standards.
• Embed Oakdale’s values across operational divisions, modelling professional attitudes and positive culture.
• Promote collaborative working between divisions to avoid siloed practice.
• Strengthen governance frameworks to ensure consistency, efficiency, and quality across divisions.

Operational Oversight

• Oversee the effectiveness and sustainability of operational structures, ensuring resources are in place to deliver agreed outputs.
• Take responsibility for ensuring that Oakdale’s delivery teams meet the expected activity and outcomes expectations; playing a full part, alongside the CEO and board, in helping formulate the associated activity plans and budgets.
• Support the Divisional Heads of Service in the Neurodevelopmental Service and the Psychological Therapies Service effectively.
• Ensure consistent high quality practice in line management, supervision, case management, and administrative support across all operations.
• Drive efficiency and scalability in operational processes, including use of Oakdale’s own electronic systems and other technology systems employed across the organisation.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Represent Oakdale with commissioners, partners, regulators, and external stakeholders as required.
• Strengthen Oakdale’s reputation as a trusted, ethical, and high-quality provider.
• Support business development opportunities, working collaboratively with Oakdale’s Business Development manager and other senior colleagues to ensure operational capacity is aligned with tendering and commissioning plans.
• Contribute to the formulation of tenders, tender costings, and other bids for new service commissions or service renewals.

Person Specification

Qualifications / Training

• Educated to degree level in business administration, health management, or equivalent.
• Further post-graduate leadership or management qualifications e.g. MBA (desirable).

Knowledge

• Strong understanding of NHS, Local Authority, and private commissioning routes.
• Strong understanding of the UK Healthcare provider landscape.
• Knowledge of governance frameworks, compliance requirements, and service delivery in health or social care settings.
• Familiarity with multidisciplinary clinical services and operational models.
• Knowledge of management information systems, KPIs, and performance frameworks.

Experience & Skills

• Proven senior leadership experience, ideally prior COO or Director of Operations, or equivalent level.
• Proven track record of successfully scaling and operating within a small-to-medium-sized organisation (SME), including leading through periods of growth, managing increasing organisational complexity, and developing governance structures in resource-constrained environments.
• Demonstrated ability to work flexibly and pragmatically within an SME context, balancing strategic leadership with hands‑on operational delivery.
• Track record of successfully managing multiple divisions or service areas.
• Works in complete alignment with the Board, fostering trust and ensuring unity in direction and decision‑making.
• Demonstrates calm, measured leadership under pressure, instilling confidence and positivity throughout the organisation.
• Ability to lead through others by holding senior operational leaders accountable without duplicating their roles.
• Experience in building and sustaining a positive organisational culture that values teamwork, respect, and professionalism.
• Skilled in governance, risk management, and compliance oversight.
• Ability to build strong external partnerships and represent the organisation at senior levels.
• Entrepreneurial mindset, with experience preparing services for growth, diversification, and increased organisational maturity.
• Excellent communication skills: able to influence, engage, and inspire at all levels.
• Highly organised with strong financial acumen and commercial awareness.
• Strong track record in strategy delivery, operational performance, and service improvement.
• Acts as a visible role model for professionalism, integrity, and respectful collaboration across all teams and with senior colleagues.
• Knowledge of project management methodologies; with the ability to bring together colleagues working with a number of different specialisms to the common aim in a well‑planned, structured manner.

Personal Attributes

• Collaborative, values-driven, and transparent, with a strong commitment to working in partnership with the Board and senior colleagues.
• Professional, positive, and solutions-focused, modelling calm and emotionally intelligent leadership under pressure.
• Demonstrates accountability and integrity, taking ownership of challenges and avoid blame-based or adversarial approaches.
• Able to challenge constructively and hold others to account, in a fair, respectful and consistent manner.
• Creates a psychologically safe environment that promotes trust, openness, and high professional standards.
• Adaptable and flexible in approach, recognising the teams and individuals work at different spaces and require different styles of support.
• Resilient and reflective, open to feedback, and able to adjust leadership style in response to organisational growth and change.
• Comfortable working within an SME environment, demonstrating a pragmatic, hands‑on approach where leaders are expected to step in, adapt, and support across functions as required, recognising that flexibility and shared responsibility are essential in a growing organisation.
• Passionate about improving lives through high-quality, ethical services, and about developing others to succeed.

Why Join Oakdale?

At Oakdale, Your Well-being And Growth Matter As Much As The Clients You Support. We Offer a Package Designed For Balance, Flexibility, And Long-term Career Satisfaction, Including:

• 35 days’ annual leave (including bank holidays), increasing with service
• Flexible and agile working from day one
• SimplyHealth: 24/7 GP access, counselling, physiotherapy, and more
• Exclusive, heavily discounted rates for you and your family on private ADHD and autism neurodevelopmental assessments, through our own expert service.
• Fully funded flu vaccines
• Employee Wellbeing Initiative with trained mental health champions
• Smart Pension & Rewards: plan for your future with discounts and cashback
• Enhanced Occupational Sick Pay
• Cycle to Work & Technology Salary Sacrifice schemes
• Employee discount scheme
• Protected CPD days, annual away days, and high-quality training
• Professional registration fees covered (where applicable)
• Opportunities to influence service improvement and innovation
• Laptop, monitor, keyboard, and any additional equipment you need to do your best work
• Discounts apply to dependents living within the same household.

Apply Today

This is more than just a leadership role; it’s a chance to inspire, innovate, and lead in an organisation where people and purpose. Apply now: join Oakdale’s senior leadership team and help shape the future of our services.