Operational Director of Childrens Services in London

Overview

Salary: £68,800 per annum.

Location: Homebased in the South-East with significant presence in London and Leeds.

Contract: Permanent 35 hours per week.

Benefits

• 29 days annual leave PLUS bank holidays, with up to 5 additional days for continuous service and option to buy or sell leave (pro rata).
• Gain professional qualifications and excellent training/development opportunities.
• Flexible maternity, adoption, and paternity packages.
• Pension with up to 7% employer contribution with included life assurance cover.
• Staff discount portal and Blue Light Card eligibility with 15,000 national retailer's discounts.

Why Action for Children?

Working here is more than a job. Everyone in the Action for Children family is passionate about protecting and supporting children. It is the sense of purpose that drives us every single day. Because we know that, when we work together, we can make a huge difference to bring lasting improvements to vulnerable children's lives.

Diversity, equality, and inclusion

At Action for Children, we're dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace. We actively encourage applications from Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic, and disabled candidates as they are under-represented within Action for Children. We want to take deliberate and purposeful action to ensure equal opportunity to all groups in society and for Action for Children.

A Bit About The Role

You will be a senior leader with considerable experience in leading and managing children's services either in Local Authorities or the Voluntary Sector. A strong communicator and creative thinker with a flair for innovation who is focused and passionate about changing the lives of children and their families.

We have a unique opportunity for an Operational Director of Children's Services to provide leadership and management across England predominantly London and Leeds. This is an exciting and rewarding role with the opportunity to make a huge personal impact.

Reporting to the National Director of England South, you will lead, develop, and manage a dedicated team of managers who develop and deliver a range of children's services across a specified area. You will work with commissioners and be responsive to legislation and policy change to identify areas for service development. You will be skilled in working across service areas to meet identified needs and develop new, sustainable services.

England has ambitious plans to grow residential and criminal exploitation services whilst ensuring our existing service footprint remains strong and sustainable. The development and delivery of these services will be a key element of this role.

You will have responsibility for oversight of specific regulated services including holding responsibility for the quality and culture of the service. You will need a strong understanding and significant experience of both children's homes regulations and criminal exploitation as part of this role.

This is an exciting opportunity for an inspirational leader who wants to make a difference to the lives of children and young people as part of an enthusiastic and ambitious England team.

How You'll Help To Create Brighter Futures

• Providing leadership and overall management for a range of Children's services (including Children's Residential Homes), while collaborating with peers and stakeholders.
• Having responsibility for direct reports who'll be a range of committed managers with varying levels of expertise and managing their performance.
• Monitoring contract management operations and ensuring effective governance by creating performance reports and supplying the information to relevant committees.
• Guiding our sustainability and growth plans to make sure we are meeting or exceeding targets.
• Oversee local tenders and grants and subsequent implementation and delivery plans.
• Applying the HIGHEST standards of safeguarding across your area and reporting on developments.
• Operating within the local political context, adhering to legislative and regulatory requirements and build collaborative working relationships with local and national bodies.
• Acting as key account manager to commissioners, partners, and stakeholders to ensure our services are promoted.

Let's Talk About You

• A relevant professional qualification in Education, Health, or Social Care.
• A management qualification or working towards S/NVQ level 5 in management or DMS leading to MBA.
• Substantial experience of safeguarding and managing children's services.
• Strong people leadership including (though not limited to) Culture, Health, and Safety, Financial, Performance and Retention.
• Experience of Safeguarding and delivering and managing children's services.
• Commercial awareness and the ability to identify new sources of revenue and business opportunities.
• Strong project management skills to ensure successful development and implementation of new services.
• The availability to travel to various locations within England when required.

Please see the Job Description for the full list of accountabilities and requirements.

Contact: David Simpson on 01923361732 or email us at quoting reference 12515.

Closing Date: Wednesday 4th February 2026.

Interviews will be 18th February 2026.

Please note we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.

Want to know more about Action for Children? Find us on Linkedin, Facebook or YouTube to get to know us better.