Director of operations in Brighton

We are seeking two exceptional directors of operations to provide strategic and operational leadership across Sense’s national portfolio of frontline services, including our specialist colleges. These are critical senior leadership roles, responsible for ensuring operational excellence, regulatory compliance, financial sustainability, and consistently high-quality, person-centred support across diverse services and regions.

Reporting to the chief operating officer, you will work cross-functionally with colleagues across Sense, contributing to the organisation’s senior leadership and sharing collective responsibility for organisational performance, culture, and impact. Each role will have responsibility for a defined geographical portfolio. One post will oversee services across the East, Midlands and South East, including Sense College East. The second post will cover Wales and the West, Northern Ireland and the North, including Sense College Loughborough. These roles offer flexibility in base location and will be aligned to one of Sense’s main hubs in Loughborough, Birmingham or London. Regular travel will be required to hub locations and to services across the relevant regions.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership across a national portfolio of services, ensuring alignment with Sense’s vision, values, and strategic objectives.
• Ensure all services meet or exceed regulatory requirements (CQC, Ofsted, RQIA, CIW), delivering safe, high-quality, person-centred support.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, strong governance, and effective risk management.
• Lead and develop heads of operations and college principals, embedding a performance-driven yet supportive management culture.
• Ensure robust financial management, meeting annual budgets and delivering strong operational performance.
• Drive innovation and service development, supporting growth and increased financial contribution year on year.
• Lead contractual delivery, KPIs, and national quality standards across services.
• Provide visible, inclusive leadership for staff, people we support, and families, ensuring excellent communication and engagement.
• Champion the use of technology to enhance independence, engagement, and efficiency, embedding Sense Nourish and Sense Engage.
• Maintain effective on-call arrangements and participate in senior on-call rotas as required.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with commissioners, regulators, inspectors, and external partners.
• Contribute actively to organisational strategy, corporate projects, and senior leadership decision-making.
• Promote Sense’s reputation, values, and brand across internal and external audiences.

About You

You will be a credible, values-driven senior leader with a strong track record of delivering high-quality services in complex, regulated environments. You will bring:

• Significant experience in a senior operational leadership role within social care, education, health, public or voluntary sector.
• Extensive experience leading large, multi-site teams across diverse geographical regions.
• Proven success delivering strategic change, service improvement, and innovation.
• Strong financial acumen, with experience managing budgets and performance reporting.
• Demonstrable experience working with local authority and health commissioners and key sector stakeholders.
• In-depth understanding of regulatory frameworks (CQC, Ofsted, RQIA, CIW).
• A strong commitment to safeguarding, quality assurance, and person-centred practice.
• Experience using data and insight to inform decision-making and improve outcomes.
• A collaborative leadership style with the ability to influence at executive level.
• A deep commitment to inclusion, equality, and amplifying the voices of people with lived experience.

About Sense

We believe that every disabled person should have the opportunity to connect with others and be included in the world. We use our knowledge and expertise to deliver personalised, creative and flexible support at every stage of life. Sense is proud to be a disability confident leader. Working at Sense can be incredibly rewarding; we offer the opportunity to work in a large, diverse and successful charity where people can develop their skills, knowledge and careers in a supportive and flexible environment. In addition, we have excellent training and development, the opportunity for you to join our Group Personal Pension scheme and a generous annual leave entitlement.

To apply

Please use the link below to complete your application. Managers will use your application to shortlist candidates for interview; in relation to the Personal Specification. Therefore, it is very important you complete this section thoroughly. We would recommend that you read the job description and person specification before applying. Please note to avoid disappointment, we advise you to submit your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close posts at any time. No agency submissions please: any submissions without prior authorisation from the Sense Recruitment Team will be treated as our own and as such no fee will be payable. If you require any further assistance, please contact the Recruitment Team.

Sense is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable children and adults and expects all employees to share this commitment. Therefore, all offers of employment, where appropriate, are subject to a DBS check; level dependent on the nature of the role.