Operations and Partnerships Manager

Overview

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Job Description

• Suffolk County Council
• Address: Endeavour House, Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 2BX – Hybrid
• Salary: £60,135 – £71,634 per annum (pro rata for part time)
• Hours: 37 hours per week – Flexible working options available
• Contract: Fixed Term or Secondment for 12 months

Our mission is for people to live fulfilling and independent lives. Our work is to support them to achieve this.

Are you an experienced Social Care leader and Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) who can help us to achieve this?

Join us as an Operations and Partnership Manager within our countywide Mental Health and Learning Disabilities/Autism (MHLDA) Adult Social Care service. You\\\’ll work closely with our senior leadership team to reimagine what\\\’s possible for people across Suffolk.

Your role and responsibilities

You will

• Provide forward-thinking leadership to social care teams, ensuring delivery of the Suffolk Social Care strategy for independence set out in People at the Heart of Care.
• Play a key role in driving the service\\\’s corporate transformation agenda, including the redesign of Supported Housing.
• Champion and embed high-quality social work practice through the Signs of Safety practice model.
• Strengthen integrated working with community health teams and wider partners.
• Ensure safe, collaborative practice while delivering value for money.
• Contribute as a core member of the Learning Disability and Autism (LDA) and Mental Health Adult Social Care management team.
• Hold operational responsibility for four teams within the MHLDA service: the AMHP Service, the MHLDA Forensic Team, the LDA Review & Quality Assurance Team, and the MHLDA Out-of-County Review Team.

Qualifications

A strong commitment to delivering the highest-quality services for people in Suffolk, along with proven experience of high performance and effective partnership working at a senior level within a local authority or an organisation of similar scope, size, and complexity.

You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (Word). If you believe you can succeed in this role, apply. Even if you don\\\’t meet all requirements, still apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

In return we offer you

• a supportive and experienced team environment.
• flexible working arrangements to help you balance your work and personal priorities.
• the opportunity to gain valuable leadership experience during a period of transformation.
• the chance to make a meaningful difference to people\\\’s lives.

Suffolk County Council provides a range of family- and carer-friendly flexible working options, including hybrid working with up to three days per week from home. We are happy to consider a variety of arrangements to support you, your work-life balance, and your career.

Empowering Everyone

We\\\’re big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We\\\’re always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report

For more information

Please contact Jo Cartner for a casual conversation. You can reach them by calling 01473 260508 or emailing joanne.cartner@suffolk.gov.uk.

How to apply

Step 1 – Read the Job and Person Profile (JPP) (docx).

Step 2 – Click \\\”Apply Now\\\” to start your online application.

Step 3 – Upload a supporting statement answering the following questions below (no more than 400 words per question). You should use the Supporting Statement template.

1. Please describe a time when you led a team through a significant change or transformation. What approach did you take to ensure high performance and continuous improvement?
2. Can you give an example of how you have worked collaboratively with partners or stakeholders to deliver better outcomes for service users? What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?
3. Describe your experience of managing budgets and financial performance in a complex organisation. How have you ensured compliance and delivered savings?
4. Give an example of how you have used data or research to inform service improvements or redesign. What was the outcome?

Step 4 – Upload a CV (without name and personal details).

Please note: Without a supporting statement and CV, your interest will not be progressed. Any supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format.

We value authentic applications that showcase your genuine skills and experiences. Applications suspected of being generated by AI may be rejected. We encourage you to present your own work and ideas throughout the application process.

Do you need any reasonable adjustments to help you to apply? If you are disabled and/or have additional support needs, you can request reasonable adjustments. You can do this by contacting our Recruitment Team at recruitment@suffolk.gov.uk or 03456 014412.

You can find examples of possible adjustments on our Reasonable Adjustment pages If you\\\’re invited to the next stage, you\\\’ll have another chance to request adjustments.

Closing date: 11:30pm, 1 March 2026.

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts. #LI-Hybrid

About Us

As a modern and effective council, we offer a wide variety of careers to suit people with a range of skills, abilities and ambitions. We offer working options that flex to reflect the way people work today and take the time to understand and support your individual needs. We\\\’re driven to make a positive difference to the world around us and encourage everyone with drive and focus to join us and build an influential and impactful career. Reimagine the possibilities.

In return, you\\\’ll enjoy:

• up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days
• membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits
• performance-related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost-of-living pay increase
• training and encouragement to expand your knowledge
• a variety of career development opportunities across our organisation
• diverse and active staff networks
• flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day

Plus lots more!

If you want to know more about our benefits, values and equality commitments please visit our Suffolk County Council careers website (careers.Suffolk.gov.uk).