Managing Director of Family Services and Development in London

Coram Family Lives was formed over fifty years ago by volunteers to ensure all parents had somewhere to turn before they reach crisis point and provides targeted early intervention support to those who are struggling. Following integration into the Coram Group, the organisation is entering an important phase of development, sustainability and impact, distinctive expertise, voice and relationships. Coram is the first and longest continuing children's charity, originally The Foundling Hospital, helping vulnerable children and young people since 1739. Today, a dynamic group of organisations, Coram now helps more than one million children, young people, families and professionals every year through direct services, curriculum tools, and digital advice.

Working directly with the Chief Executive as a member of the Senior Management Team of Coram, the Managing Director of Family Services and Development will lead the delivery, oversight and development of both national and local programmes of family support. This includes leading Coram Family Lives, which consists of 100 staff and more than 130 active volunteers, as well as leading other projects as required. The successful candidate will be responsible for developing the strategy to ensure sustainable operation and development of Coram Family Lives including responsibility for income generation working alongside the Coram Family Lives Head of Business Development and the Coram MD of Fundraising. You will lead on service innovation and policy for family focusing programmes, including initiating and developing relationships with key partners. You will develop strategies and plans to reach out to staff and volunteers from a diverse range of backgrounds, including working with colleagues to maintain the Investors in Volunteers Award.

This senior role is an opportunity for an established leader with advanced knowledge of the children and family sector across the UK. The successful candidate will have a strong business focus, with experience of identifying, responding to and delivering new business opportunities, and managing finances to seven figures. The successful candidate will also have experience of managing multiple and distributed teams spread across the UK.

Please note that this is a full-time role, office based in central London. Hybrid working is supported but this post is not offered for job share or for majority home working. It requires the ability to travel in the UK on business and for flexibility in attending occasional breakfast or evening events.

Above all you will have demonstrable experience and a commitment to improving the lives of children and families. You will be able to work individually, in a team and across the organisation and be skilled at leading and motivating managers, support staff and volunteers.

Other key attributes and experience you will possess:

• Advanced knowledge and experience of the children's/family services sector across statutory and non-statutory organisations
• Senior level experience of leading and managing multiple, distributed direct delivery services including financial and performance accountabilities at seven figures
• Experience of working with key senior figures, including those at chief executive, chair and board level and with government and local authority departments to achieve joint delivery, address needs and negotiate contracts and partnership arrangements
• Proven experience of delivering against delivery timetables, client development and income targets at significant levels and of personal negotiation and matrix management with robust application of performance standards and deliverables
• Experience of leading service innovation and business development/fundraising to diversify income and increase reach, engage stakeholders in implementing programmatic solutions
• Established leadership experience in supervising and motivating managers, supporting professional staff and volunteers, effectively creating a climate of continuous learning and reflection in the promotion of excellence in the outcomes for children
• Awareness of research and policy context with experience of creating and supporting policy briefings and campaigns at UK government level
• Experience of navigating differing contractual structures and delivery processes and partnerships in delivery across digital and direct modes
• Advanced knowledge of the frameworks and requirements of safeguarding of adults and children including in family support and helpline delivery and the challenges that these bring
• Personal experience in cultural development and leadership and in working in a distributed, relationship management structure

At Coram we are driven by a purpose we care very much about. But delivering the right results for the children and families that depend on us needs people who feel supported, valued and appreciated for their efforts. We provide a range of benefits which will reward your hard work and support you to give your best at work, including Health and Wellbeing, Training and Development, Family Friendly policies and many more.

Coram is an equal opportunities employer and we believe a diverse workforce enables us to improve the services to the children and families we help. We are genuinely committed to encouraging candidates from all sections of the community we seek to support. This includes those from global majority ethnic backgrounds, those that identify as LGBQT+, those with disabilities, those with lived experience of care and those from other groups who are underrepresented at Coram. We are committed to the safeguarding of children and where appropriate will require the successful applicant to undertake a check from the Disclosure and Barring Service.