Head of Operations
Play, Adventures, and Community Enrichment (PACE) is looking to hire a new Head of Operations.We are seeking an exceptional leader, with a passion for play and education, ideally within the children and families sector. Our newly appointed Head will have excellent relationship-building and networking capabilities, who will be able to work with our Board to develop new opportunities for PACE to work across Camden and neighbouring boroughs.
You will be working to ensure PACE’s long term stability and relevance through delivery of high quality services, good governance and financial stability.
The successful candidate will have excellent interpersonal skills, and will ideally bring a range of experience, from securing revenue growth, developing partnerships to creating and delivering solutions to help support our families. You will have gravitas, strong emotional intelligence and excellent communication skills.
Above all, we want someone with a genuine interest in our work, whose values align with ours, and who are willing to take a hands on approach.
Salary: £50-55k per annum
Contract Length: Fixed-term (12 months in the first instance, with a view to permanency)
Location: In person at All PACE sites - Fairfield, Camden Square & Fortune Green
Reports To: Board of Trustees
Direct Reports: Senior Centre Managers, Service Managers and Fundraising Manager (currently 6 positions)
Key Relationships: HR Consultant, Finance Consultant, Camden Commissioners
About PACE
PACE is a grassroots play charity based in the London Borough of Camden, founded in 2011 by a group of parents and play experts to provide high-quality, inclusive play and childcare services in the local area. We offer a wide range of services that improve the health and happiness of children and their families, working with children and young people aged 1 to 18 across a range of needs, abilities, and backgrounds.
We operate from three play centres in Camden - Fairfield, Camden Square, and Fortune Green - delivering preschools, after-school play schemes, holiday play schemes, a mentoring service, and short breaks for children and young people with disabilities.
Purpose of the Role
The Head of Operations is the most senior staff member at PACE and the primary day-to-day operational lead for the organisation. The postholder will ensure that services for children and young people are delivered safely, consistently, and to a high standard across all three sites, and that the organisation's systems, finances, people, and compliance obligations are properly managed.
This is an operational leadership role with responsibility for translating the Board's strategic direction into effective day-to-day delivery. The postholder will work closely with the Board of Trustees, who retain strategic governance responsibility, and will be the principal point of accountability for performance across all services. The postholder will also act as Designated Safeguarding Lead for the organisation.
We are looking for a hands-on, credible, and consistent leader who is energised by the work of a small community charity, comfortable managing complexity across multiple sites, and committed to PACE's mission of delivering high-quality, inclusive play and enrichment for children and families in Camden.
Key Responsibilities
1. Operational Leadership and Service Delivery
- Take day-to-day operational responsibility for all PACE services across all three sites, ensuring consistent, high-quality, and safe delivery.
- Support and line manage Senior Centre Managers and Service Managers, providing clear direction, regular supervision, and accountability.
- Ensure all services meet regulatory requirements including EYFS, Ofsted standards, safeguarding and child protection legislation, and disability inclusion policy.
- Maintain and develop operational policies and procedures that reflect best practice in service delivery for children and young people, including those with additional needs.
- Identify and respond to operational risks across sites, escalating to the Board where appropriate.
2. Safeguarding
- Act as the organisation's Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), maintaining overall responsibility for safeguarding practice across all sites.
- Ensure centre managers and service leads fulfil their DSL responsibilities and that training, records, and incident reporting are consistent, up to date, and audit-ready.
- Lead the organisation's response to any safeguarding concern or Ofsted inspection, maintaining transparent and proactive communication with commissioners and the Board.
- Embed a culture of safeguarding awareness and accountability across the whole staff team.
3. Financial Management and Budget Oversight
- Work with the Finance team to manage the organisation's annual budget, ensuring income and expenditure are tracked accurately and reported monthly.
- Hold budget holder accountability across service and centre level, ensuring managers understand and operate within their agreed financial envelopes.
- Monitor income streams - including statutory contracts, parental fees, grants, and fundraised income - and alert the Board to variances or risks in a timely manner.
- Support income generation through effective contract delivery, occupancy management, and proactive relationship management with commissioners.
- Oversee the Fundraising Manager's workload and priorities, ensuring fundraising activity is aligned to operational need and deliverable commitments are accurate before submission.
4. Human Resources and Workforce Management
- Lead, support, and develop the staff team, fostering a culture of professionalism, consistency, and accountability.
- Work with the HR Consultant to ensure HR processes - including onboarding, probation, sickness management, performance management, and offboarding - are followed correctly and documented appropriately.
- Conduct regular line management meetings and appraisals with direct reports, setting clear expectations and addressing performance issues promptly and fairly.
- Manage staffing levels and deployment across sites to ensure services are appropriately resourced, proportionate to demand and income, and compliant with contractual ratios.
- Address workforce culture issues, reducing reliance on informal decision-making and ensuring accountability is embedded at all levels of the team.
5. Commissioner and Stakeholder Relationships
- Maintain and develop the organisation's relationships with Camden commissioners, the Play Providers Forum, Family Hubs, and other statutory and voluntary sector partners.
- Ensure proactive, transparent, and timely communication with Camden regarding service delivery, performance data, and any operational concerns.
- Represent PACE at external meetings, forums, and events as required.
- Support the development of community partnerships that extend the reach and impact of PACE's services.
6. Compliance, Governance and Risk
- Ensure organisational compliance with all relevant regulatory frameworks including Ofsted, EYFS, charity law, and employment legislation.
- Maintain and regularly review operational policies, risk registers, and compliance records, ensuring they are current and accessible across all sites.
- Provide the Board of Trustees with regular, concise, and accurate reports on operational performance, financial position, safeguarding, staffing, and risk.
- Support Board governance by preparing timely papers, flagging decisions required, and maintaining clear separation between operational management and trustee oversight.
7. Systems, Monitoring and Evaluation
- Embed consistent, documented operational systems across all sites, reducing reliance on individual knowledge and informal workarounds.
- Develop and maintain monitoring and evaluation frameworks to track service quality, outcomes for children and families, and contractual KPIs.
- Oversee the organisation's use of operational systems including safeguarding software, HR and payroll platforms, invoicing, and timekeeping tools.
- Produce and sign off external impact reports for funders and commissioners.
Person Specification:
Essential:
- Experience in an operational management role within a children's services, play, youth work, education, or social care setting
- At least 3 years in a management role with direct line management of multiple staff or teams
- Demonstrable knowledge and practical experience of safeguarding children, including DSL-level responsibility
- Experience managing multi-site or multi-service delivery
- Sound financial literacy: budget management, variance analysis, and income/expenditure monitoring
- Sound financial literacy: budget management, variance analysis, and income/expenditure monitoring
- Strong people management skills: supervision, appraisal, performance management, and HR process compliance
- Experience working with, and reporting to, a Board of Trustees or equivalent governance body
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to manage competing priorities across multiple sites calmly and consistently
- Commitment to inclusive practice and experience working with children with disabilities and additional needs
- A suitable Level 3 or above qualification in Early Years, Childcare, or a relevant field (e.g. CACHE Level 3, BTEC Level 3 in Children's Play, Learning and Development, or equivalent EYFS-recognised qualification)
Desirable
- Experience of income generation including commissioner relationships, grant management, and contract compliance
- Experience of charity or voluntary sector management
- Coaching or mentoring experience
- Knowledge of Camden's VCS and community infrastructure
Conditions of Employment
- This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check.
- The postholder will be required to work across all PACE sites in Camden. Flexible or hybrid working will be considered where operationally appropriate, but the role requires significant on-site presence.
- PACE is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from all sections of the community.
- PACE is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment.
Pay: £50,000.00-£55,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Bereavement leave
- Casual dress
- Childcare
- Company pension
- Cycle to work scheme
- Employee discount
- Enhanced maternity leave
- Enhanced paternity leave
- Sick pay
Work Location: In person
